Farming with Less Fossil Fuel

1. Farming with Less Fossil Fuel Michael Bomford Research and Extension Specialist, Organic/Sustainable Agriculture Kentucky State University

2. Why Reduce Fossil Fuel Use? • Economic reasons • Reduce input costs (sometimes…) • Energy typically ~10-15% of farm costs • Tremendous variability • Reduce risk; enhance security, independence • Environmental reasons • Reduce carbon emissions • Reduce impacts of fossil fuel extraction and burning • Prepare for energy-constrained future

3. US Energy Consumption by Source, 1775-2006 Exajoules 50 Coal 45 Natural gas 40 Petroleum Nuclear 35 Hydro Geothermal 30 Solar 25 Wind Biomass 20 15 10 5 0 1775 1825 1875 1925 1975 DOE-EIA

4. US Energy Consumption, 1950-2009

5. 1940 1990 1980 1970 1960 1950 1930 1920 1910 1900 2000 Changing face of US agriculture 50 US farmland(107 ha) 45 40 35 30 US farm population(106) 25 Direct and indirectenergy use(1017 J) 20 Onion(t/ha) 15 Direct energy use(1017 J) 10 Potato(t/ha) 5 Grain corn (t/ha) 0 Miranowski, J. 2004. Energy consumption in US agriculture.Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy

6. Land, labor and energy • For 30 years US farmers have been making more efficient use of labor, land, and energy • US farmers tend to use more land and less labor than farmers in other parts of the world • US farmers tend to use less energy than farmers in other industrialized countries, but more energy than farmers in developing countries

7. Total Energy Consumed on US Farms, 1965-2002 John Miranowski, Iowa State University

8. US Food SystemEnergy Use, 2002 Canning et al. 2010. Energy Use in the U.S.Food System. USDA-ERS Report #94.

9. Proportion of national energy use

10. Agriculture:Small piece of energy pie • ~15% of food system energy use • ~2% of national energy use (industrialized) • Exceptions: • More intensive • Livestock • Greenhouses • Plasticulture • Less intensive • Grain farms • Organic farms • Small farms? • Direct market farms?

11. Energy use accounts for most greenhouse gas emissions in most of the economy… not so for agriculture! US-EPA. 2010. US Greenhouse GasEmissions and Sinks, 1990-2008

12. Soil management, ruminant digestion & manure management account for most non-energy GHG from agriculture 216 200 US-EPA. 2010. US Greenhouse GasEmissions and Sinks, 1990-2008

13. Goals for US Farms: • Net energy production • Net C sequestration • Realistic, achievable • Many successes in past 30 years • Reduced fertilizer and pesticide use, more efficient input manufacturing • Switch from gasoline to diesel • Higher yields • Reduced tillage • Much yet to do • Close resource loops; capture energy? • Organic conversion? • Re-integrate animal and plant production? • Solar greenhouses? • Return farmland to nature?

14. Is organic agriculture more energy efficient than conventional? • Usually, not always • Most difference due to N fertilizer • Exceptions are informative • Heated greenhouses • Flame weeding 50 Frequency(%) 0 Relative energy efficiency • Input transport • Low yield

15. N makes most of the difference 4 cuts 2 cuts + grazing 1 cut + grazing Grazingonly Organic Organic Organic Organic Conventional Conventional Conventional Conventional Delgaard et al. 2003. Energy balance comparison of organic and conventional farming. In Organic Agriculture: Sustainability, Markets, and Policies. CABI Publishing, OECD.

16. Organic production systemstend to use less energy

17. “Because of its reduced energy inputs, organic agriculture is the ideal production method for biofuels. […] As the aim of biofuels is to reduce dependency on non-renewable energy sources and to mitigate environmental damage of fossil fuel emissions, organic production of biofuels furthers these goals in a way that conventional agriculture does not.” Ziesemer 2007, UN-FAO

18. Fertilizers and pesticides (32%) Legumes to replace synthetic nitrogen fixation Reconnect crop and animal production Integrated pest management Diversity Resistant varieties Place-appropriate production systems Biological control, botanicals Diesel (27%) Biodiesel Equipment sized for task Machinery maintenance Draft power; human power? Electricity (21%) Solar Wind Hydro Biomass Replacing Fossil Fuels on the Farm Nova Scotia Windmill, Declan McCullagh

19. Fresh field tomatoes 88 Canned tomatoes 177 Greenhouse tomatoes 1099 Food energy in tomato 15 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 Embodied energy (Calories/serving) Anika Carlson-Kanyama, Sweden

20. High tunnels and row covers instead of heated greenhouses Dec. 15, 2009, Smiths Grove, KY.Paul and Alison Wieidger

21. March 24, 2009, Shelbyville, KY.Ken Waters

22. Transplant production Growth Harvest Tomato season Green-house Field Fall hightunnel Springhigh tunnel D J F M A M J J A S O N D

26. Cover Cropping • Rye/vetch mix adds ~135 lb N/ac • Slow release • Organic matter • Erosion control

28. ReducedTillage

29. April 3, 2008, Berea, KY.Susana Lein

30. Reducing Energy Costs in Buildings • Stop Air Leaks • Insulate Adequately • Turn Down Heat • Use a Smaller Space • Block off unused areas; heat smaller areas. • Seek Cost-Effective Heat Sources • Wood, used motor oil, passive solar • Maintain Heating Systems • Light Efficiently • Replace incandescent with CFL, LED • Turn off when not in use

31. Farm Equipment • Motors • Tune, clean & lubricate pumps, fans, blowers, compressors • Irrigate with low pressure drip system on timer; fix leaks and clogs • Machinery • Reduce trips across field • Reduce cultivation • Shallow or none • Machinery (cont.) • Avoid excess horsepower • Use the smallest tractor that will do the job • Big tractors are only efficient for big jobs • Tune, clean & lube • Reduce pickup truck use • Combinetrips to town • Use phoneor internetif possible

33. Rep 1 N 50 m Smallfarm Marketgarden Marketgarden Bio-intensive 38 m 22 m Rep 2 Smallfarm Bio-intensive Bio-intensive Smallfarm Rep 3 Marketgarden Food Corn 3.4 m Fuel Smallfarm 6 m Food Soybean Rep 4 Bio-intensive Fuel 7 m Sweet potato Food Sweet sorghum Marketgarden Fuel 18 m

36. Thanks to Tony Silvernail Jon Cambron Mike Ward Tristen Chesser Will Tidwell John Rodgers Brian Geier Moises Hernandez John Bell Connie Lemley KSU Farm crew CASS & SEED programs Post Carbon Institute Harold Benson Kimberley Holmes Contact: Michael Bomford 502-597-5752 Michael.Bomford@KYSU.edu Learn more: EnergyFarms.net Organic.KYSU.edu