03/06/07 Idaho energy, Whitesides

It started two years ago at the Whitesides Dairy near Rupert with a two tank anaerobic digester to handle manure waste. Steve Whitesides and family have seen benefits of their digester. WHITESIDES "When the solids when through the digestion system there was definitely a reduction in the solids after it came out." Whitesides can separate solid and liquid manure, getting odor free compost and methane gas in return. WHITESIDES "About 20 thousand cubic feet of gas is generated per head per year. The revenue is the sale of the gas, the sale of the fibers and the sale of the carbon credits and we're still learning about these things. What's next? What's going come off from there? Whitesides has two open lot dairies with a milking capacity of two thousand and a new free stall dairy with 25 hundred cows. Whitesides and digester builder/owner Intrepid Technologies expanded to ten tanks which are now going into operation. Whitesides says the cost of the anaerobic digester is not cheap, about one thousand dollars per cow. WHITESIDES "As this digester takes off it can actually be really a good investment for our operation." There's been a lot to learn, especially being the first to try this system of anaerobic digestion but this dairy is forging ahead. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott