Nested in rural Zumbro Falls, MN, RS Farms is a small dairy operated by Kim and Richard Ryan. Behind the scenes of their milk production lays a longtime consideration of the energy that goes into the operation of their farm, and the desire that the energy leave less of an impact.
The Ryan’s average electricity bills have reduced greatly since 2010, in a large part due to their efforts to decrease their use. But for a more in-depth picture of their electric use, they needed an energy audit for the farm. So in late 2012, CERTs helped fund this energy audit. Kim says that the results of the audit “confirmed the efforts we had been making and … encouraged us to move forward to help make the dairy sustainable into the future both financially and environmentally.”
Of the audit’s eight total recommendations, five were found to be practical for the farm:
- Insulate the farm’s milkhouse and compressor system
- Install a new “plastic based and insulated” livestock waterer
- Install a high efficiency water heater
- Replace the current compressor with a scroll refrigeration compressor when the current compressor needs replacing
- Replace the current incandescent and fluorescent lighting in the milkhouse, barn, and machine shed with CFLs and more efficient fluorescents
Without these steps, the farm consumes about 28,051 kWh of electricity per year. If the Ryans follow the practical recommendations of the audit, they could save 7,601 kWh and $737 annually. These calculations are “based upon researched and monitored farm equipment installations on similar sized farms, peer reviewed studies, and literature reviews of farm technologies,” the audit report states.
The Ryan’s goals do not stop at energy conservation and efficiency. Kim shared: “The final goal is to install a solar system that will provide most if not all of the energy needed for the dairy operation. Over the past few years we have been working to improve the efficiency of the operation while making it more sustainable at the same time.”
Their energy audit, in partnership with CERTs, built a platform from which the Ryans can continue their path to a sustainable dairy farm by becoming more efficient and then adding solar energy.
What do the Ryans tell others considering clean energy on the farm? “Follow a path similar to ours,” said Kim. “Start with the small, easy tasks and then pursue larger visions for a sustainable energy life.” The couple hopes that the project can help other small dairy farms achieve their energy efficiency and cost-saving goals.
Kim concludes: “With the generous support of CERTs, we were able to move one step closer to our goal of meeting essential daily energy and operational needs. We feel like we’re working toward a brighter future on our dairy farm, while protecting the environment at the same time.”
Learn more: If you want to learn more about this project, you can contact Kimberly Ryan at 507-951-1371 or rsfarms@myclearwave.net.
News: The Ryans were featured in a Rochester Post-Bulletin story about CERTs Seed Grants.
