Six US poultry farms receive environmental excellence award

The six poultry farm winners of the Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award pose at the 2012 International Poultry Expo.

Six U.S. poultry farms received the annual Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award on January 24 at the 2012 International Poultry Expo. 

The award, sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, is given in acknowledgment of exemplary environmental stewardship by family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production.

Winners were chosen from six geographical regions from throughout the U.S.:

• Hack Farms (West)
• Cooley Farms (Southeast)
• Hillview Farms (Southwest)
• Pine Draft Farm (Northeast)
• Flintrock Farms (North Central)
• Hesse Farm (Central)

Applicants were rated in several categories, including dry litter or liquid manure management, nutrient management planning, community involvement, wildlife enhancement techniques, innovative nutrient management techniques, and participation in education or outreach programs. 

USPOULTRY creates poultry carbon footprint estimation toolkit

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has created a poultry carbon footprint estimation toolkit to assist facilities in evaluating their carbon footprint.
The kit was developed in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas reporting requirements and potential GHG regulatory requirements associated with the Greenhouse Gases Tailoring Rule. It allows facilities to calculate the emission of GHGs generated by stationary sources (i.e., boilers and generators) by inputting the volume of various fuels used at the facility into a spreadsheet that has been populated with the necessary arithmetic equations. Additionally, the toolkit provides facilities with anaerobic processes operated at wastewater treatment plants with the ability to calculate and log those GHG emissions to evaluate their need to report as required by the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule.  

Environmental, economic sustainability vital to future food production challenges

National Farmers' Union of England and Wales (NFU) Vice President Gwyn Jones addressed the future of food production at the Inside Government Food Security Forum. His talk, "Farming Matters," focused on the necessity of both environmental and economic sustainability for agricultural success.
"We do have massive challenges ahead," said Jones. "We are on the brink of a second green revolution, with food production at its center, but we can’t just farm and be damned. On one hand we have population growth but on the other global warming; we have a rising demand for energy but depletion in fossil fuels. We see an increasing demand for food across the globe but a scarcity of water and other natural resources with which to produce it. And let’s not forget the constraints of the current economic situation."
According to Jones, those who want to be successful in the current evolving climate must focus on innovation and opportunities, finding ways to implement food production that produces more but impacts less. "Food production is now a national and international top priority," said Jones. "British farmers can and will play their part."

Cobb opens $14 million hatchery in Tennessee

Cobb VP of Marketing and Sales Stan Reid speaks to more than 140 guests at the official opening of the new Cobb hatchery in Tennessee.

Cobb has opened a $14 million hatchery in Tennessee that uses state-of-the-art energy-saving technology.
The hatchery, which will be supplied with hatching eggs from 27 local breeder farms, will begin producing parent stock in January 2011. By the time the facility is at full capacity, it will have an output of more than 600,000 chicks per week.
The hatchery's design incorporates heat biosecurity and heat recovery systems to conserve energy and reduce the building's carbon footprint. The recovery system, one of the first in a U.S. hatchery, will save 35% to 40% on energy usage by recovering heat from developing embryos and recycling it to warm incoming hatchery air. “I would like to thank the state, county and city officials who were involved in bringing Cobb to Tennessee," said Cobb Vice President of Sales and Marketing Stan Reid. "This state-of-the-art facility will support our ongoing growth as we expand production to meet domestic and global demand.”

Novus opens LEED-certified Green Acres Farm

Novus International held a ceremony in honor of the opening of its newest facility, Green Acres Farm, in Montgomery County, Mo.
The farm has been renovated to stand as a testament to innovation and sustainability through environmental conservation. Novus made multiple improvements to the 1920s building that have resulted in the farm qualifying for Leadership in Energy and Efficient Design (LEED) consideration. "In addition to this site, our global headquarters in St. Charles County and our blending plant in Indaiatuba, Brazil, were also constructed with sustainability in mind," said Tom Hampton, manager of product research at Novus. "We're proud of the commitments we've made to the environment and the impact they will have for the future."
Several sustainability measures are at work at Green Acres, including the capture of roof runoff in rain barrels, a wastewater collection system and a fertilizer and mulch area. A solar panel system is in the process of going up that will include 168 panels and will generate over 54,400 kilowatt hours of energy.

Delaware poultry farm converts to solar energy

The Isaacs farm in Sussex County, Del., which produces 1 to 1.24 million chickens annually for Perdue Farms, has converted all 13 of its houses to solar energy.
The new system, which has been in place for a month, is already performing better than anticipated, producing more power than the farm is using and providing income in the form of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SREC), which are being sold to the utilities. "It's like money in the bank," said Robbie Isaacs. Current estimates indicate that, in addition to over $10,500 in electric bill savings, the farm will generate roughly $32,500 annually in SRECs.
Isaacs said the decision to convert made sense. "With all the grant money out there that's going to go away and all the advancements in solar energy, I just couldn't see waiting any longer." He researched alternative energy developments for more than a decade before getting the go-ahead from his father to install solar in January 2010. The systems were installed and running within six months. "I just looked up at that big blue sky and thought all this sun is producing energy and I can use that," said Isaacs. "Why pay someone else for energy when (sunshine) is free?"

Consumers buy green, sustainable products based on perceptions, says study

According to Mintel research, many consumers purchase "green" or "sustainable" products based on their perceptions of superior quality, rather than an understanding of the labels.
Mintel has tracked more than 13,000 new sustainable food and drink products since 2005, and while 84% of consumers say they regularly buy green or sustainable food or drink, some are unaware of what that actually means. "Packaging claims such as 'recyclable' or 'eco- or environmentally friendly' are fairly well known to consumers, but sustainable product claims such as 'solar/wind energy usage' or 'Fair Trade' have yet to enter the mainstream consumer consciousness," said David Browne, a senior analyst at Mintel. "They may have heard of the terms, but they'd be hard-pressed to define them."
According to the research, 45% of those surveyed who purchase sustainable food and drink do so because of a perceived belief in superior quality. Forty-three percent say they buy those products because they're concerned about environmentalism/human welfare and 42% cite a concern for food safety. "These reasons vary in importance across different demographics," said Browne. "Marketers should consider this in their claims closely; noting that health, welfare and safety are important to nearly all consumers." 

Biotechnologist uses pig waste for aquaculture, irrigation, energy

Andrew Ward, a biotechnologist from the South Australian Research and Development Institute, has found a way of using pig waste to benefit aquaculture, irrigation and energy.
Ward has created a "waste food chain" that uses processed pig excrement as a nutrient source for algae, which can in turn be grown for aquaculture. The process of making the waste safe for algae to grow in produces methane gas, which has energy applications. The food chain that results from the algae growth eventually produces zooplankton, which clean the water they're in so well that it can be used for irrigation.
"We can turn waste into food, save money, save water and improve the environment just by being a bit smarter," said Ward. "We are hoping this research will lead to elimination of the environmental concerns and costs associated with waste disposal, and that the wastes themselves can be transformed into new and diversified business opportunities." Ward's work will be presented for the first time in public at Fresh Science, a communication bootcamp for early career scientists.

Sustainable agriculture growing in the US

More than 70% of U.S. producers said they have adopted some sustainable agriculture practices in a new Rabobank report. The U.S. Farm & Ranch Survey reported 72% of producers have taken steps toward sustainable agriculture.
According to the spring 2010 survey, 64% of producers use direct seeding, 42% minimize chemical use, 39% rotate crops or diversify, and another 39% reduce energy inputs. Those most likely to have adopted practices include tenant farmers, row crop farmers, Western region farmers, farms grossing $1 million or more income, and farmers younger than 40.

UK pig producers forecast double digit cut in carbon emissions

The UK pig industry expects to cut its carbon emissions by 17% over the next 20 years. The prediction was made by Mick Sloyan, director of BPEX, which works to enhance the competitiveness of English pig meat producers, at this year’s Pig and Poultry Fair.
Since 2001, there has been an 8.2% reduction in carbon emissions through better performance on farm and, based on current trends, BPEX predicts that the industry’s environmental impact, taking into account all environmental burdens, will fall by as much as 30% between 2001 and 2010.
Mr Sloyan notes that the top 10% of producers will reduce their environmental impact further still.
Towards the end of last year, BPEX launched a Lifecycle Assessment, to estimate the environmental impacts of pork production and to identify opportunities for improvement. Measures to enhance the environmental sustainability of pig and pork production have also come under the spotlight.
At the time of the launch, BPEX head of marketing Chris Lamb commented: “The pig industry is determined to participate fully in the environmental debate and play its part in reducing greenhouse gases.”

Study: organic agricultural land totals 35 million hectares worldwide

About 35 million hectares of agricultural land were certified according to organic standards at the end of 2008, a 3 million hectare increase from the previous year, according to the latest information from The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends 2010. Conversion of land to organic farming was strongest in Latin America and Europe.
The greatest share of the global organic surface area is in Oceania (34.7%), followed by Europe (23.4%) and Latin America (23%). Countries with the most organic farmlands include Australia with 12 million hectares, much of which is grazing land, followed by Argentina with 4 million hectares and China with 1.9 million hectares.
The book is published by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and Germany’s SÖL (Stiftung Ökologie & Linotype, or Foundation Ecology & Agriculture) .
The number of organic producers is almost 1.4 million, said Helga Willer of FiBL.
FiBL and IFOAM will present statistics from The World of Organic Agriculture on February 19 at BioFach 2010 in Nuremberg, Germany. BioFach is the world’s largest tradeshow for organic products.

Canada orders environmental study of biofuels

Just as a Canadian law requiring that gasoline include 5% biofuels is about to go into effect, the country’s government has ordered an environmental impact study on the manufacture of biofuels, according to Reuters news agency.
The study is a response to concerns over potential pollution resulting from biofuels manufacture. "Experiences in the U.S. and Brazil now suggest that existing biofuels production facilities are responsible for the generation of a range of new air- and water-related problems as well as recent concerns over human health," says a document from Environment Canada, the country’s environmental protection agency.
The Canadian government has committed to providing biofuels manufacturers with CAN$1.5B (US$1.4B) in subsidies over the next nine years.

Poultry waste to fuel project

Fibrowatt, a member of the Homeland Renewable Energy Group, announced it has entered agreements with the Fagen company for the design and construction of its first biomass-fueled power project in North Carolina. The primary fuel consumed by this power plant will be poultry droppings.
The North Carolina project will produce 55 megawatts of renewable electricity, enough power annually to supply over 40,000 homes. This will help the state meet its commitment to renewable energy, provide jobs and give farmers an alternative use for poultry waste.

Shrubs, trees shown beneficial for poultry farms

Recent studies at Penn State University demonstrate that vegetative buffers can significantly reduce odors, dust and other factors impacting the immediate environment around poultry farms, according to the Poultry Science Association.
Findings include: dust reduction of up to 67% from a 5-row tree buffer; odor reduction of 46% to 54% from a 50-tree vegetative buffer; and the trapping of ammonia emissions with a variety of species. Other positive outcomes of the study were vegetation’s effectiveness in reducing Infectious Bronchitis transmission and its role in cutting energy costs by acting as snow fences and providing shade. The study was funded by grants from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

China poultry farm making most of waste

Minhe Animal Husbandry, a poultry farm in the Shandong Province of China, is creating green energy with chicken manure in a biogas energy plant, according to reports.
The operation includes an anaerobic digester system daily consuming 300 tons of manure and 500 tons of wastewater. The biogas is fed to three 1MW Jenbacher gas engines from the U.S.'s GE Energy.
Electricity from the biogas plant supplies the farm with all its energy, and extra power is fed into the grid. The plant is expected to generate 16.8GWh of energy per year and reduce CO2 emissions by 67,000 tons annually, according to the news article. Residual material can be used as fertilizer.
Minhe produces 3.7 million chickens annually and maintains 1.5 million chickens for breeding.
The plant has been registered under the UN's clean development mechanism plan.

Dairy officials pledge to reduce emission levels

Representatives of the world’s dairy industries are set to sign a global declaration on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from milk production and processing, which includes an aim to achieve reductions from changes to feed manufacture and cow feeding techniques.
The International Dairy Federation says the declaration, presented to the World Dairy Summit being held in Berlin, Germany, is called a Global Dairy Agenda for Action.
Signed by seven organisations on behalf of dairy associations and companies worldwide, it takes the form of an industry pledge to reduce carbon emissions against global warming. The declaration also seeks the support of policy makers to provide a supportive regulatory policy environment that recognises the important economic, social and environmental contributions of the dairy industry.
“This Agenda for Action represents an unprecedented level of cooperation across national borders and along the dairy supply chain. The global dairy community and its partners have pooled resources, knowledge and projects to achieve a more sustainable future,” said Povl Krogsgaard, deputy managing director, Arla Foods, on behalf of Global Dairy Platform.
“From production of feed for dairy cows, to processing, packaging and distribution of milk, many elements contribute to the dairy industry’s commitment to reducing Greenhouse Gases (GHG),” said Richard Doyle, president of the International Dairy Federation.
“It makes good sense to reduce GHG emissions - it saves money and improves efficiency in production. This initiative encourages and shares new and innovative technologies and practices for including energy efficiencies on our farms, by food manufacturers and in our warehouses.”
To facilitate the industry’s efforts to reduce GHG and promote the long-term sustainable supply of milk and dairy products, the Global Dairy Agenda for Action is a five point commitment to:
*Promote the development of a standard methodology framework for assessing the carbon footprint of milk and dairy products based on robust science
*Promote adoption of world’s best practices within the global dairy sector and actions that:lead to the reduction of global GHG from dairy production on a per unit of production basis, promote the use of technologies and methods that improve the processing and distribution efficiency of dairy products, optimise economic, environmental and social outcomes for global dairy stakeholders, recognise different levels of development and local conditions, build on existing frameworks and knowledge, including for scientific advancement and technology transfer, promote decision making based on robust science, and complement initiatives in other areas of sustainability.
*Advance the establishment of tools to facilitate measurement and monitoring of emissions both on-farm and in dairy manufacturing
*Promote improved farmer understanding of agricultural emissions and opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on farm
*Support sharing information and aligning research efforts to develop cost effective mitigation technologies for both on-farm and manufacturing applications
The declaration is being signed by Eastern and Southern African Dairy Association, European Dairy Association, Pan-American Dairy Federation, Global Dairy Platform, International Dairy Federation, International Federation of Agriculture Producers and Sustainable Agricultural Initiative Platform.

Alltech featured in magazine’s green companies list

Kentucky-based animal health company Alltech is included in Inc. magazine’s list of eight green companies.
The company, reported to be the first animal health firm named to the list, also is featured in the lists of top revenue — ranked 66, employees — ranked 79 and on gross dollars of growth — ranked 97.
Alltech revenues exceeded $400 million in 2008.

Report shows UK’s dairy farmers meeting green targets

U.K. dairy farmers are sharing greater responsibility for environmental issues, the National Farmers’ Union stated, quoting the Milk Roadmap: One Year Down the Road report.
Almost 45% of them participated in an environmental stewardship program, 47% adopted a nutrient management plan, 40% plan to increase water use efficiency and 32% are trying to reduce emissions with new technologies, according to the report.
The changes are in line with the goals set by the Milk Roadmap, which outlines ways in which dairy farmers adopt eco-friendly techniques while maintaining productivity.

Georgia farmers to benefit from bioreactor

American Technologies Inc. Petroleum, a Vietnam-based firm, will introduce a newly patented aerobic bioreactor technology on poultry farms in Georgia, according to a news report.
The technology helps decompose waste to generate methane, which can be used to produce electricity. The bioreactor is capable of running on wood chips, manure and carcasses from the poultry farms.
It can decompose 504 metric tons of chicken manure, 1,500 metric tons of wood chips and 54 metric tons of defeathered chicken carcasses per cycle.
The manure can generate about 30,240 cubic meters of methane, which can be used to produce about 317,000kw/h of energy, the wood chips can produce about 15,120 cubic meters of methane, converted to about 159,000kw/h of energy.
A by-product of the process is nutrient-rich organic fertilizer, which is odor free and safe to handle. The technology helps reduce sludge and also eliminates the problem of groundwater contamination and waste storage, thereby helping farmers save cost on removal and tipping fees.

California farmers to receive $20 million for air cleanup

A new program, aiming to reduce air pollution, will make $20 million available to California farmers to update equipment to meet current air emission standards, according to The Fresno Bee.
The California Air Quality Enhancement Program is run by the Natural Resources Conservation Service as part of a new air quality provision of the 2008 Farm Bill's Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
The program will allow agricultural producers to apply for money to help pay to replace, repower or retrofit existing combustion engines.
To learn more, visit the NRCS Web site.