Anaerobic Digestion at Patterson Farms

Abstract

Patterson Dairy Farms, Inc. (Auburn, NY) a family farm for the past seven generations, is owned and operated by Mrs. Connie Patterson with her son, Jon and his wife, Julie and Dairy Manager Bob Church The farm has about 950 dairy cattle The farm raises forage crops on 2,400 acres of land Patterson farms experienced their first major odor emission issues in 2000 after constructing a 4.5 million-gallon earthen manure storage, completed in 1999 The farm’s first attempt to reduce odor emissions from the long-term storage was to perform mechanical solid-liquid separation of barn effluents. The separated liquid was piped to the existing long-term storage while separated solids were stored under aerobic conditions in a three-sided shed. Separated manure solids were primarily used as bedding material in deep-bedded free-stalls (in order to displace otherwise purchased sawdust bedding), while any surplus solids were sold. The farm reported that this manure treatment system reduced or eliminated odor emissions from the solids and seemed to reduce odor emissions from the long-term liquid storage; however, more odor control was desired from the long-term storage. Various manure treatment system technologies were investigated consuming significant time and effort. Considerable time was also spent identifying, investigating, and responding to multiple financial grant opportunities. After receiving grant funds from several sources, digester construction started in August 2004 with commissioning in October of 2005. A flow diagram for the digester is shown on the following page in Figure 1.