A company called Farm Power Northwest is building two new methane digesters in Tillamook that will turn dairy cow poop into power. One will start up next month, taking manure from cows on five dairies and turning it into 1 megawatt of electricity – enough to power about 700 homes for a year. The second, yet to be built, will ... Continue reading →

Filed under: Renewable energy, Agriculture, Farm Power Northwest, Methane, Methane digesters, U.S. Department of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture just announced $80 million in grants to Washington universities for biofuels development. Lots o cash. Continue reading →

Filed under: Energy, Transportation, Biofuel, Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture just announced more money coming to Oregon from the Rural Energy for America Program, a 2008 Farm Bill creation. This round of grants totals $11.6 million for renewable energy (a cursory glance shows mostly solar) and energy efficiency projects in rural areas. Reminds me of Amelia Templeton's story about the solar-powered Frito Lay potato farm ... Continue reading →

Filed under: Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Thought the Wind River “canopy crane” that we profiled on Oregon Field Guide was cool? Budget cuts just killed it. How about that lichen air quality research we featured this season? Budget cuts gutted that too. Continue reading →

Filed under: Forestry, Oregon Field Journal, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service

Today, the US Department of Agriculture announced it will allow Roundup-ready sugar beets to be planted this spring, which was anticipated after last week's decision to deregulate genetically modified alfalfa (part of Obama's promise to review and eliminate unnecessarily burdensome regulations). The genetically modified sugar beet seeds are grown in Oregon's Willamette Valley, and environmental groups worry they will cross-pollinate ... Continue reading →

Filed under: Agriculture, Roundup-ready sugar beets, U.S. Department of Agriculture

The Capital Press reports sugar prices went up 3 percent yesterday, following a California judge's ruling that this year's plantings of genetically modified Roundup Ready sugar beets had to be pulled up (because they were permitted without a proper environmental review). Continue reading →

Filed under: Agriculture, Biotech crops, Roundup-ready sugar beets, U.S. Department of Agriculture

A federal judge has ordered the destruction of genetically modified sugar beet crops planted illegally – before the environmental impacts of the engineered plants were fully assessed. Tuesday's ruling is the latest in an ongoing dispute over whether Monsanto's Roundup-ready sugar beets, which are genetically engineered to be resistant to herbicides, can be grown commercially. Continue reading →

Filed under: Land, Agriculture, Biotech crops, Roundup-ready sugar beets, U.S. Department of Agriculture