Connecticut Egg Farm Will Convert Chicken Poop to Power
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 08.17.06
Kofkoff Egg Farm, a frequent target of activists for factory farming issues, is taking a step to clean up at least one element of its operations: the massive amounts of poop created by 5 million chickens. The farm, along with Clearview Power, has announced plans to build a plant that will generate electricity from biomass made up of poultry poop and wood wastes. It turns out that the decision is primarily economic: chicken droppings don't have the market value they once did (seriously):
The problem for Kofkoff starts with the state's continuing shift away from agriculture.Large-scale animal agriculture operations have an equally massive environmental footprint, so such a plan provides a way to deal with one of the messier parts of Kofkoff's effect, and to create a cleaner source of energy for many in Connecticut, as the proposed plant will power up to 29,000 homes. While we like the idea of converting wastes to power, there's always that nagging feeling that such operations will also give these kinds of unsustainable operations some green cover for other much less desirable activities. We hope the power plant succeeds; we also hope activists keep pressing this giant agribusiness for even more genuinely green alternatives to business as usual. ::Hartford Courant via Alotta ErrataThe closure of farms - and their replacement with housing subdivisions - reduces the number of fields where Kofkoff can spread its manure. Dairy farms traditionally take chicken manure to fertilize fields for hay and corn.
At the same time, new federal regulations are placing limits on the amount of manure a farm can spread. The rules are meant to keep excess nutrients from ending up in lakes, rivers and bays. There, they can cause high amounts of algae growth, choking water habitats.
To comply with these regulations, dairy farms have to cut back on the amount of chicken waste they use, said Joseph Wettemann, a senior sanitary engineer for the state Department of Environmental Protection.
So with fewer places to put chicken manure, Kofkoff has to find new ways to dispose of its constant stream of waste.
"This manure-to-energy plant is our best shot right now," Wettemann said.
If you live in metro-Boston, the only thing stopping you from getting organic, cage free eggs at almost any major supermarket is inertia and about 5-10 cents per egg or, by my estimation, 60 cents per week. There's no reason for someone who is middle class not to switch over to Pete and Gerry's or The Country Hen over factory farmed.
They proposed a similar plant using turkey waste here in MN. We analyzed the emissions, which are similar to coal power.
This is not good for the environment.
Hazel--
I'm just interested: did you guys also analyze the use of anaerobic digesters? I don't know how well they'd work with this kind of scale, but it seems like a much more environmentally friendly way of converting animal wastes to power.
Armand, you're lucky to pay such a small price premium for organic eggs.
Here in San Diego the price premium is typically 300% increase. I eat a lot of eggs, so that works out to 6-10 dollars per week.
All chickens poop, even organically fed, free range birds. We have 5 backyard hens in downtown Madison, and find ourselves with an overabundance of chicken poop and straw. We compost what we can, but are starting to accumulate piles around the composter. Anyone have any suggestions for what a very small scale chicken farmer could do with her leftover manure??
Griffin-
Youch, that's expensive! Maybe there aren't enough suppliers in your area. Hopefully, in the future, the price will come down to where it's affordable.
My sister and brother-in-law have resided in North San Diego County, and I have heard from them that life out there is, simply, expensive.
regards-
Armand
Kpod-
I'll be the first to admit that I don't know a thing about composting, but did you try giving compost away to gardeners via craigslist? (they pick up)
Armand
Although it's nice to hear that chicken poop is being used for something useful...I am none to happy to see the factory farm shown in the picture. We can change this! Buy locally, go out of your way to find a good local source. Know where your food is coming from.
Yup, San Diego is an expensive place no matter what, but organics and cage-free get really expensive. I tend to settle for locally grown, myself.
Someday, I'll have my own chickens at my golden retriever rescue ranch!
Although its great that "waste" is being used as fuel, as far as I know factory farms are cruel and inherently inefficient.
I wonder if all the power they will generate from the poop will even come close to the amount of fossil fuel used in fertilizing the industrial fields of corn, and transporting their processed food to the chickens.
If the poop wasn't used for power it would have been probably thrown into the feed at a cattle feedlot as a source of protien. Its been a practice since the Mad Cow scare in the early 90's.
how much energy does chicken poop put off?