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MONROE — It's 5 a.m. at the Werkhoven Dairy — happy hour for Holsteins.
From a 5,000-gallon black tank containing beer and wine, Andy Werkhoven adds two pounds of alcohol to the feed of each of the 1,000 milking cows.
"Cow-bernet," he jokes. Not to mention a little Bud Light, Coors and any other out-of-date alcohol stores can't sell.
Old MacDonald's Farm this isn't.
Local News | Longtime Monroe dairy farm now turns manure into money | Seattle Times Newspaper
Seeded on Sat Jan 28, 2012 6:25 AM EST
Article Source: The Seattle Times
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In fact, as dairy farmers everywhere seek to stay in business and meet tougher-than-ever environmental standards, they are finding new ways not only to feed cows, as Andy and his brother Jim Werkhoven have discovered, but to deal with the waste as well — turning manure into money by letting it generate electricity.
- 4 votes
#1 - Sat Jan 28, 2012 6:28 AM EST
I thought this was a great comment from one of the locals:
This isn't a political story kids about "lefties or righties", it's a story of partnership and collaboration by different parties and agencies that benefits many. This should be a template for private business and government working together to create a positive outcome for all. I hope it is economically viable enough for the dairies to continue to expand this program all over the state. We always hear about developing domestic energy resources....well, cow poop is the energy that keeps on giving!
- 5 votes
Great seed CL1. ''cow poop is the energy that keeps on giving''....Classic.
- 3 votes
Thanks, Kavika!
What a grand collaboration between the groups and the government! I did find the "dairy diet" and alcohol disconcerting, but atleast a nutritionist is working in an oversight/monitoring position. I hope this continues to work 'all-around.'
- 3 votes
I was not immediately sure about the lack of alcohol content in the milk, but I thought further and now presume that during pasteurization, it all gets cooked off.
- 2 votes
Ambivalent, I had that thought, as well, and hope it does all get cooked off; it would seem like it would, doesn't it?!
The reason for my questioning is due to having developed allergies to alchohol, so while I can't drink it, I do sometimes add 3/4 c. to sauces, stews, and such. After being simmered for two and a half hours, I still get a reaction! (I made some tests, and it happens whether sulphiting agents are present or not.) So, there's something in it that causes an immune response for me. So many are already allergic to dairy products, that I hope these additions won't cause problems for certain milk drinkers. I do drink milk, though not a lot.
Thanks for coming back; nice chatting with you!
- 2 votes
Wow, maybe I am wrong about that then. I wonder how (if) this works for the milk.
- 2 votes
Yes, I wondered that, too.. and how could anyone know what specifically might be causing any reactions? Brewer's yeast is also a known allergen for many. I also wondered about the cow and the possibility of developing alcohol-related conditions like people do. Dairy cows aren't used for meat consumption, I don't think, but if they are used for breeding at all (?), I wondered how that could affect their genetics. Alcoholism in people is a genetic disease, as you might already know.
- 2 votes
What a great story! I grew up around farms and cows. They have managed to use everything about dairy farming but the "moo" to make more money or reduce the costs of dairy farming. I always wondered why more cattle farmers did not find a way to use dung to make methane to run their farms.
- 3 votes
#3 - Sat Jan 28, 2012 9:33 AM ESTIt's such a good idea, alright! Powering three hundred customers and a cleaner environment---I hope more start doing it.
Thanks for stopping by, Carolyn!
- 4 votes
Great story CL thanks for sharing! Not only is it creating power and environmentally friendly, but it could play a role in keeping the family farm in the family!
- 2 votes
#4 - Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:44 PM ESTrenee, great point!
I've seen so many dairy farms go out of business in the area, some become hay farms, or they sell out to developers. I wonder, now, if some might keep the land to raise cattle, grow hay/alfalfa, and then sell the manure to plants like this, if the plants become more prevalent. One farmer I knew in the past, said the only reason he was able to stay in business was due to being able to work on his machinery himself, otherwise he would have lost too much in repairs and buying new. He used to be a dairy farmer, but is now using the land in a multitude of ways.
Thanks for stopping by to read the report!
- 2 votes
Nice article CL1,
it is great to see examples of ingenuity in action. There is something new in the use of the technologies of today, mixed with the old in finding ways to look outside the box, and utilize every part of an operation to build success.
Thanks, Master Link
- 2 votes
#5 - Sat Jan 28, 2012 5:36 PM ESTThank you, ML.
I agree, the mixing of new ideas with old and new technologies is good, in addition to the 'cooperative' attitude to find common values that work for the independent cultural group, the entrepreneur, the government and the outside citizens...it's not often we come up with something that works for everyone!
Thank you for contributing!
- 3 votes
Yes, yes co-operation between diverse people and agencies, what a concept.
Maybe we can save ourselves after all!
- 3 votes
I think I'm going to move there to be around people who can actually use critical thinking to solve problems rather than simply throwing more money at it. Trying this kind of sustainable program in east coast area invites NIMBY protests and all sorts of regulatory interference. I'm working on a digester for my chickens while trying to fly below the radar. It's not just about methane, it's about creating excellent fertilizers for food crops, generating food from what would otherwise be waste. Also we find ways to fit into the food chain as a preferred alternative to interrupt and control mechanism. I assume Monroe is in Washington?
Maybe we can save ourselves after all!
I have no doubt! :-)
- 1 vote
#6 - Sun Jan 29, 2012 10:27 PM ESTInteresting that you would get interference. There is so much environmental regulation here regarding building, chemicals and animal pollution near water sources, that the state must have eagerly handed over those grants. Sounds like a good idea with your chicken digester and all. Yes, Monroe is in Washington.
- 1 vote
I haven't personally, but I'm thinking about the methanol production proposals introduced in the next county a few years ago. You might recall the methanol idea was sold as the gasoline alternative and people were all for it until they thought about the plant being so close to their homes. It's like we need garbage dumps, but nobody wants to live near it. I live in the flight path of an airport, and I get awoken occasionally by airplanes landing or taking off. As a representative for my homeowners association, I received multiple complaints about the airport with questions about what we were going to do about it. The airport has been here 50 years plus, long before most of these people moved into the neighborhood. No big surprise when the planes are noisy, but people behave as if the airplanes should wear silencers just for them. People still want airports too! :-)
- 1 vote
True... human nature - we expect to have our cake and eat it too. The problem: one always overrides the other, essentially making us unhappy with both. Either we live with less satisfaction to have both, or we make sacrifices to enjoy one, leaving the other behind. ..a sad reality, and a difficult decision.
- 2 votes
Yeah and it first seems a sacrifice because somebody has to do the work, but then later we wonder why we weren't doing it this way all along.
Politicians don't get it.
- 1 vote
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