Sign-Up for On-Farm Energy AuditsState Conservationist Astor Boozer of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced New York’s participation in an energy initiative designed to help producers improve energy efficiency on their agriculture operations. This initiative provides funding for individual on-farm energy audits intended to save both money and energy when fully implemented.
Applications must be submitted by June 11, 2010 for fiscal year 2010 funding. Applications from eligible agricultural operations will be approved on a first come-first serve basis until funds are exhausted. The energy audits will be individually tailored to ensure coverage of each farm's primary energy uses such as milk cooling, irrigation pumping, heating and cooling of livestock production facilities, lighting, manure collection and transfer, grain drying, and similar common on-farm activities.
Implementation will occur in stages beginning with the short-term immediate goal of providing the on-farm energy audits, through the development of an Agricultural Energy Management Plan (AgEMP) to identify ways operations can improve energy efficiency. Longer term goals will involve implementation of cost effective practices based on the recommendations provided in the on-farm energy audits.
The 2008 Farm Bill provides authority to use the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for payment of practices and conservation activities involving the development of an AgEMPS. All AgEMPs must be developed by a Technical Service Provider (TSP). A directory of TSPs can be found at http://techreg.usda.gov/CustLocateTSP.aspx. For an application or more information visit: http://www.ny.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/eqip2010/energy/energy_2010.html Web page or contact your local USDA Service Center at http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=NY For more small farm news and events, visit
www.smallfarms.cornell.edu
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Violet Stone
Cornell Small Farms Program
Northeast SARE
607-255-9227
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