Biogas Generator Project Update (see photo below)

You may have noticed that between my house and the next (that'd be North toward the blue Boucher residence) there's a freshly installed utility pole. I know that I was surprised to see it there.  I left the house to go Christmas shopping, came back and "poof" there's a freaking tall pole smack in the yard!  Now you might think that this means we're celebrating an over-the-top Festivus this holiday season - but that would consist of an aluminum pole, with airing of grievances (as in "this is how you have disappointed me in the past year..."), complete with feats of strength on the 23rd of December. But this skyward-pointing pillar is in actuality the initial footprint, lets call it more of a piggy toe, of what will become our humble farm's alternative energy project.

Yes, it's finally happening, that great former tree planted next to the driveway is real proof of it. Yes, we got our USDA funding, after many long hours, sharpened #2 pencils, furrowed brows and calls to consultants. Yes, it will be the first biogas generator of its kind in Vermont, perhaps in the nation, using both crops and manure to create methane and ultimately, electricity. Pretty cool, huh?

The totally uncool part was months and months of filling in a stack of paperwork forms over and over again (as changes were made, submitted, reviewed, revised, and accepted), until the resulting tome could quite literally choke two horses, with lots of waiting for responses and support form ancillary parties - don't think for a minute they were the fun type of parties, either!

That being said, it has taken and continues to take a lot of people on all levels to get this show on the road. I was exhausted by it all, months ago. My husband Dan continues to experience what he call the 'roller coaster' effect of good news/bad news with all things digester related.

Currently, the project is suspended as winter settles in, since the next step is construction of the pits for the digester and a building to house the generator. We need much warmer weather for setting concrete and erecting structures, plus the generator has to journey over the Atlantic via water, which takes longer than you might think. 

Our new utility pole is inspiring and aesthetically pleasing in its simplicity; I have the feeling that it's going to be less so before too long.  This is one of those undertakings that when it is finally over, it will have been worth it.  Or so I keep telling myself.