Ag and biological engineers honor Scott Sanford for energy conservation
July 2009
via UW Madison CALS press release
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers has named Scott Sanford winner of the 2009 Rural Electricity Resource Council Electric Technology Award. Sanford, a senior outreach specialist in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering, was recognized for his contributions to the development and implementation of energy-efficient technologies for agriculture.
Sanford’s applied research includes finding new methods and equipment for conserving energy on farms. He provides support for the agricultural program of Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy, the state’s energy efficiency program. He has led a team that developed the USDA-NRCS web-based energy self-assessment tools for energy conservation and renewable energy. The team developed tools for dairy farms, greenhouses, irrigation systems, potato storage facilities, grain drying, ventilation, energy-free livestock water fountains and general lighting applications. The renewable energy self-assessment tools include solar PV, solar water heating, biogas, biomass combustion and wind. These tools could potentially be used with the ASABE standard on energy auditing of agricultural facilities that is under development.
Sanford teaches a course on Agricultural Energy Management, that covers electrical wiring in agricultural buildings, high-efficiency lighting, motors and energy efficiency for dairy farms, irrigation systems and grain drying and renewable energy for solar, wind and anaerobic digesters. As part of his outreach program he has authored or coauthored numerous publications, articles and extension bulletins. He is involved in developing educational materials on greenhouse energy conservation for educators for use in workshops and curricula and has provided educational programming and presentations for university extension agents on various energy-related topics.
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Northcentral Wisconsin Home Energy Workshop scheduled for Oct. 3rd
September 2009
Contact: Mark Kopecky, 715-339-2555, mark.kopecky@ces.uwex.edu
Phillips, Wis. – The Third Annual Northcentral Wisconsin Home Energy Workshop will be held at the Prentice High School on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 8 a.m. to 1 pm.
The program includes seminars on renewable energy systems (solar water and space heating, geothermal heat, solar electric systems, and wood heat), energy saving ideas for existing homes, and design considerations for energy efficiency in new construction.
The workshop highlights homes in the area that have taken advantage of various renewable energy technologies along with very basic energy conservation practices to save money and help the environment. The workshop will run only a half day so participants can visit those homes in the afternoon.
Brian Driscoll, Community Relations Director for the Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence, is the keynote speaker. He will discuss a variety of programs that the State of Wisconsin has initiated to help citizens, businesses, and municipalities achieve greater energy independence.
Information will be available on financial incentives and tax credits for energy upgrades and exhibits from renewable energy businesses.
Along with lots of resource information on various renewable energy alternatives and energy conservation refreshments and door prizes will be provided.
Price County Kids Against Hunger is sponsoring a brat fry immediately following the workshop. Proceeds will go to the Price County food packaging event on Oct. 17 that supplies nutritious meals to needy people in our area as well as in hunger-stricken areas around the world.
There is a $10 fee for registration by Sept. 25 ($15 for late registrations). The program is sponsored by the Price and Taylor County UW-Extension and Land Conservation Departments, the UW-Extension Upper Chippewa Basin Education Program, and Pri-Ru-Ta Resource Conservation and Development Area with help from Price Electric Cooperative, Taylor Electric Cooperative, Xcel Energy, the Medford Electric Utility, Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy, and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.
Please contact the UW-Extension Price County Office at 715-339-2555 to register or for more information.
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NCR-SARE Announces 2009 Farmer Rancher Grant Call for Proposals
September 2009
Contact: Joan Benjamin, 402-472-0809, jbenjamin2@unl.edu
Madison, Wis. – The 2009 North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) Farmer Rancher Grant Call for Proposals is now available online at http://sare.org/ncrsare/cfp.htm.
Farmers and ranchers in the North Central Region are invited to submit grant proposals for projects to explore sustainable agriculture solutions to problems on the farm or ranch. Proposals should show how farmers and ranchers plan to use their own innovative ideas to explore sustainable agriculture options and how they will share project results.
Sustainable agriculture is good for the environment, profitable, and socially responsible.
Projects should emphasize research or education/demonstration. Grants can range from $6,000 for individual farmers up to $18,000 for groups of 3 or more farmers.
NCR-SARE expects to fund about 50 projects in the twelve-state North Central Region with this call.
The deadline for proposals is Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 4:30 p.m.*
*NCR-SARE has funded more than 700 farmer rancher grants worth more than $4,300,000 since the inception of this program. In 2009, the program funded grants to ten Wisconsin farmers for projects including research on the use of green manure cover crops; reducing parasites in yellow perch production; pasture management, and vegetable production.
Gene Schriefer raises cattle and sheep in Iowa County, and received a grant to evaluate seed mixes for renovating paddocks.
“I first read about "seed salad" cover crops following winter wheat in Noth Dakota from some NRCS soil scientists. As the diversity increased so did yield potential, and in subsequent years there were improvements in soil organic matter and an increased yield in the following crop. As a grazier, I occasionally renovate a paddock, and the seed salad cover crop sounded a plausible idea. The cover crop in the western trials was either grazed or used as a plow down, but I thought it also could be conserved as winter feed. The SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant is allowing me to learn and investigate the suitability of this idea to Wisconsin conditions.”
For more information, contact Joan Benjamin, NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Program Coordinator, at jbenjamin2@unl.edu or 402-472-0809 or (800) 529-1342. You can also contact the Wisconsin SARE coordinator, Diane Mayerfeld at dbmayerfeld@wisc.edu or 608-262-8188.
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