Released November 3, 2009
AMES, Iowa -- Equipment used in modern agriculture reduces labor, but consumes fuel and energy. So how much energy are Iowa’s agricultural producers using? A new Iowa State University Extension publication answers that question.
“Farm Energy: How Much Energy Is Being Used on Your Farm?” (PM 2089A), is available to download from the Extension Online Store, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/store/. The publication offers initial steps that help farmers analyze their farm energy use.
“It helps to think about how energy is being used,” said Jane Flammang, ISU Extension program coordinator for the new statewide Farm Energy Conservation and Efficiency educational initiative. “You have to consider the crops that are grown, the types of livestock — every enterprise on your farm to really get a handle on your energy use.”
This publication is part of a series of farm energy conservation and efficiency educational materials being developed through the Farm Energy Conservation and Efficiency educational initiative, Flammang explained. The purpose is to increase farmers’ awareness of opportunities for improving efficient use of farm energy. The initiative also will help farmers explore alternatives to reduce farm energy demand and to improve their farms’ overall profitability in a rapidly changing energy environment.
Iowa State University Extension received a grant from the Iowa Energy Center to carry out the initiative.
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http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2009/nov/120301.htm
Source: Jane Flammang, Farm Energy Conservation and Efficiency Initiative, jflamm@iastate.edu
Writer: Laura Sternweis, (515) 294-0775, lsternwe@iastate.edu