Fueling the Fair With Food Waste & Farm Poop

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Friday, 10 September 2010 18:01

St. Paul, Minnesota, September 2010 — Collecting manure samples is probably not high on anyone’s to-do list. But that’s exactly what George Johnson, a scientist with St. Paul-based Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH®) did every day during the Minnesota State Fair’s 12-day run that ended just before Labor Day — all in an effort to create renewable energy. Johnson, State Fair facilities staff, and University of Minnesota (U of M) researchers collected samples of food waste and manure (collectively known as “organics”) to learn if they can be combined with waste from the nearby U of M campus and converted to renewable energy via a renewable energy technology called an “anaerobic digester” on or near the Fairgrounds and adjacent U of M campus. “An anaerobic digester breaks down organic materials like food and animal waste,” Johnson explained. “Methane gas created in the process can be used to fuel generators that produce electricity and heat for use at nearby facilities. Solids from the process are reused as animal bedding, compost, or fertilizer.” Their efforts could serve as a pilot project for the entire state, and possibly be implemented on a smaller scale at thousands of farms across the U.S. with similar waste disposal and energy needs. With more than 1.7 million visitors and hundreds of animals on site, the State Fair averages around 1,200 tons of food waste and 2,000 tons of animal manure each year. According to State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer, the Minnesota State Fair recycles 500 tons of paper, glass, metal, and more than a dozen other materials, and composts 2,400 tons of barn waste, food waste and other organic material each year. "The State Fair has long been committed to green projects, from our educational displays such as the award-winning Eco Experience, to our massive recycling and composting programs," Hammer said. Although work like this usually means obtaining funding in advance, this initial phase took place without help. If findings prove promising however, the next step will be to begin a search for serious financial support. SEH is a multi-disciplined firm of engineers, scientists, architects and planners with headquarters in St. Paul. More than 600 employees serve clients from offices in seven states. For more information on the waste sampling project, go to www.sehinc.com/online/minnesota-state-fair-and-university-minnesota-waste-energy-stud SOURCE: SEH < Prev   Next >