By Pete Land
Of the qualities attributed to Vermont farmers, perhaps none is more respected than self-reliance. It is as essential to a farmer’s survival today as it has ever been due in part to the rising costs of operating barns and powering machinery. Farming is an energy-intensive business and some farmers have found ways to make energy for themselves. In this two-part series, we will meet farmers who are using wind turbines and methane digesters to produce energy for farms that they conserved with VLT. These are the stories of pioneers; the lessons they learned will hopefully make it a bit easier for the rest of us.
Rita Dean and her husband Bill own Cedar Ridge Stables in Swanton. In 2002 they bought Bill’s family dairy farm and built an equine boarding and training facility to generate more income for their growing family. “We’ve always lived here,” says Rita, “and we’ve always felt the wind blowing. I went online and did some research to see if a turbine made sense. Some wind engineers told us the easiest way to check is to look around and see if your trees are ‘flagged’—substantial growth on one side, not on the other, due to constant wind.”
The Deans could see the flagged trees lining their road. They also learned that their farm was rated “excellent” on the Department of Energy’s map of wind resource potential. Just knowing you have wind is only the beginning. Then you must find a turbine, an appropriate site for it, someone to help you install it, and a way to pay for it—assuming the payback period is worth the initial investment.
The ideal turbine site strikes a balance between the most reliable wind conditions and the least impact on the prime agriculture resource. “So far, there has not yet been any real challenge in finding a site that meets both criteria,” says Jon Ramsay, VLT stewardship agricultural manager. “We talk about the easement, the site, the size, their energy needs, and then it’s a pretty straightforward process.”
To date, all wind turbines on VLT-conserved farmland have been approved without requiring easement amendments. Wind towers are permitted under most easements as long as power generation is used primarily for on-site consumption. Incidental and minimal sale of excess power to the commercial electric grid (net metering) is allowed for approved wind towers.
Once a site has been selected, landowners must complete any additional approval processes. If the tower is to be net-metered the landowner needs to get a “Certificate of Public Good” from the Public Service Board. Owners of stand-alone systems will need to obtain permits from the town the tower is located in.
“We had to get a Certificate of Public Good” explains Annie Claghorn, who has a turbine on the conserved dairy farm she and her husband Catlin Fox own in Leicester. As part of this process the town sent letters to all of the local residents. “There was no negative response whatsoever,” said Annie.
Until recently, there wasn’t a local option for purchasing a small wind tower. The Deans purchased two new 10-kW towers for $45,000 each from Bergey in Norman, Oklahoma. The company’s website includes calculators for estimating the payback period and amount of reduced carbon emissions. “One of the reasons we went with Bergey was they had been around for 30 years—they’ve seen and done it all,” says Rita. “My husband and I were so impressed with their knowledge and service.” Annie and Catlin’s turbine is also a 10-kW Bergey. Jack and Anne Lazor, owners of Butterworks Farm in Westfield, opted to buy a used 35-kW turbine made by the Danish company Vestas.
Next year, Vermonters will have a local choice with EarthTurbines, a manufacturer of home wind systems. This summer the company will expand its test program to 20 residential turbines. According to EarthTurbine’s General Manager Christa Shute, the company is accepting applications to begin the site assessment process for installation in early 2009.
The Lazors, Deans, and Annie and Catlin will all tell you that choosing the right installer is every bit as important as the turbine itself. In all three cases, they say they felt that the process of getting their turbines up and running took longer and cost more than anticipated. Coming to an agreement on project costs and timeline is important when working with contractors. “We had a lot of little setbacks,” says Jack. “It wasn’t as easy as we thought it was going to be.” Jack eventually enlisted the services of another company in South Dakota, which made three trips to the Lazors’ farm.
Once installed, a wind turbine can survive for decades without a problem. Then again, it might not. Last August, the Lazors’ tower was struck by lightning, putting a hole through one of the enormous blades. Jack says he learned an invaluable lesson. “Rule number one—insure it!” he exclaims. “It cost us dearly to fix this thing. They don’t exactly give those blades away.”
Jack cautions farmers that they should also be prepared to spend time working on the turbines themselves. “It’s a piece of machinery that you have to live with,” he says. “Sometimes you have to go out and break the ice off of it. It’s not something that you never have to think about.”
Still, Jack says he has no regrets about getting the turbine: “Our original payback period was 7-8 years; with the latest repair it will be more like 10-12 years, maybe less as energy prices rise. But what I care about is that we’re making our own power. In the winter months it pays half our electric bill, and we have a yogurt plant. So for a regular farm, it could come a lot closer to meeting energy needs.”
Indeed, that has been the case for the Deans. “In a good month, it pretty much takes care of the farm,” says Rita. “In January we didn’t have a bill, and we had an 85 kW credit.”
Fortunately, the Deans, Lazors, and Annie and Catlin were all able to participate in the Vermont Department of Public Service’s Wind Development Program. This program provided matching grants for the installation of small-scale turbines to demonstrate the benefits of wind energy. While this demonstration program no longer exists, funds were folded into the Vermont Solar and Small Wind Incentive Program (see the resource list), which offers extra incentives for farm wind projects. Funds are also available from the USDA Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency program.
“The money from the State was for a demonstration project,” says Jack, “so I’m here to tell people what mistakes I made that they shouldn’t make.” Annie says she welcomes visitors who are interested in seeing a turbine for themselves. “People we don’t even know stop by and gush over it,” she says. “They’re surprised that it’s not noisy, and they love watching it.”
While wind is not always the most appropriate energy solution, VLT supports farmers for whom it is. “Other structures have purposes on farms, and so does a wind turbine,” says Jon Ramsay. “It contributes to the long-term viability of the farm.”
As energy prices and concern for the impact of fossil fuels on our environment rise, small-scale wind power may present itself as a viable option to more farmers. Those considering alternative energy options can also look to our fall issue on methane digesters —technology that converts cow manure into methane gas, which is then burned to generate electricity. Or, they can contact our stewardship department with any questions about how an alternative energy project would relate to a particular conservation easement.
“At the Vermont Land Trust, we hope to support your exploration of using small-scale alternative energy as part of your farm enterprise without negatively impacting our natural environment,” said Dennis Shaffer, vice president for stewardship. “Alternative energy is a vital part of Vermont’s future and we believe that by working with landowners, we can balance the preservation of a conservation easement value with appropriate-scale alternative energy production.”
Incentive Programs for Landowners
For web links to general information on small wind, installer listings, and detailed maps of wind speeds and power, visit
Vermont Solar & Small Wind Incentive Program
This program provides up to $20,000 to qualifying wind projects on farms (they also provide incentives for other renewable energy options). Incentives are based on the size of the system. Historically, the average incentive covers about 25 percent of the total costs. For more information: (877) 888-7372.
USDA Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant and Loan Guarantee Program
This program provides grants and loan guarantees to farmers up to 25 percent of project costs, capped at $500,000.
For more information: (802) 828-6031
Vermont Anemometer Loan Program
This program helps landowners assess the viability of a wind tower on their land. The anemometers that they loan out remain in place for nine to 12 months and measure wind speed. Currently there is a year-long wait for the equipment.
For more information: (802) 728-1783
