Small Farm Anaerobic Digestion Systems and Barriers to Increasing their Implementation in New York State

Abstract

United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has stated a goal of one new manure-based anaerobic digestion (AD) system brought online in the U.S. per week, but there are some real challenges that need to be overcome to make this goal a reality. Efforts have primarily focused on large dairy operations where economies of scale and other factors make investing in AD systems less risky to the overall viability of a dairy business; however, the majority of dairy farms in New York State and the U.S. are small in nature. Therefore, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) would like to understand what may be needed to result in an increase in the number of small farms implementing AD systems, and therefore have commissioned this report to identify the barriers to adoption.