Press Releases
For Immediate Release
March 4, 2005
Contacts: Brenda Timmer, Andgar Corp.,
360-366-9900
Chad Kruger, WSU, 509-663-8181 x235
Open house, tour and media event at Vander
Haak dairy anaerobic digester
Lynden, Wash. – The Vander Haak Dairy will
be holding an open house, tour and media event to demonstrate
the operation of their new dairy anaerobic digester. The open
house will begin at 2pm and the media event and tours will begin
at 2:15pm on Thursday, March 10.
The Vander Haak dairy digester project, the first
such project in Washington State, is a key example of how creative
partnerships between federal, state and local government with
individuals, industry, and non-governmental organizations can
help to sustain agriculture for the next generation.
Anaerobic digesters have been called a “solution that leads
to more solutions” for many of the environmental and economic
problems facing the dairy industry today. Anaerobic digesters
convert waste materials, such as dairy manure, into renewable
energy and other value-added products. In addition, anaerobic
digestion of dairy manure reduces odor problems, improves water
quality and reduces methane emissions (a potent greenhouse gas
linked to global climate change). During the tour you will see
a digester in operation, as well as learn about efforts to capture
added-value from the digester byproducts, such as the sale of
renewable energy certificates (green tags) and carbon credits,
research on the use of digested fiber as a replacement for peat
moss in the horticultural industry, and the extraction of an organic
phosphorus fertilizer (struvite) from the digested liquid. You
will have an opportunity to interact with farmers, technology
providers, utility company personnel, and federal agency and university
representatives.
For Immediate Release
February 18, 2005
Contacts: Chad Kruger, WSU, 509-663-8181
x235
Dairy Anaerobic Digester Workshop to
be held in Sunnyside
SUNNYSIDE, Wash. – Three of the top anaerobic
digester technology experts in the nation will participate in
a one-day workshop on the anaerobic digestion of dairy waste in
Sunnyside on Friday, Feb. 25.
The workshop will be held from 9 am until 4 pm
on Friday, Feb. 25 at the Snipes Mountain Brewery, 905 Yakima
Valley Highway in Sunnyside. Registration will be $15 at the door
and includes lunch.
The workshop will be an opportunity for producers
to learn more about the technical advancements and economic performance
of commercially available anaerobic digestion systems, financial
assistance and regulatory concerns, and project development and
management issues.
The technology experts presenting at the workshop
include Phil Lusk of Resource Development Associates, Mark Moser
of RCM Digesters, and Steve Dvorak of GHD Inc. These experts have
more than 50 years of collective experience, and nearly 60 operating
commercial digester projects around the world. A question and
answer period will be available for interaction with these experts.
There is a detailed information packet for the
workshop available at: http://cff.wsu.edu/News/index.html#AD.
The workshop will be hosted by Washington State
University's Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources
(CSANR), in cooperation with the Yakima Valley Dairy Federation
and the Washington State Dairy Federation. Other co-sponsors and
organizers for the workshop are the Yakima Regional Clean Air
Authority, South Yakima Conservation District, Northwest Ag Plastics,
Inc., Institute for Washington’s Future, Washington Department
of Ecology, Energy Northwest, Climate Solutions, the WSU Energy
Program, the US Department of Energy, and the Northwest Combined
Heat and Power Application Center.
For Immediate
Release June 16, 2004
Contacts: Bryan VanLoo / Marlin Statema,
Andgar Corp.
360-366-9900
Darryl Vander Haak, Vander Haak Dairy,
LLC.
360-318-9335
Groundbreaking and news conference for
State’s First Commercial Dairy Anaerobic Digester
LYNDEN, Wash. -- A ground-breaking ceremony and
news conference will be held at the Vander Haak Dairy, LLC in
Lynden, Wash. at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 21. The ceremony will
mark the beginning of construction of the first commercial anaerobic
digester for dairy waste in Washington State.
Anaerobic digesters have been called a “solution that leads
to more solutions” for many of the environmental and economic
problems facing the dairy industry today. Anaerobic digesters
convert waste materials, such as dairy manure, into renewable
energy and other value-added products. In addition, anaerobic
digestion of dairy manure reduces odor problems, improves water
quality and reduces methane emissions (a potent greenhouse gas
linked to global climate change).
The Vander Haak digester will provide a significant economic impact
to Whatcom County. The Andgar Corporation of neighboring Ferndale
has been hired as project manager and will be constructing the
digester, which is designed by GHD, Inc., a Wisconsin-based environmental
engineering firm. In addition, two neighboring dairies have partnered
with the Vander Haak Dairy for treating manure through the digester.
Puget Sound Energy, through its green power program, will purchase
the renewable energy generated by the digester. The project will
generate enough electricity to serve 180 average homes.
The digester project has come together thanks to leadership from
Darryl Vander Haak and the Andgar Corporation and key partnerships
they have developed with private industry and public and non-profit
institutions. They were successful in securing a cost-share grant
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development’s
Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program.
This program, funded under the 2002 Farm Bill, directs the Secretary
of Agriculture to make loans, loan guarantees, and grants to farmers,
ranchers and rural small businesses to purchase renewable energy
systems and make energy efficiency improvements. Vander Haak has
also formed a partnership with Washington State University‚s
Climate Friendly Farming Project (funded by the Paul G. Allen
Foundation) making his digester available to the research team
for environmental modeling, value-added product development, and
outreach and demonstration to the dairy industry.
Supporting documentation:
PDF file
For more information, please contact:
Bryan VanLoo / Marlin Statema, Andgar Corporation 360-366-9900
Darryl Vander Haak, Vander Haak Dairy, LLC. 360-318-9335
Craig MacConnell, WSU / Whatcom County Extension 360-676-6736
Chad Kruger, WSU Climate Friendly Farming 509-663-8181 x235
New Resource on Climate-friendly
Farming
For Immediate Release May 12, 2004
Contact: Chad Kruger, 509-663-8181 x235
Wenatchee, WASH. – Farmers and others interested
in following new research into climate-friendly farming technique
have a new resource. It’s also a source for information
on the concept of developing a carbon credit market for farmers.
A new Web site is available to provide information
and document the progress of the
The Climate Friendly Farming Research and Demonstration Project.
It can be found at http://cff.wsu.edu.
The Washington State University Center for Sustaining
Agriculture and Natural Resources developed this resource for
anyone interested in learning about how farming practices can
help mitigate global climate change.
The Web site is documenting a new effort by a
team of researchers from WSU and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
on new technologies and farming practices that can contribute
to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the sequestration
of carbon. The research is focusing specifically on dairy, irrigated
and dryland farming.
Visitors to the Web site will find information
about a variety of climate-friendly agricultural practices and
technologies, as well as information on the economics of adopting
these practices.
The site explains the concept of farmers being
able to sell carbon credits by adopting farm practices that reduce
the release of carbon into the atmosphere. It also provides links
to a variety of other resources on the connection between climate
change and agriculture and news about upcoming field days and
demonstrations of “climate friendly” agricultural
practices and technologies.
WSU's Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural
Resources was established by the state Legislature within the
College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences to
develop and implement education and research programs that support
sustaining agriculture and natural resources.
The Paul G. Allen Charitable Foundation provides
major funding for the Climate Friendly FarmingTM Research
Project.
Contacts:
Chad Kruger, Director of Outreach, Climate Friendly
FarmingTM 509-663-8181 x 235
David Granatstein, Project Director 509-663-8181 x 222
Chris Feise, CSANR director 206-725-0106
