38 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN April/May 2024 “When they’re in an isolated area, it can be difficult to purify the methane from the biogas and send the purified methane to the national natural gas pipelines,” Li says. Feedlots also need to consider the scale of their operation to ensure their investment in a digester is worth it. “It’s a challenge to produce methane if your operation is too small,” Wedel says. “You need to be at a certain scale in order to make a digester feasible. You could also consider bringing manure from multiple operations together to reach that scale.” Sustainable farming practices are becoming more common, and incentive programs for those are too. However, producers and feedlot managers should look closely at the programs before enrolling. “Cattlemen are already familiar with variability in things like market prices and feed prices,” Stowell says. “With these incentive programs, they are also tied to market prices with things like electricity and energy. It all depends on how the digester is installed and managed.” Overcoming Challenges Feedlots may need to make changes to their operation to implement methane digesters. “Feedlot owners and managers are going to have to work to figure out ways to make it easier to harvest the manure and get it to a digester,” Stowell says. Most feedlots have dirt pens, and this can cause issues when placing manure in the digester. “Digesters can’t digest inorganic matter or dirt, so it’s easier if you can scrape the manure without worrying about getting dirt mixed in,” Stowell says. Producers would need to consider giving their pens a new surface to make gathering soil less likely. “The soil content can reach 50 percent when you’re scraping manure from the pen floor,” Li says. “One of the LEGENDARY SINCE 1971 ROZOL POCKET GOPHER BAIT Build your legacy with the legendary Rozol® Pocket Gopher Bait Burrow Builder Formula. Brought to you by Liphatech Ag, your Most Valuable Partner for effective rodent control. Rozol Pocket Gopher Bait Burrow Builder Formula is a restricted use pesticide. WE HAVE YOUR BACKS, BARNS AND BOTTOM LINES. Challenges and Considerations Before diving in, producers do need to consider a few things, such as the cost of installing the digester. “It takes some initial capital investment to build a digester, and there will METHANE EMISSION MANAGEMENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36 CONTINUED ON PAGE 40 be some maintenance costs associated with it along the way,” Li says. Not only do producers have to be financially prepared for the digester, but they need to be willing to commit time. “You also have to invest time and labor into the project to ensure the digester is functioning properly for years to come,” Stowell says. Li notes that most farms and ranches are located in rural areas, making it challenging to sell the methane.
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