Relevant

Lancaster:  On June 2, 2010, Cooperative Extension will be offering Dairy Farm Energy Efficiency from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm at the Lancaster Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster PA 17601.  Full cost is $125.  However, PA residents can attend for $50 if they offer proof of residency in the form of their social security number.  This discount is available thanks to the generous support of the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board.  For a downloadable brochure, click here.

Dairy farms need to be energy efficient to compete in the today's market place. Rising energy prices and increased competition absolutely make it important that farmers use energy efficiently. The panel of speakers will give you the tools and knowledge needed to inspect a dairy farm's energy systems and determine where savings can be found. The workshop includes a visit to a nearby commercial farm for a hands-on demonstration of energy assessment methods.  It will benefit agricultural professionals who work with the dairy industry, farmers who want to improve their facilities, and energy industry professionals such as engineers, technical representatives, and service providers interested in dairy farm energy efficiency.

Lancaster:  Recently, the Lancaster County Planning Commission was called upon to review a zoning amendment proposed by Community Energy, Inc. for a solar farm in East Drumore Township. The implications of the proposal have far-ranging consequences for Lancaster County because they bring into focus the interest of Lancaster County in preserving its agricultural land for agriculture while, at the same time, trying to respond to projects that generate new forms of energy.  James Cowhey, Director of the Planning Commission, has asked the Center of Excellence to post the full statement which you can download by clicking here.

In the end, the Planning Commission recommended against the project in East Drumor Township.  “Great project, wrong location” seems to have driven the final decision.  "We support alternative energy production in the right place and at the right scale. We invite the state to have a dialog with us about how we can help meet the state's energy diversification goals while also implementing our important local planning initiatives, including the protection of our prime agricultural soils and the agricultural economy.  We invite the public to understand the complexity of this issue and our commitment to planning for the protection of prime agricultural soils at the same time we plan for alternative energy production."  To comment, contact Mr. Cowhey by clicking This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Washington, DC (April 22, 2010):  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced an initiative designed to help agricultural producers transition to more energy efficient operations. This initiative will make funding available for individual on-farm energy audits designed to save both money and energy when fully implemented.

"Reducing energy use on America's farms and ranches will not only help our agricultural producers become more profitable, but also help the United States become more energy independent," said Vilsack. "Through this initiative, producers will be able to receive individual on-farm energy audit evaluations and assistance with implementation of energy conservation and efficiency measures.

"Approximately 1,000 on-farm energy audit evaluations in 29 states will be funded by $2 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in fiscal year 2010. The energy audits will be individually tailored to ensure coverage of each farm's primary energy uses such as milk cooling, irrigation pumping, heating and cooling of livestock production facilities, manure collection and transfer, grain drying, and similar common on-farm activities. Participating states include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.