Energizer Newsletter
March Issue
An Energy Pill
by Gary Hall
Coordinator, Research and Outreach Activities
Extension
I’m going to try and keep you up-to-date with happenings on the energy front. Thanks to Judy Barth for the idea. My apologies for filling your emailbox if you aren’t interested. I’m wondering if I should give this update a name? How about The Energizer? Submit your thoughts and ideas and I’ll give a prize to the winner!
The Conley Report
Jim Conley was telling me about how Saddam didn’t use farmers to raise food since Iraq used oil money to pay for importing all of their food. What a situation. We don’t have that ‘luxury’ so finding and using renewable energy will also save our food industry.
Energized Web Page
Coming soon to a computer near you, a new energy web page is in the works. I have been gathering lots of links to place on one of the new format web pages. Ruth Willson made the mistake of telling me she would help me. Hope to have it up for you by the end of April.
The Crusher Is Ready in May
Jerry Johnson, Extension Specialist Crop Production, told me about a mobile oilseed crusher capable of processing approximately 10,000 gallons of straight vegetable oil for biofuel. The work was started with a Venture Capital grant. When complete sometime in May the plan would be to make the crusher available to farmers, cooperatives, or other groups who want to get started producing their own straight vegetable oil for biofuel but are not yet able to invest in a large permanent facility and want to try out oilseed and straight vegetable oil production. Jerry would like some help and guidance from CSU Extension about the best way to demonstrate and deploy this biofuel unit. Let me know if you have any ideas and I’ll be sure to pass them along to Jerry.
Credits for Carbon
Workshops are being planned to inform producers about Carbon Sequestration on Ag Soils in Colorado. Bruce Bosley is working closely with Tom Lauridson to plan one of the workshops in his area. Tom is interested in putting on about 4 more workshops across the state and he has funds to do that in June sometime. If you are interested in this program, please let me know and I’ll inform Tom.
Save Your Wood Chips
Have you heard about the BioMax system that takes waste forest products and turns them into electricity, biodiesel or heat for a building? Sounds way cool and the company who makes the system is in Littleton, Colorado. Could be a great opportunity for some community development work centered around energy and this unit which costs about $50,000. Lots of funds from USDA and others went into the development of BioMax. I’ll let you know more next week after I get to see the unit.
Gary Hall
Coordinator, Research and Outreach Activities
Colorado State University Extension
1311 S college, University square Building, 4040
Fort Collins, CO 80523-4040
(970) 491-5443, Cell (719) 440-0453, FAX (970) 491-6208
Gary.Hall@ColoState.EDU
Updated Monday, August 29, 2011