Dive Brief:
- At Lawnhurst Farms in Stankey, NY, the dairy farm with more than a thousand head of cattle is tapping virtually limitless resources to create electricity: manure from cows and organic food waste from local businesses.
- With the process, the farm generates twice the amount of electricity it needs for operations, through a digester mechanism that converts the waste. The family powers other properties and sells any additional power to a utility company.
- Wegmans stores in nearby Rochester, NY, recently announced they will send food waste to the farm’s recycling operation.
Dive Insight:
Fossil fuel exploration is costly, while passively generated energy creation such as gas to electricity operations are comparatively cheap, with a fast return on investment. Gas to electric systems such as Lawnhurst Farms’ setup are gaining more attention from business owners and utility officials.
