Farm Energy 101

Mike MorrisNational Center for Appropriate

Technology

US Agriculture: 1-3% of energy usageUS Food system: 15-20% of energy

usage

How US agriculture uses energy

Fertilizer Production

29%

Herbicide/Pesticide Production 6%

Irrigation 7%Diesel Fuel

(Non-Irrigation) 25%

Gasoline 9%

Natural Gas(Non-Irrigation)

1%

Liquid Petroleum Gas 5%

Electricity (Non-Irrigation) 18%

Source: Heller & Keoleian, 2000

How the US food system uses energy

Home Refrigeration &

Preparation

31%

Agricultural Production

21%

Transportation

14%

Processing

16%Restaurants

7%

Food Retail 4%

Packaging 7%

Source: Heller & Keoleian, 2000

Deep truths about farm energy efficiency1. Farms and farmers are not the problem with

US energy usage.

2. Crop yield and quality – not energy costs – drive most farming decisions.

3. Utilities have a hard time understanding agriculture.

1. Reduce fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide usage

Four ways to reduce farm energy usage

• Cover crops and manures (green & animal).

• Nitrogen-fixing crop rotations.• Composting and compost teas.• Integrated pest management, organic

farming.

2. Reduce tillage to reduce fuel use• Conservation tillage, no-till, reduced

tillage

3. Reduce “food miles” through local & regional food systems

• Community supported agriculture, farmer’s markets, farm-to-school

4. Improve irrigation efficiency• Energy audits and equipment

improvements

• Soil moisture monitoring

The M. K. Hansen AM400 Soil Moisture Data Logger

Soil moisture monitoring (cont’d)

About NCAT

National non-profit organization, founded in 1976

Programs: Sustainable Agriculture, Energy, Communities Butte, MT Fayetteville, AR Davis, CA Lewis, IA

NCAT does renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

•Wind•Solar

•Biofuels•Green

Design

•Home or farm energy audits

•Consumer information

NCAT runs the ATTRA Project. The National Sustainable Ag Information Service

•>200 free publications

•Funded by USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service

•Free customized research

1. Go to our website: www.attra.ncat.org

2. Call 1-800-346-9140 (English)1-800-411-3222 (Spanish)

We are here to serve you and we welcome your farm energy questions: