In fact, when the barns are full, about 10,000 gallons of manure are produced every day. Butler Farms’ 10 pig barns house a total of about 8,000 hogs during the process.Īnd with pigs comes manure. The farm is a finishing operation, which means young feeder pigs are brought in and fed for about 20 weeks until they are ready for market. Ecological Agīutler Farms is a sustainability-focused hog farm located in rural Lillington, North Carolina. Swine and dairy cattle are the two largest contributors to those emissions. However, manure stored as a liquid or slurry in lagoons, ponds, tanks or pits, decomposes anaerobically and creates methane emissions,” the ISU authors wrote. “When manure is handled as a solid or deposited naturally on grassland, it decomposes aerobically (with oxygen) and creates little methane emissions. Those gases are exhaled or belched to the atmosphere by animals.Ĭoming in third on the ag list is manure management, which accounts for 9% of the total GHG emissions. So, where are all those agricultural GHGs coming from? Well, according to an article written by Eugene Takle, professor of atmospheric science and professor of agricultural meteorology at Iowa State University (ISU), and Don Hofstrand, retired ISU extension value-added agriculture specialist, a majority of ag-related GHG emissions (about 61%) come from nitrous oxide produced naturally in soils through the microbial processes of nitrification and de-nitrification.Įnteric fermentation, that is, methane produced as part of the normal digestive processes in animals, especially ruminant animals such as cattle, is next on the list (18%). farmers don’t typically burn coal, except in their barbecue grills. That was about one-third of the total emitted by the nation’s fossil-fueled electricity generation sector that year, and U.S. agriculture industry released 582.18 million metric tons of CO 2 equivalents in 2017.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Inventory of U.S. The power industry is frequently blasted for the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) it emits, but what often goes overlooked is how much CO 2, nitrous oxide, and methane the agricultural sector produces. Installing lagoon covers not only reduces odors and eliminates rainwater ingress, but it also allows biogas to be captured and utilized as a renewable energy resource. South River EMC is a locally owned and operated electric cooperative, which provides electric service to 48,000 homes, farms and businesses in parts of Harnett, Cumberland, Sampson, Johnston and Bladen counties.Power from pig manure is not a public relations stunt, but rather, it’s an innovative solution to several farm challenges. Please note, handwritten applications are not accepted, and an online application is required. Applications, as well as guidelines, can be found online at. The next deadline for applications is May 19, by 5 p.m. South River EMC accepts and reviews applications on a quarterly basis. And that small donation adds to more to help hundreds of children, families and individuals each year. The amount you donate through Operation Round Up every month amounts to no more than $6 a year. For example, if a bill is $135.67, the bill rounds up to $136 and the extra 33¢ is deposited into the Community Assistance Corporation fund.

Operation Round Up is a voluntary program that enables members of South River EMC to round up their electric bill to the next whole dollar. Operation Round Up is a tangible way to help the organizations that are the lifeblood of our communities.” “We are committed to our communities and to improving the quality of life for our members. “One of the tenets of being a cooperative is concern for community,” said Catherine O’Dell, VP of Member Services & PR. The following educational institutions receiving funding this quarter are Hobbton High School, $7,500 Hargrove Elementary, $7,823 and New Life Uplifted School, $5,150. The following non-profit organizations received grants: Mingo Masonic Lodge, $1,079 Fine N Two Food Pantry, $5,000 The Fun Clothes Inc, $5,000 West Area Volunteer Fire Department, $4,100 Plain View Community Center, $5,000 Autryville Fire Department, $5,000. South River EMC’s Community Assistance Corporation recently awarded grants totaling $71,861 to local schools and non-profits thanks to participants in Operation Round Up. Since the changes began, the traffic in the media center has increased dramatically.

Hobbton High School is completing a multi-stage transformation with the help of a $7,500 grant from Operation Round Up.

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