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F. John Hay, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

F. John Hay is an Extension Educator in the Biological Systems Engineering Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who is focused on energy and biofuels. Throughout his more than 10 years in Extension, his work has been tuned to the educational needs of Nebraskans.

John’s most recent interest has been fuel literacy, an issue that will become increasingly important as more diverse fuel blends become available. He enjoys talking with farmers and non-farmers about the fuel they use, what’s …

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Double A Willow Strengthens Biomass Supply Chain by Providing Willow Plantings to Biofuels Industry

As the largest supplier of shrub willow planting stock in the United States, Double A Willow is a critical link between research and the commercial development of renewable energy.

Double A Willow owner, Dennis Rak, with some of his original plantings.

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

Introduction

Double A Willow in Fredonia, New York, is the main source of shrub willow planting material for biomass energy …

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Recent Publications About Biochar

 

There is a lot of interest in biochar as a soil amendment and for its potential role in sequestering carbon to ameliorate the effects of climate change. CenUSA is evaluating biochar impacts on farm and garden crops production. Research is active and ongoing, and this list of recommended readings provides links to publications about different aspects of biochar production and use. 

 

Please note that most of these links go to abstracts  provided by professional journals; many of the full articles …

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Zane Helsel, Rutgers University Extension

Dr. Zane Helsel, eXtension specialist in agriculture energy at Rutgers University, has fused agronomy and agricultural engineering during a career that has spanned nearly 40 years. Dr. Helsel is also a Courtesy Professor of Agronomy at the University of Florida, where he’s been involved in the biomass energy program since 2008.

Dr. Helsel has been an eXtension educator, teacher, and researcher. His most recent focus has been on the potential for biomass energy feedstock production in New Jersey. He has …

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Ernst Conservation Seeds Transforms Leftover Biomass into Energy Product

Switchgrass biomass left over after seed harvest had little value for Ernst Conservation Seeds until the company began using it to manufacture pellets.

Switchgrass pellets. Photo credit: Calvin Ernst.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Ernst Conservation Seeds in Meadville, Pennsylvania has been growing and marketing grass seed for more than fifty …

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Terra Green Energy: Pioneers in Torrefaction for Commercial Co-Combustion

A torrefaction demonstration facility employs a patented process to convert biomass into a renewable, energy-dense carbon carrier that functions much like coal, and which can be burned in existing coal-fired power plants

 

Table of Contents

Torrefaction reactor. Photo credit: Terra Green.

An Innovator in Commercial Torrefaction

Terra …

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Fast Pyrolysis Efficiently Turns Biomass into Renewable Fuels

Fast pyrolysis holds promise for producing heating and transportation biofuels for the renewable energy market. This article describes how fast pyrolysis works, its advantages and disadvantages, and how it might fit into our renewable energy future.

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Funded by AFRI. Learn More.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Processing biomass feedstocks such as perennial grasses, woody plants, and agricultural residues into useful fuel …

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Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas

 

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This Biogas module provides reasonable expectations for investing in on-farm bio-digesters to convert animal waste to process heat and/or electricity. Learn how to calculate the number of animals needed to build a cost effective system.

Link to all of the Northeast Farm Energy IQ Curriculum, developed by Extension specialists from Penn State, Rutgers and University of Vermont.

This is part of the On Farm Energy Production Curriculum Series: 

Bioenergy Feedstock Production | Biodiesel and SVO | Biogas | Wood …

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Manufacturing Wood and Grass Pellets

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This module covers the fundamentals of manufacturing biomass pellets on the farm, to be used as a renewable fuel.  Procedures, equipment, and economics are all discussed, with ample time for questions and feedback. 

Link to all of the Northeast Farm Energy IQ Curriculum, developed by Extension specialists from Penn State, Rutgers and University of Vermont.

This is part of the On Farm Energy Production Curriculum Series: 

Bioenergy Feedstock Production | Biodiesel and SVO | Biogas | Wood and Grass …

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Biodiesel and Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO)

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This module covers the production and use of Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) and Biodiesel on farms in the Northeast. Topics include differentiating SVO from biodiesel, oilseed crops for SVO and biodiesel, the biodiesel production process, safety and personnel protection, economics of production, energy return and carbon avoidance.

Link to all of the Northeast Farm Energy IQ Curriculum, developed by Extension specialists from Penn State, Rutgers and University of Vermont.

This is part of the On Farm Energy Production Curriculum

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