Dairy Management B.Tech.
Facilities
Anaerobic Methane Digester
Anaerobic digestion can minimize odor, generate biogas, and allow more effective nutrient use by crops. To realize the potential energy, environmental, and cost saving benefits of anaerobic digestion, farmers need information to evaluate the energy, labor, land, and equipment costs.
The anaerobic digester project at Morrisville State College involves the design and construction of a hardtop plug-flow digester. The digester biologically treats dairy manure and other organic waste generated on campus to produce a stable effluent with improved physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. In the system, biogas (about 60% methane) is produced, captured, and combusted to generate heat and power using a 50 kW engine/generator set. A boiler that runs on either biogas or propane is also used to heat water during the startup phase of the system and anytime the engine generator set is not running.
The Morrisville State College Dairy Complex
Many state-of-the-art facilities exist on the campus of Morrisville State College. A freestall dairy complex was constructed in 2001. This dairy facility houses 200 milking cows and is being used for teaching, demonstration, and student projects. It is equipped with an electronically-enhanced milking parlor and student-managed computer system. In addition, two heifer barns were recently constructed along with a new calf barn. In addition, the construction on a new show barn has just been completed. These facilities along with a plug-flow anaerobic digester for handling animal waste and producing electrical power provide a tremendous learning environment for our students.
Students in the Animal Science - Dairy A.A.S., Dairy Management B.Tech., Agricultural Business A.A.S., and Agricultural Science programs utilize these facilities. Many of these students also visit, analyze, and evaluate progressive dairy farms and agri-service operations and attend a variety of university/extension and industry-sponsored conferences. These enable the students to apply concepts learned in their classes and provide them with valuable work experiences. Morrisville State College also owns more than 500 acres of cropland to grow their own forages.
