Annual Dairy Discussions Seminar on Dec. 1 will focus on “Manure Management Practices and Opportunities in Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)”

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Dairy Team will host its annual Dairy Discussions Seminar on Tuesday, December 1, from 10 a.m. to noon. The program is sponsored this year by EcoEngineers, a renewable energy consulting and auditing firm headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The program will be virtual due to health concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s focus is on manure management systems, opportunities in renewable natural gas (RNG) to maximize profitability in the dairy industry, and the benefits of co-locating a dairy near a biofuel facility in the Midwest. The presentations will include a case study for an Iowa dairy and the minimum project size to make RNG project economics work.

The key presentations include:

  • “Supporting Dairies in Iowa: How the IEDA can help,” Shelly Peterson, P.E., IEDA
  • “Successful Manure Systems,” Kris Kohl, Ph.D., Iowa State University
  • “Dairy Opportunities in RNG and Location Benefits” Brad Pleima, P.E., EcoEngineers

Shelly Peterson, P.E., is a program manager with the state energy office, housed at the Iowa Economic Development Authority. The energy team supports many emerging energy opportunities in the State of Iowa, including RNG.

Dr. Kris Kohl is the Iowa State University Extension Agricultural Engineer in Northwest Iowa. His expertise includes manure handling and management plans, composting and ag building ventilation.

Brad Pleima, P.E., is a Senior Engineer and Senior Regulatory Consultant at EcoEngineers and has over 17 years of consulting and engineering design experience in water, wastewater, and renewable energy project work. He leads the Asset Development Consulting services at EcoEngineers.

There is no fee to attend the program thanks to the sponsorship of EcoEgineers. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/dairy-discussions-2020-release  or contact:

  • Fred Hall at 712-737-4230 or fredhall@iastate.edu
  • James Ramm at 515-344-9715 or jramm@ecoengineers.us
  • Lyndsey Nielsen at 402-885-0358 or lnielsen@ecoengineers.us

Deadline to register is Nov. 30.

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