VanDerHyde Dairy to turn waste into watts

CHATHAM — VanDerHyde Dairy’s owners plan to use an environmentally-friendly way to process manure from their 950 cows, expand use of its byproduct to make electricity and take dairy farming into the 21st century. 

The VanDerHydes and a representative from Wisconsin-based GHD Inc. unveiled a model of an anaerobic digester at the family’s farm Thursday. The digester, introduced in Wisconsin in 2001 and used at 40 sites in the U.S., recovers methane from animal waste through anaerobic — or airless — digestion. The technology processes the waste to produce electricity, bedding and liquid fertilizer. It also produces waste heat, which can be put to use to replace hot-water production and used for in-floor heating, according to GHD’s Web site. 

Roy VanDerHyde, president of VanDerHyde Dairy, said he’s not sure when the family will install the machine on their farm. The VanDerHydes are seeking funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and hope federal stimulus money will help pay for it. Construction would take about nine months, he said.

“If I had funding, I’d be building (it) right now,” VanDerHyde said during the presentation.

The anaerobic digester will be 200 feet long, 72 feet wide and 16 feet deep, and would process waste in 21-day cycles. 

Pittsylvania County Agriculture Development Director Freddie Wydner said the technology’s arrival in the county would enable other dairy farmers to research the product and possibly buy bedding as well as liquid fertilizer with reduced phosphorous content, which is regulated by the federal government to ensure water safety.

“If Virginia is looking for a truly renewable source of energy, this is it,” Wydner said.

In addition, it would place agriculture at the forefront and identify the county as progressive, increasing opportunities for grant funding, Wydner said. Also, it would reduce the farm’s carbon footprint, he said.

Other benefits from the digester include production of higher-quality cow bedding, reduced nitrogen and phosphorous levels, waste-odor reduction and improve energy distribution in rural areas, said Morgan Lambert, GHD regional representative. The machine breaks down fatty-acid levels in waste to get rid of odor, Lambert said.

The VanDerHydes would also be able to sell electricity, VanDerHyde said. With the technology, the VanDerHydes would be able to earn carbon credits through destroyed methane, increase their milk quality, reduce pathogens in spread manure and lower pesticide/herbicide expenses because of reduced fly hatching.

VanDerHyde Dairy has 23 employees and owns 750 acres. It produces 8,400 gallons of milk per day.