All Codigestion Projects
Deerfield, MA – Bar‑Way Farm
Deerfield, MA
Bar-Way Farm, Inc. is a multi-generational dairy farm in Deerfield, Massachusetts, founded in 1919 and operated by Steven Melnik and his son, Peter.
The farm encompasses 600 acres of cropland. More than 300 cows are milked each day, producing an average of 2,000 gallons of milk daily. The farm is a member of Dairy Farmers of America (DFA).
Project Facts
- 600-acre dairy farm
- Founded in 1919
- 300 cows milked daily
- Produces more than 2,000 gallons of milk daily
- Receives organic waste and provides renewable energy via net metering credits to businesses
- Annual digester inputs: 36,500 tons of food waste and 9,125 tons of manure
- Annual digester output: Produces 7,700 MWh of renewable energy and offsets more than 1,000 tons of CO2 emissions. Produces renewable energy equivalent to powering 1,600 homes
Impact
The Vanguard Renewables Farm Powered anaerobic digester at Bar-Way farm was constructed in 2016 and features a 660,000-gallon capacity anaerobic digester tank. The facility combines more than 9,000 tons of manure and 36,500 tons of food waste annually and converts it to renewable energy. This offsets more than 2 million pounds of CO2 emissions annually. The 7,700 MWh of renewable energy produced each year by the Deerfield anaerobic digester system is enough to power 1,600 homes.
Manure from the dairy farm operation and organic food and beverage waste are combined in the anaerobic digester. Microorganisms convert sugars, fats, and other compounds into biogas to produce renewable energy and low-carbon fertilizer. The farm receives an annual lease payment for hosting the anaerobic digester plus hot water, heat, and energy savings.
Farm Benefits at a Glance
- Annual hosting lease payment
- Low-carbon fertilizer to increase crop yields
- Reduced energy cost
- Odor reduction
- Reduction in chemical fertilizer use
- Enhanced nutrient management plan
- Heat and hot water
