AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING BEDDING AND ENERGY USING ON-FARM FOREST RESOURCES AND AN EXPERIMENTAL AEROBIC COMPOSTING SYSTEM

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0233560
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2013
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2017
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
51 COLLEGE RD SERVICE BLDG 107
DURHAM,NH 03824

Performing Department
Natural Resources and the Environment

Non Technical Summary
Dairy dominates animal agriculture in the Northeastern U.S., but rising energy, feed and capital investment costs combine to shrink profit margins, threatening the regional viability of the dairy industry and regional agriculture in general. Values linked to agriculture, including the conservation of open land and preservation of historical character could be lost as well. Higher milk prices and lower capital costs make organic dairy agroecosystems a viable strategy for managing risks, vulnerabilities and uncertainties. With the first commercial-scale Organic Dairy Research Farm (ODRF) in the country, UNH is uniquely positioned to fulfill the traditional land-grant role of supporting a critical agriculture-based community in the state and region. Conversations with major commercial organic dairy processors prior to the initiation of this project allowed the opportunity to ask directly, "what are the biggest challenges to the viability of organic dairies in New England" The answer was clear - the cost of imported products, including grain, bedding and energy. By the nature of the companies and product, environmental footprints are also of concern to these producers. In response to these needs, we proposed to both USDA-SARE and NHAES for support to develop and test ways to reduce both energy and bedding costs, while also reducing nutrient loading and water requirements for the operation of the ODRF. In this continuation of a previously funded NHAES project, we seek support for research into: An Integrated System for Providing Bedding and Energy Using On-Farm Forest Resources and an Experimental Aerobic Composting System Through our first round of Hatch funding, we have researched several alternatives for achieving the project goals, and have assisted in obtaining donor support for a $550,000 facility in which the composting experiments will be carried out. We have also begun to design alternative methods for using generated heat within the farm's energy system. Funds requested here, along with continuing USDA-SARE funding, will support operational testing of the wood-bedding-energy-compost system.

Animal Health Component

40%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

20%

Applied

40%

Developmental

40%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
403	5330	1060	50%
401	5330	1060	30%
605	0199	1070	20%

Knowledge Area
401 - Structures, Facilities, and General Purpose Farm Supplies; 403 - Waste Disposal, Recycling, and Reuse; 605 - Natural Resource and Environmental Economics;

Subject Of Investigation
5330 - Farm structures and related facilities; 0199 - Soil and land, general;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1070 - Ecology;

Keywords

aerobic

compost

heat energy

bedding

co2

ch4

isobars

Goals / Objectives
1) Develop and test a system for meeting bedding, manure composting, and energy needs at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station Organic Dairy Research Farm (ODRF) through an integrated system involving the wood resource in the forests on the farm property a) Assist in design and construction of aerobic composting facility b) Evaluate methods for converting harvested wood chips to bedding material c) Initiate operational and experimental testing of aerobic manure/bedding composting d) During operation, track: i) Energy generation ii) CO2 generation e) Develop and test methods for best utilization of heat energy produced by the aerobic composting process

Project Methods
Objective: Develop and test a system for meeting bedding, manure composting, and energy needs at the Organic Dairy Research Farm through an integrated system involving the wood resource in the forests on the farm property a) Assist in design, construction and operation of aerobic composting facility Throughout the scoping and design of the new facility, we have provided a link between the UNH facilities staff who are organizing the project and the process experts with prior experience with the system to be used. As the facility comes to completion, we will provide both guidance and operational support for the new facility and process. b) Evaluate methods for converting harvested wood chips to bedding material. Several alternative sets of steps have been proposed for the shaving process, including drying shavings for use as bedding with milking cows. These involve timing and amount of material produced in a batch, location of storage and method for drying. Each approach will be tested operationally. c) Develop cost/savings data for wood-to-bedding process: Initial models have been developed by Ph.D. student Matt Smith that predict costs and savings for the wood shaving system. These predictions will be tested against operational data once the shaving machine is in place. Wood to be used to produce the shavings has already been harvested and is adjacent to the future location of the machine. d) Initiate operational and experimental testing of aerobic manure/bedding composting Variables to be tested in the integrated process of barn scraping, compost mixing and loading and operation of the aerobic composting system. e) During operation, track: i) Energy generation: This will be achieved by continuous monitoring of temperature and moisture content in the air stream leaving the aerobic composting system. ii) CO2 generation: This will also will be achieved by measurement of concentration in air stream from system f) Develop and test methods for best utilization of heat energy produced by the aerobic composting process. This portion of the project remains experimental. Possible uses for generated heat include pre-heating of process water in the milking parlor, and drying of shaved chips for use in with milking cows.

Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Agricultural and commercial processors of organic wastes, including voth on-farm and centralized facilities. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Over the course of this award, two Ph.D. students and two undergraduates have been supported. One Ph.D. student has graduated, and the second will complete her degree in 2018. The graduated student has continued working with the project. Both undergraduates have been involved in the design and completion of parts of the project and will present results at an undergraduate research conference in 2018. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our publication plan has included a mix of peer-reviewed and stakeholder-oriented outlets. We have participated in a regional USDA working group on energy at the farm level. We have hosted numerous visits by practitioners including attendees at an annual BioCycle conference. UNH has produced a high-quality and informative video of the operation of our composting facility that has been featured on the first web pages of APLU and AASHE (American Association for Sustainability in Higher Education). We have hosted a visit by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and a separate visit by her staff. Presentations include: Heat recovery from composting: Past, Present and Future, at US Composting Council & Trade Show, Los Angeles, CA, Monday, January 23, 2017 Smith, M. 2017. Heat recovery from composting: Past, Present and Future. US Composting Council Conference & Trade Show.January 23 - 26. Los Angeles, CA Organic Diary Research Farm at the University of New Hampshire, at Harvard Grazing Symposium, Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA, Wednesday, September 7, 2016 Aber, J., Smith, M., Leach, A. 2016. Organic Diary Research Farm at the University of New Hampshire. Harvard Forest Grazing Symposium, Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA. September 7-8 Recovering heat from composting for hot water heating and greenhouse gas mitigation, at Food Waste-to-Low Carbon Energy Conference at Rutgers University, Wednesday, April 27, 2016 Smith, M. 2016. Recovering heat from composting for hot water heating and greenhouse gas mitigation. Food Waste-to-Low Carbon Energy Conference at Rutgers University. April 27-28. New Brunswick, NJ. Closing Loop: Nutrient and Energy Implications of Operating a Heat Recovery Composting Facility, at Tin Mountain Conservation Center Ecological Forum, Conway, NH, Tuesday, April 12, 2016 Smith, M. 2016. Closing Loop: Nutrient and Energy Implications of Operating a Heat Recovery Composting Facility. Tin Mountain Conservation Center Ecological Forum.April 12. Conway, NH. Composting and thermal energy system at the UNH Organic Research Dairy Farm, at Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Winter Conference, Burlington, VT, Saturday, February 13, 2016 Smith, M. 2016. Composting and thermal energy system at the UNH Organic Research Dairy Farm. Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Winter Conference. February 13, 2016. Burlington, VT. Heat recovery from composting: An innovative method for season extension and nutrient recovery, at New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs Annual Meeting, Derry, NH, Tuesday, September 22, 2015 Smith, M. 2015. Heat recovery from composting: An innovative method for season extension and nutrient recovery. New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs Annual Meeting. September 22, 2015. Derry, NH. Advice has been provided to: Wolfe's Neck Farm, ME - March, 2017 Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development Area, Inc. - February, 2017 Strongwater Farm Therapeutic Equestrian Center, MA - November, 2016 Lewis Farm, NH - November, 2016 Alternative Energy Associates, NJ - May 2016 Neal Sanders, NH (Fiction Novelist) - September 2015 Brixham Montessori Friends Elementary School, ME - September 2015 Razzano Farm, New Jersey - May 2015 Ideal Compost, Peterborough, NH - July 2014 Moor Farm/Stewardship & Sustainability, Durham, NH - May 2014 Seacoast Energy Alternatives, Dover, NH - March 2014 Hall and Moskow Real Estate, Newburyport, MA - February 2014 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project's goals were to develop and test a system for meeting animal bedding, manure composting and energy needs at a typical New England dairy farm through an integrated system involving the wood resource in the forests on the farm property to produce bedding, aerobic composting of bedding and manure, and heat capture to preheat water for dairy sanitation. During this final phase of the project, the focus has been on publishing and presenting the results of the research. To that end, we have completed a series of experiments related to the short- and long-term generation of heat energy through the aerated static pile composting process, and expressed these results in terms useful to practitioners at the farm and commerical scales. Breifly, it was determined that the two primary factors controlling total heat capture were the temperature in the composting material and the temperature in the heat sink used to retain that heat. Model projections of changes in the mechanical and physical charateristics of the processing plant demonstrated that our system is optimally constructed such that changes in air handling rate or configuration of the piping system had little effect. This emphasizes that it is important to link this system to one that draws heat from the heat sink continuously. Another major finding was that optimzing this system for total heat capture suggests longer retention time in the composting facility than is generally used by processors who choose to maximize throughput of material. We also completed an analysis of the economics of using low-quality softwood stems as bedding material using a commercial wood shaving machine. It wad found that a business built around processing this material could be financially viable in a region in which bedding costs were high. Operation of this size of machine on a individual farm was not a viable option for operations of a size typical for New England. We have measured CO2 and NH3 emissions from our system. CO2 is highly elevated, as expected, with concentrations up to 10% of airflow. NH3 concentration ranged as high as several hundred parts per million. A preliminary attempt to purge the NH3 using a biofilter (work supported by another grant) have been shown to reduce NH3 concentrations significantly.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Smith, M., J.D. Aber and R. Rynk. 2016. Heat recovery from composting  a comprehensive review of system design, recovery rate and utilization. Compost Science and Utilization. /10.1080/1065657X.2016.1233082
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Smith, M.M and J.D. Aber. 2017. Energy Recovery from Commercial-Scale Aerated Static Pile Composting as a Novel Waste Management Strategy. Applied Energy 211:194-199
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2017 Citation: Smith, M.M., J.D. Aber and T. Howard. Economic viability of producing animal bedding from low quality and small diameter trees using a wood shaving machine. Journal of Forest Economics. In Press.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2017 Citation: Smith, M.M, C.L. Simms, and J.D. Aber. Animal bedding cost and somatic cell count across New England dairy farms: Relationship with bedding material, housing type, herd size, and management system. Professional Animal Scientist. In press.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2017 Citation: Smith, M.M., J.D. Aber and A.M. Leach. Impact of Long-term Composting Cycles and Extended Aeration on Heat Yield from a Multi-bay Aerated Static Pile Composting System with Heat Recovery. Biomass and Bioenergy. Submitted
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2017 Citation: Smith, M. and J. Aber. 2017. At-A-Glance: Composting dairy manure creates energy. A new recovery system is helping farms use that energy to enhance hot water heating systems. Progressive Dairyman, in press
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Smith, M. and J.D. Aber. 2017 Heat Recovery from Compost: A Step-by-Step Guide on Building an Aerated Static Pile Heat Recovery Compost Facility. University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Durham, NH. 72pp. https://mypages.unh.edu/agroecosystem/publications-0

Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Practitioners and university researchers involved in managing agroecosystems, with a focus on diary farm waste management and energy use. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two Ph.D. students have been part of the project described here. Matthew Smith received his degree in May 2016 and is now a research scientist funded by a USDA-SARE project. Allison Leach anticipates receiving her degree in December 2017. A number of undergraduates have also been part of this project, learning the fundamentals of good field and lab techniques, data entry and analysis and presentation of results. Exchanges have occurred with Mr. Fox (commercial composter in Eliot, ME) and with City Soil (Commercial composter in Boston, MA). We continue to collaborate with AgriLab Technologies in Vermont.. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) and her staff toured the facily in the summer of 2016 Sustainable Farm Energy Production and Use Committee (NECC1501) Work with the Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (NERA) to address issues and opportunities related to the production and use of energy on farms. The goal of the committee is research, education and extension. UNH Zero Waste Task Force Work with UNH administrators, researchers, and students on becoming a more sustainable campus, by minimizing waste and increasing recycling. Also researchers and students also serve on the Compost Expansion Committee within this task force. New Hampshire Compost Policy and Regulation Group Worked with New Hampshire State Senator Martha Fuller Clark to develop a new composting bill (SB 251) that updates the state's composting law to permit meat and dairy products to be mixed into the current food waste stream. Testified as an expert witness on the merits of the bill to the NH Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on March 5, 2015 and to the NH House Environmental and Agricultural Committee April 7, 2015. Work completed fall 2015. Presentations made: Closing Loop: Nutrient and Energy Implications of Operating a Heat Recovery Composting Facility. Tin Mountain Conservation Center Ecological Forum. April 12, 2016. Conway, NH. Recovering heat from composting for hot water heating and greenhouse gas mitigation. Food Waste-to-Low Carbon Energy Conference at Rutgers University. April 27-28, 2016 Composting and thermal energy system at the UNH Organic Research Dairy Farm. Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Winter Conference. February 13, 2016. Burlington, VT. Heat recovery from composting: An innovative method for season extension and nutrient recovery. New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs Annual Meeting. September 22, 2015. Derry, NH. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. We will continue to operate the composting facility as an integral part of the Burley-Demeritt Farm 2. We will replicate previous experiments, recording energy generation and capture, and gas concentrations under a wide range of operating conditions. 3. We will publish previous work on the economics of generating bedding from low-quality wood on-site 4. We will publish at least two papers describing results from the facility 5. We will continue to make presentations, host visitors, and support an informative website to deliver our results to general and professional audiences.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Composting is a growth industry in the northeast. As states and municipalities increase restrictions on the disposal of organic wastes in landfills, alternative methods for treating and disposing of wastes are being developed and applied. Aerated Static Pile (ASP) composting with Heat Recovery (HR) is a recently developed technology for accomplishing these goals. The research supported by this project has provided new, detailed, quantitative data on the operational characteristics of the only commercial-scale ASPHR research facility in the country. This information has been shared with several private sector stakeholders and practitioners. Those interactions are leading to the development of joint plans and proposals for further research and development In addition, in cooperation with the UNH Communications Office, a detailed and professional video has been developed describing the operation of the UNH facility (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNTX5vqN2Fs&feature=youtu.be). This video has been featured on the first page of the main websites of the APLU, AASHE and the Northeastern USDA-SARE. As a novel technology, this video will have great value in disseminating widely the nature of ASPHR composting. Since the initiation of operations for the UNH Aerated Static Pile/Heat Recovery Composting facility at the Burley-Demeritt farm in 2013, 23 batches of manure, bedded pack and other materials generated at the farm, totaling about 3,500 cubic yards, have been processed through the facility. This represents nearly all of the solid organic wastes produced in that period. Four different batches can be in process simultaneously, and can be held for one to several months. In 2015, a series of energy capture studies were performed. Temperatures in the vapor streams produced by the different batches of compost were monitored continuously and recorded in one-minute intervals on Web Energy Lab system. Energy capture by this system occurs through heat transfer to a water tank. By filling the tank with well water (55 degrees F), the rate of heat capture could be measured by the rate of increase in temperature of the water in the tank. The rate of useful heat capture (Kjoules/min) is a direct function of the difference in temperature between the vapor generated and the temperature of the water in the heat storage tank. Results provide a clearer method for estimating actual heat capture for composting systems and will be used to write a methods paper proposing standard methods for this calculation. Two papers are in preparation based on this work. One describes the basic system and the results of the experiment described above. The other will present a dynamic model of the UNH system with predictions for optimal operating conditions. In addition, we have also measured concentrations of 4 gases in the exhaust air stream from the system. As expected, CO2 concentrations are greatly elevated above ambient, and range as high as 15% in the early stages of composting. After 4-5 days, the concentration stabilizes around 3% of the exhaust air stream. Ammonium concentrations are very high initially; sometimes exceeding 3000 parts per million (ppm). After the initial 4-5 day period, concentrations tend to stabilize around 300 ppm, still much above ambient. As the system remains aerobic throughout the composting process, Oxygen levels vary little from ambient, and methane levels are nearly undetectable.

Publications

• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: CREATING AN ECONOMICALLY VIABLE, CLOSED-SYSTEM, ENERGY-INDEPENDENT DAIRY FARM THROUGH THE ON-FARM PRODUCTION OF ANIMAL BEDDING AND HEAT CAPTURE FROM AN AERATED STATIC PILE HEAT RECOVERY COMPOSTING OPERATION

Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Dairy farmers, woodlot owners and commercial compost operators in the Northeast. Changes/Problems:Following some years of refinement and improvements in this innovative technology (static pile aerobic composting), the facility is in production mode and generating a considerable amount of data. We see no major changes or problems at this time. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?There are two graduate student working on this project as well as 3 undergraduates. We have been part of farm day presentations and visitors groups hosted by NHAES. In addition to many individual and casual tours, we hosted tours for a group sponosred by the Vermont Organic Farmers and Gardeners oorganization and the facility was a venue for a tour from from the annual BioCycle conference held in Boston. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Accomplished mainly through publications and tours listed above. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Will continue with experiments with composting mixtures and times and will make further measurements of gases generated during the processing of compost in the facility. The project is maturing following 6 years of USDA-SARE and NHAES support, and we are entering the period, to be completed during the lifetime of this project, where results will be finalized and reported.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Conversations with technical VPs of the 4 largest organic dairy producers in the country highlighted that financial sustainability of their providers in the northeast was most endangered by rising costs for bedding and energy. Because of this, we devised a program of research that linked production of bedding from on-farm wood resources through the use of a commercial shaving machine in combination with an energy producing composting system. With support from this grant we have: a) Completed a major renovation and upgrade to composting facility to improve performance and data accessibility. Completed three experiments relating system operation to BTU generation. b) Completed 5 composting replicates that included all manure and bedded pack material generated on the farm. Obtained data on heat generation and operational information relevant to optimization of operation. c) Initiated measurements of CO2, methane, oxygen and ammonia generation during composting and in exhaust from heat exchanger.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Simms, L., M. Smith, J. Alvez, J. Colby, and J. Aber. 2014. Potential alternatives for rising bedding costs in New England dairies. Dairy Briefs Vol. 62 (Winter). University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Durham, NH.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Smith, M and Aber, J.2015 Heat Extraction and Utilization from Composting as an Alternative to Anaerobic Digestion for Reducing Energy Costs at Dairy Farms. UNH Dairy Report pgs. 33-35

Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Presentations, Field Days and Visitors to the Farm More details available at: http://www.aberlab.net/outreach-2/ Target Audiences: Dairy farmers, compost system operators, woodlot owners. Efforts: 2014 August-September - Meetings with Seacoast Energy Alternatives on compost/greenhouse linkage. September 3 - Conference with 8 practitioners and researchers in composting field (SUNY-Cobelskill, Highfields Research Station, AgriLabs Technology) August 1 - Visit from Program Manager and Advising Scientist from USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program May 30 - Naming of the UNH Named Innovative Composting Facility for Sustainable Agriculture Pioneer, Josh Nelson. A major event sponsored by the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and the NHAES marking the dedication of the composting facility for an innovator in sustainable agricultural technologies. Attendance was about 40 and the press release describing the event was picked up by more than 40 local, regional and national news sources from as far away as Oregon and Florida. May 13 - USDA Climate Change Panel and Poster Presentation February 7 - Presentation at the New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station (NHAES) Farm and Forest Expo on the bedding/composting system. The presentation was given to farmers and foresters throughout the region. 2013 November 15 - Presentation and discussion at the Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA entitled: "Sustainability and Sustainable Agriculture at UNH: An Overview and a Case Study." Consulted on new venture by the Harvard Forest into local and sustainable agriculture. November 8 - Field day as part of the annual meeting for members of the New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation. October 22 - Presentation to Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bolzano, Italy on recent research in sustainable and organic agriculture at the University of New Hampshire Technical advice has been provided to the following companies and organizations: Earthbank Resource Systems Ltd., Vancouver British Columbia Moor Farm/Stewardship & Sustainability, Durham, NH Seacoast Energy Alternatives, Dover, NH Hall and Moskow Real Estate, Neburyport, MA The Peters Company, Lee, NH Aquaponics & Compost Heat Recovery Venture, Manchester, NH Payeur Farm Composting, Parsonsfield, ME Fox Composting, Dover, NH Changes/Problems: It was necessary to rework the air handling system in the heat capture portion of the composting system. This is an upgrade based on results to date. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Two hourly workers associated with the project have acquired significant experience in the operation of a heat recovery composting. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? August-September - Meetings with Seacoast Energy Alternatives on compost/greenhouse linkage. September 3 - Conference with 8 practitioners and researchers in composting field (SUNY-Cobelskill, Highfields Research Station, AgriLabs Technology) August 1 - Visit from Program Manager and Advising Scientist from USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program May 30 - Naming of the UNH Named Innovative Composting Facility for Sustainable Agriculture Pioneer, Josh Nelson. A major event sponsored by the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and the NHAES marking the dedication of the composting facility for an innovator in sustainable agricultural technologies. Attendance was about 40 and the press release describing the event was picked up by more than 40 local, regional and national news sources from as far away as Oregon and Florida. May 13 - USDA Climate Change Panel and Poster Presentation February 7 - Presentation at the New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station (NHAES) Farm and Forest Expo on the bedding/composting system. The presentation was given to farmers and foresters throughout the region. 2013 November 15 - Presentation and discussion at the Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA entitled: "Sustainability and Sustainable Agriculture at UNH: An Overview and a Case Study." Consulted on new venture by the Harvard Forest into local and sustainable agriculture. November 8 - Field day as part of the annual meeting for members of the New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation. October 22 - Presentation to Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bolzano, Italy on recent research in sustainable and organic agriculture at the University of New Hampshire Technical advice has been provided to the following companies and organizations: Earthbank Resource Systems Ltd., Vancouver British Columbia Moor Farm/Stewardship & Sustainability, Durham, NH Seacoast Energy Alternatives, Dover, NH Hall and Moskow Real Estate, Newburyport, MA The Peters Company, Lee, NH Aquaponics & Compost Heat Recovery Venture, Manchester, NH Payeur Farm Composting, Parsonsfield, ME Fox Composting, Dover, NH What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continue to test and improve the composting system and process. Continue on-site meetings. Pursue opportunity to host field visit associated with the annual BioCycle meeting in Boston in 2015.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Conversations with major commercial organic dairy processors prior to the initiation of this project allowed the opportunity to ask directly, "what are the biggest challenges to the viability of organic dairies in New England" The answer was clear - the cost of off farm supplies, including grain, bedding and energy. By the nature of the companies and product, environmental footprints are also of concern to these producers. In response to these needs, we proposed to both USDA-SARE and NHAES for support to develop and test ways to reduce both energy costs, while also reducing nutrient loading and water requirements for the operation of the ODRF. Research conducted under McIntire Stennis Project NH00073-M (accession #231860), Sustainable Production of Wood Shavings for animal bedding, is being leveraged against this Hatch project. Together this research will lead to an integrated system tor Northeast dairy farmers to produce animal bedding, followed by composting manure and bedding, in order to generate renewable energy for farm operations. Throughput and Efficiency of Static-Pile Aerobic Composting Facility Composting has been integrated into the regular flow of work on the farm. All stockpiles of manure have been processed and we are on a regular schedule to load one bay every 4-6 weeks. Since operations began in June of 2013, we have loaded 18 bays, processing approximately 810 wet tons or 1,260 cubic yards of material. Temperatures achieved during composting have ranged from 110F to 150F depending on age and nature of material. We have now begun to measure BTU generation and capture by the system as a function of age of material and temperature of water in the storage tank. Efficiency of capture is closely related to tank temperature, indicating that placing a higher load on the hot water storage (e.g. heating a greenhouse or drying shavings) would increase the efficiency of the overall system. Based on initial results, a major restructuring of the heat capture system has been undertaken. The new system will feature shorter pipe lengths to reduce condensation before the isobar system and a state-of-the-art, low-cost control system for scheduling aeration of the piles.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Smith, M., and Aber, J. 2014. Heat recovery from compost: A guide to building an aerated static pile heat recovery composting facility. University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, 81 p
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Smith, M., and Aber, J. 2014. Heat recovery from compost. BioCycle, 55(2), 27.
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: WWW.aberlab.net