Fairfax Native Forerunner In Farming Technology In Sheldon

The following article appeared in the Thursday, May 4, 2006 issue of The St. Albans Messenger -- There are also several photos in the issue taken by Stina Plant who accompanied Leon Thompson for information on this article. Terry Magnan grew up on the Euclide & Florence (Barkyoumb) Magnan Family Farm on the Cherrierville Road in North Fairfax and was a 1975 graduate of BFA Fairfax.

Heat happens through manure composting

Sheldon operation unveils new system

By Leon Thompson – Messenger Staff Writer

SHELDON — Diamond Hill Custom Heifers farm has become a forerunner in dairy technology by installing a state-of-the-art composting system.

The Sheldon operation, owned by Terry and Joanne Magnan, now has the capability to extract heat from composted manure and utilize it on the farm.

"It's a form of diversification," Terry Magnan said Wednesday, during an open house that attracted dozens of visitors, "I think it's almost becoming a necessity for this part of the country."

The Magnans started talking about the manure-heat recovery system two years ago. The family obtained more than $250,000 in state and federal grants and dug into its own coffers to implement the system, said Brian Jerose, co-owner of What Not Resource Solutions, who helped with the project.

Jerose said Diamond Hill is the first farm in the state - likely the nation - to use a compost heat extraction process as a way to make a dairy operation more cost-efficient.

Fuel and fertilizer prices have risen steadily along with interest rates; that has forced production costs at Diamond Hill to jump by 20 to 25 percent.

“This has to be cost effective, or it won’t be replicated," Jerose said of the Diamond Hill system. "We'll track the numbers and see if the farm will save any money with this. Our instinct is yes, it will."

It works like this: Batches of manure and bedding go through a composting process that generates lots of heat - the byproduct of the composting process.

The compost is stored into a special bay with a ventilated floor that sucks the hot air into a heat exchanger that then heats an 800-gallon water tank.

Moisture from the pile goes through a piping system and is then hosed back onto the compost, to keep it fresh and hot. The ideal temperature for the compost is anywhere from 130 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, Jerose said.

All the heat and warm water in the bulk tank is used to warm milk to feed the Magnan's 200 calves and as radiant heat for the barn floor. (The Magnans have about 2,000 head at Diamond Hill.)

There is another benefit. The Magnans will use the compost on the farm and sell varieties of it to other farmers and gardeners.

They hope all this work pays off.

"It's a way to bring outside revenue back onto the farm and back into agriculture," Terry said. "It's getting harder and harder for conventional dairy farmers to make ends meet."

Terry Magnan's 2000 Livestock Farm was also featured in a video on Channel 3 News this past Wednesday, May 3, 2006:

Compost Used as Energy Source

Sheldon, Vermont - May 3, 2006

Terry Magnan and his wife own and operate a 2,000 head livestock farm in Sheldon. They, like most farmers, have been struggling.

"Between fuel costs, and fertilizer and interest rates going up, within the last two years, production costs have probably risen 20% to 25%," said Magnan.

These rising costs forced Magnan to think about ways to save money on the farm. The solution he came up with was from a source that he had plenty of.

"It was something as simple as putting some pipes into a pile of manure, but it evolved into something much bigger," Magnan said.

Bigger indeed. Terry has created a system that uses the natural byproducts of composting to his advantage.

The process is pretty simple here... this pile of manure will go through a composting process, which will actually generate a lot of heat. That heat will then get drawn through these channels to a heat exchanger, which will then heat an 800 gallon water tank.

Brian Jerose is a consultant who worked with Magnan to develop this composting and heat recovery system.

"This temperature probe can show that this particular pile is at 147 degrees farenheit, so that's a pretty warm pile of just piling up manure and bedding," explained Jerose, the owner of WASTE NOT Resource Solutions.

All that heat and warm water is used elsewhere on the farm, for mixing up milk for the calves, and as radiant heat for the barn floor.

"This, by far from what we're aware of, is the largest scale attempt to capture heat from compost. So that's the most innovative aspect of this," said Jerose.

Besides saving fuel and reducing energy costs, the compost itself is sold to other farmers and gardeners.

The Magnans aren't sure the project will pay off financially, but they're taking things in stride.

"Who knows where this will take us. One thing leads to another, and you just take it one step at a time," concluded Magnan.

Just make sure to look where you're stepping.

Alex Martin - Channel 3 News