Report raises doubts on California dairy digester costs

Feb 15, 2024

By Farms.com

The financial sustainability of California's initiative to lower methane emissions from dairy farms through anaerobic digesters has been challenged in a report by the Center for Food Safety. Conducted by Kevin Fingerman of Cal Poly Humboldt, the analysis reveals that the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program's costs could be 17 times the state and industry's estimates.

California has allocated approximately $200 million towards this endeavor between 2015 and 2022, aiming for a substantial decrease in methane emissions. However, the report suggests a discrepancy in cost-effectiveness, with actual expenses ballooning to $159 per ton of CO2 reduced, far exceeding the state's $9 per ton estimate.

This revelation stirs debate about the allocation of taxpayer money, especially as the program appears to predominantly benefit large agribusinesses and investors.

Despite criticisms, the California Department of Food and Agriculture counters by highlighting the ecological benefits of dairy digesters, such as their role in generating renewable energy and preventing worse environmental outcomes.

The state contends that supporting sustainable practices across dairy farms is crucial, even as it faces scrutiny over the program's cost and its impact on agricultural practices and the environment.

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

JOIN THE BARN TALK NEWSLETTER AND GET LIVE EVENT ACCESS: We're on a mission to hit 10,000 subscribers, and when we do, we're hosting a live event at the barn. Sign up for exclusive access to tickets and details.