Notice of Events

Here we highlight events sponsored by UW Extension as well as those that may be of particular interest to Extension Bio Team members.

The presentations from our recent In-Service at Chula Vista is available here.

An archive of selected events will be maintained to provide access to conference materials:

• 2008
• 2007

Links to Other Calendars

Here are some additional sources
of information about bio-related events.

Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative

Wisconsin Bioenergy Forum - Calendar

BiobasedNews.com - Events Page

GLBRC Upcoming Events

Energy Production from Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Manure
September 28-29, 2009
The Madison Concourse Hotel - Madison, WI

This course is designed to provide the latest information and resources that consultants, decision makers, system reviewers, information providers or producers can use to understand and address issues related to anaerobic digestion of dairy manure. This short course has been designed to walk you though dairy manure energy production from fundamental principles to case histories. The course instructors have been selected from industry and academia based on their leadership and success in this area. The case history presentations will demonstrate full-scale anaerobic treatment technologies in agricultural settings, and will allow for questions regarding specific problems encountered and solutions developed. The course will be concluded with an afternoon session on digester economics and a description of available resources to support manure anaerobic digestion projects.

This event coincides with the World Dairy Expo being held in Madison from September 28 - October 3.

2009 Bioplastic & Biocomposite Supply Chain Conference
October 7-8, 2009
La Crosse Radisson Conference Center

The 2009 Conference (2nd Annual) is an opportunity to explore new markets and understand where the bioproduct market is headed. The plastic and composite industry currently plays a role in our economic engine in the Midwest. Plastics and composites help increase fuel efficiency for automobiles and are fast becoming a replacement for steel. However, petrochemicals are the heart of plastics and composites. Biocomposites by contrast reduce cost both in terms of dollars and carbon emission.  It is important that we look to alternative feedstock for the products we produce, use, and dispose of every day. 

Come share your experience and hear from national and international speakers, including:

• Metabolix/Telles Bioplastic
• NatureWorks
• National COmposite Center
• Scion
• Composite Products Inc.

9th Annual Conference On Renewable Energy From Organics Recycling
October 19-21, 2009
Ramada Mall of America - Minneapolis, Minnesota

BioCycle’s 9th Annual Conference is the leading showcase opportunity for equipment, systems and services for the most rapidly growing sector of the Renewable Energy industry. Generators of organic waste streams are seeking solutions that provide multiple benefits for their capital investments … environmental compliance, reducing power and fuel costs, climate-friendly practices.

The event is sponsored by BioCycle Magazine , EPA - AgSTAR, Focus On Energy, Hennpin County, MN, Harvet Power, and AURI Ag Innovations

The Financial Effect of Energy Efficiency on Utilities: A Closer Look at Decoupling
October 28, 2009
Webinar

The Energy Center of Wisconsin offers live webinars and on-demand webcasts that stream speaker audio and video along with PowerPoint. They host these online courses on a dedicated server to create a cost-effective learning experience available to users all over the world.

Get ready to experience this technology by visiting our online education help page.

All set? Try one of our on-demand webcasts: Daylighting: Lighting Every Building Using the Sky, presented by Abby Vogen Horn, Senior Project Manager, Energy Center of Wisconsin.

2nd Annual Wisconsin Bioenergy Summit
October 28-29, 2009
Pyle Center, UW-Madison campus

The Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative invites you to the 2nd Annual Wisconsin Bioenergy Summit at the Pyle Center in Madison. This year's Summit will focus on growing Wisconsin's future in the biobased economy, and will feature multidisciplinary university experts, industry leaders, and state policymakers. The keynote speaker for the event will be Lee Edwards, chief executive officer of Virent Energy Systems, Inc.

Topics on the agenda include:

• Biomass Supply & Demand
• Conversion Projects: Biopower
• Bioenergy Economics & Incentives
• Conversion Projects: Biofuels
• Bioenergy Education & Retraining
• Conversion Projects: Biorefinerie

Introduction to Biodiesel Fuel
November 5-7, 2009
Madison Area Technical College - Truax Campus

This hands-on course covers the fundamentals of biodiesel with an emphasis on fuel production, quality control, engine performance, and vehicle emissions. Students will produce biodiesel by transesterfication process and perfom ASTM measurements to determine chemical and physical properties of fuel. Test engines will be operated on biodiesel to evaluate peroformance and emission properties. This course is designed for diesel technicians, fleet managers, chemical process operators, and others with an interest in the technical aspets of biodiesel production and use.

UW-Extension Bioenergy Roundtable
January 6, 2009
Microbial Sciences Building on the campus of UW-Madison

This event was a discussion among Extension agents and other experts to discussion issues surrounding Anaerobic Digestion.

The first speaker of the afternoon was John Katers, Associate Professor of Natural and Applied Sciences (Engineering) at the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay. Dr. Katers is also a Bioresources Development Manager for ENCAP, a soil technology company based out of Green Bay. The second speaker of the afternoon was Nadeem Afghan, COO of BIOFerm Energy Systems.

For both complete presentations in .pdf form click here

2009 AgSTAR National Conference
February 24-25, 2009
Baltimore, Maryland

Watch the AgSTAR Web site for future conference information. For more information on exhibit and sponsorship opportunities, contact Katherine Moore (meetings@erg.com) at ERG, to be put on the e-mail list.

47th Annual MREC Conference and Agricultural Electric Code Workshop
February 25-27, 2009
Embassy Suites, Bloomington, MN (Near the Minneapolis airport and Mall of America)

Details on Midwest Rural Energy Council Conference available at http://www.mrec.org/. Biogas and agriculture wiring electric code materials on this year's agenda.

2009 Midwest Manure Summit
March 24-25, 2009
Green Bay, WI

The 2009 Midwest Manure Summit is a conference for any agriculture producers or agri-business professionals interested in manure handling and storage. Dealing with manure is a challenge for any farming operation, and it's time to start using new technologies to best utilize and dispose of this waste. 

Experts from across the world will be with us to address manure handling challenges and alternatives. UW-Extension invites you to join producers and professionals from across the Midwest on March 24 and 25 at Lambeau Field. This two days will be filled with speakers, discussions, and new ideas that can be adapted to farms of any size. 

Fifth Annual Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit
March 25-29, 2009
Milwaukee, WI

The fifth annual Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit for 2009 will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 25-28, 2009. The 2009 Summit theme is “Green Business – Unlimited Economic Opportunity”.

The 2008 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit included over 1200 attendees, 60 exhibitors, 40 sponsoring organizations, 114 breakout speakers and many prominent national speakers. The 2009 Summit is expected to be bigger and better and will include expanded offerings, such as:traditional renewables, bio-industry, energy independent communities, carbon capture and sequestration, green transportation, energy efficiency, sustainable technologies and quality practices, green career pathways, workshops and training short courses, and greening practices for colleges.

Ways to participate in this year’s Summit by:

·         Becoming a Presenter!
·         Becoming a Sponsor!
·         Becoming an Exhibitor!
·         Becoming an Attendee!

Energy Farming Summit 2009
April 12-13, 2009
New Delhi, India

Growdiesel Climate Care Council is pleased to extend an invitation for the inaugural International Summit on Energy Farming to be held on 12th & 13th April 2009 at New Delhi, India. The Summit is focused on adopting financially viable energy farming activity for generating feedstock for next generation of Biofuels besides producing fertilizers, food & feed.

Energy Farming Summit 2009 shall launch an innovative decentralized "Integrated Energy Farming & Biorefinery Model" to create millions of jobs, revive the world economy, slash poverty and avert environmental disasters as a result of global warming. The noble plan –which will be formally launched during the summit, shall call on world leaders, economists, strategists and key policy makers to promote a massive redirection of investment away from the speculation into food, fuel and job-creating programmes to restore the natural systems that underpin the world economy.

Energy Farming Summit 2009 will be an excellent platform to disseminate information regarding recent research and development activities in the fields of Algae Farming, Methane Farming, Jatropha Farming and Biomass Farming for Biofuel Industry. Biofuels are emerging as a trillion dollar futuristic industry. The summit shall offer many value added opportunities for investors, entrepreneurs and Biofuel companies, renewable fuel experts, their associates and academia to share their valuable experiences and knowledge.For more details contact growdieselevents@gmail.com

Renewable Energy for the Developing World
Spring 2009
Online course for MATC/Costa Rica

A new course at MATC that includes an 8 week online component and 9 days of field work in Costa Rica. Tuition and fees pay for:

• 9 days travel and renewable energy instruction in Mastatal, Costa Rica
• Hands-on instruction and installation of 4 solar electric systems
• Tours of various renewable energy and sustaniability projects in Mastatal
• Motor coach from Juan Santamaria International Airport
• 9 nights dormatory lodging at Rancho Mastatal Envirnomental Learning and Sustainable Living Center
• Meals in Mastatal
• Experience Engineering and Renewable Energy Instruction
• Spanish Language Translator(s) in Mastatal

Midwest Renewable Energy Fair
June 19-21, 2009
Custer, WI

The Midwest Renewable Energy Association celebrated its 20th Anniversary Energy Fair on June 19-21, 2009. Even in tough economic times, the 2009 Energy Fair brought in a record number 23,206 people to Custer, demonstrating that the future of renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable living continues to be bright.

Each year the MREA Energy Fair transforms rural central Wisconsin into the global hot spot for renewable energy education. The 20th Anniversary Energy Fair brought people from nearly every state in the US and several countries around the world to learn, connect with others and ready them for action at home. The Energy Fair is the nation?s longest running energy education event of its kind.

Bioenergy Roundtable 7/29
Microbial Sciences Building - UW-Madison campus, Madison, WI

Troy Runge, Gary Radloff, and Timothy Baye were presenters at the recent Bioenergy Roundtable held on the UW-Madison campus. The archive link holds a summary slideshow of what was discussed.

Creating the Upper Midwest Food, Fuel and Fiber Network
August 24-26, 2009
Hickory Corners, MI

With the onset of bioenergy, production of food, fuel and fiber crops using sustainable practices will become more challenging. As professionals in the agricultural industry, Extension educators can play a significant role in educating farmers about new sustainable practices. Creating a network in the North central region will provide educatrs with greater access to resources and expertise as well as provide opportunities for collaborating on research and education programs.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn about current research in areas of biofuels, cover crops, long-term sustainability, pasture-based dairy production systems and anaerobic digestion. This is intended to be the first in a series of meetings to develop and expand the network.

Switchgrass Establishment & Maintenance Practices for Biomass Production Field-Day
September 3, 2009
Platteville, WI

Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council is in the second year of a project to determine the best management practices for maximizing switchgrass yields in Southwest Wisconsin. The field day will provide a tour of demonstration plots planted in 2008 at the Jim and Terry Schaefer farm. Researchers from UW Madison will provide information on weed pressue resulting from the various herbicide treatments and how that corresponds to yield. A side-by-side comparison of pure switchgrass plantings and a nine species prairie mix will be observed. A representativeof Alliant Energy will discuss their plans to perform a test burn of switchgrass at the Casville plant this fall.

Homegrown Renewable Energy Bus Tour
September 8, 2009
Northern Wisconsin Tour

Several groups are joining forces to hold a homegrown renewable energy bus tour around Northern Wisconsin next month. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Office of Energy Independence, Wisconsin Farmers Union and other partners are sponsoring the daylong tour on September 8.

The tour includes visits at Cadott School District, where the district uses buses that run on natural gas and and has examples of electric and alternative fuel vehicles; Five Star Dairy near Elk Mound, uses a manure to energy digester system to generate electricity; Barron High School, which produced wood chips, instead of fossil fuels, to provide heat for the school; and Bioenergy Crop Research Site, where attendees can meet the people behind the cutting edge research into bioenergy crops.

Energy Efficieny on Dairy Farms: NorthCentral Wisconsin Fall Dairy Tour
September 15, 2009
Golden Dawn Dairy - Merrill, WI

Working with Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, and Wisconsin Public Service, this 370 cow second generation parlor-freestall dairy farm has implemented many energy saving practices over the years, ranging from milk plate coolers to low cost lighting. While installing energy efficient lighting from Orion, they were also able to capitalize on implementing long daylighting in the dairy barn. Bringing energy savings into their home, the Breitenmosers recently installed new instulation in their house and a new roof to take advantage of more energy savings.

Representatives from UW Extension, FOcus on Energy, Wisconsin Public Service, Partnership for Progressive Agriculture, Lincoln Country Natural Conservation Service, Farm Stop of Anitgo, Dairy Services Inc. and others will be available to answer questions throughout the tour, lunch, and program

Wisconsin Biogas Development Roundtable
September 17, 2009
DATCP Office - Madison, WI

The public is invited to this afternoon roundtable meeting in Madison. The agenda will include a brief announcement of REAP grant and loans passed out, a report on the Focus on Energy Program, announcement of upcoming events, and the release and explanation of several reports. This agenda will be followed up by continued discussion of the presentations and other biogas topics. No need to alert the organization of your intention to be at the event.