Visit Maxwell’s Farm during Open Farm Week to see a mainstay of dairy farming in the Northeast Kingdom and a leader in energy production. Check out the 300-horspower engine that generates electricity from the biogas captured from the manure, and the peat-moss-like bedding that results. You can also visit the milking parlor and the see the cows and calves!
When Matt Maxwell returned to the family farm after college, the family needed to find a way for the farm to generate enough income to support one more person. Installing a digester seemed like the perfect opportunity to diversify. On top of that, Matt saw potential to use heat from the engine. The family assembled a greenhouse and employed several heat exchangers to pump the heat from the engine and grow both greens and early-season tomatoes.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets helps farmers to install renewable energy projects by finding funding and other resources including up-to-date and relevant information. The Agency’s efforts center on-farm energy projects that are intimately connected with farming, such as anaerobic digesters (or “biodigesters”) for managing manure; on-farm production of biodiesel from sunflowers and other oilseed crops for use in tractors and equipment with diesel engines; and solar projects on barn roofs or on the ground when compatible with continued agriculture within the solar project.
Visit Maxwell’s Neighborhood Farm!
When: Friday, August 19th
Time: Come anytime from 1pm till 3pm
Cost: Free!
Location: 213 Maxwell Rd, Newport, VT 05855
The ground-level digester on the right, with a gas pipe going into the engine room on the left. The upper pipe ending in a cylinder is the flare, where biogas is sent to be burned if for some reason the engine can’t take it. The steam on the left is water vapor from the exhaust from the engine-generator.
The greenhouse the Maxwells built themselves, to use heat from the engine to grow greens and early season tomatoes.
The inside of the greenhouse on that same cold winter day.
Most of the engine-generator, which is about 300 horsepower, and generates enough electricity to feed about 250 households, year-round.
Peat-moss-like manure solids, fresh from the manure separator, after the manure has gone through the digester.
Source: Dig in VT Trails