The use of anaerobic digesters for livestock operations in the Southwest is the focus of the Renewable Energy Education Field Day planned for Oct. 26, 2011.

This webinar will examine technical, environmental and financial factors to consider when installing an anaerobic digester on a livestock operation. Specific attention will be given to the use of digesters with dry manure and the unique environmental issues and climatic conditions of the Southwest.

This virtual Field Day, which is free of charge, is targeted to dairy and beef producers in New Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma

and Texas. Representatives of environmental and agricultural organizations working with livestock producers, as well as staff from state and federal agencies, are also encouraged to participate.

Farm Foundation, NFP is organizing this webinar in collaboration with USDA Rural Development, USDA's Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Speakers include livestock producers with experience in operating an anaerobic digester, industry leaders working with various technologies used in anaerobic digestion, university researchers, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, and representatives from government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's AgStar program. Session topics include:

• Producer experiences with anaerobic digester systems
• Digesting manure under dry climate conditions
• Using a digester to manage livestock manure/nutrient issues
• Potential revenue streams from an integrated digester system
• Financing options for installing an anaerobic digester
• Next steps to begin integrating a digester in a livestock operation.

Webinar sessions will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. MDT. The sessions are being taped and will be available for viewing for one year after the event. There is no charge to participate but registration is required. Here are three ways to participate in the Oct. 26 webinar:

• You can participate by being part of the audience at the webinar's origination site at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, Las Cruces, N.M.

• Viewing sites are planned across the Southwest. These are opportunities to view and discuss the webinar with other producers, producer group representatives or agency staffers. Five viewing sites have been identified: Lamar Community College, Lamar, Colo.; Otero County Extension Office, Rocky Ford, Colo.; Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus, Mesa, Ariz.; the U.S. EPA Region 9 Office, San Francisco, Calif.; and the Texas A&M's AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Amarillo, Texas. Additional sites may be added.

• You can view the event from your office or home computer, as is the general practice with webinars.

To register for the webinar, visit the Farm Foundation, NFP web site, www.farmfoundation.org. There is no charge to participate in this webinar, but registration is required.

This is the second Renewable Energy Education Field Day presented by Farm Foundation, NFP and USDA agencies. Biomass was the subject of the first Field Day, which was in November 2010.

11.11.2011