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Related posts:

1. Discussion board is back
2. Perspective: Problems (and solutions) with Minnesota's property tax code
3. Input needed: 5 things every woodland owner should know

Growing the Bioeconomy: Solutions for Sustainability

Dec. 1-2, University of Minnesota Continuing Education and Conference Center, St. Paul campus

Hosted by University of Minnesota Extension and the University of Minnesota Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment. Cost is $50 per day, $85 for both days.
Program schedule and registration.

This two-day conference will bring together national and local players from Minnesota’s bioeconomy to explore renewable energy opportunities. Agricultural producers, landowners, community and business leaders, and citizens interested in economic development and biorenewables are encouraged to attend and identify ways they can participate in solutions to the global climate change and energy supply issues facing Minnesota.

On December 1, you’ll be part of a virtual conference hosted by 12 Midwest universities. You’ll get a big picture overview of the issues through broadcast viewing and a live panel discussion. Speakers include: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu, Renowned biochar and climate change expert Dr. James E. Lovelock.

December 2 is all about Minnesota. We’ll focus on local success stories, getting your questions answered, and giving you information you can put to use right away.

Learn more about the conference, including agenda and registration, here.

Related posts:

1. Conference: Living in the Avon Hills, Jan. 24
2. Fueling the Future: Presentations from the Role of Woody Biomass for Energy Workshop
3. Forest Values and Carbon Markets: Opportunities for Minnesota

New Holland forage harvester with SRC header. Click image for source.

Update October 19: This event has been rescheduled from October 21 to October 28, 2009.  The text below reflects the change.

The University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center (SROC) will be hosting a New Holland FR9000 Forage Harvester with an 130FB Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) Woody Crop Header on Wednesday, October 28, 2009, from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.  When utilizing the 130FB SRC Woody Crop Header, the New Holland FR9000 is capable of cutting and chipping woody biomass as if it was corn silage.

Questions and conversation regarding woody biomass for renewable energy and the New Holland FR9000 / 130FB Header will be conducted at 12:00pm and 2:00pm.  The Woody Biomass Forage Harvester Demonstration Field Day will be held in the willow trials at SROC’s Argicultural Ecology Research Farm.

Woody biomass is being proposed as a feedstock for a number of bio-industrial and renewable energy applications.  The State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry has been working with Cornell University and Case New Holland to develop a harvest system for short rotation coppice woody biomass crops.

The New Holland FR9000 with a 130FB Header attachment is a harvest system using a conventional forage harvester equipped with a specialty cutting attachment for woody crop harvest.  This self-propelled harvester can cut and chip standing short rotation woody biomass in the field in a single pass operation while providing wood chips of a uniform length and size.

Partners for this event include:
Case New Holland; University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center; Rural Advantage; University of Minnesota Extension; Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management; University of Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences; and University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources.

Directions to SROC’s Agricultural Ecology Research Farm:
From State Hwy 14, follow signage for State Hwy 14 West.  Immediately look for Co. Rd. 27.  It will take you past the Waseca Airport.  Follow to Co. Rd. 57 and the road construction.  Travel east about 1.0 mile to Agricultural Ecology Research Farm.

Questions or concerns?  Contact:
Dr. Gregg Johnson – SROC – johns510@umn.edu, 507-837-5617
Jill Sackett – UM Extension and Rural Advantage – sacke032@umn.edu, 507-238-5449

Related posts:

1. Woody biomass: Sept. 2009 bio-baler demonstrations
2. Fueling the Future: Presentations from the Role of Woody Biomass for Energy Workshop
3. October 2009 email update

Update: these demonstrations have passed. A nice KEYC TV news story with video of the harvester is here.  We’re working on a video from the demos and will post that link shortly.

FLD image

As woody and herbaceous biomass becomes more and more viable for renewable energy, equipment companies have started engineering machines capable of harvesting the biomass quickly and efficiently. One such company is FLD Biomass Technologies of Canada who specialize in the design and manufacturing of machinery for agricultural and forestry production.  A number of organizations are proud to be funding a demonstration tour of FLD Biomass Technologies’ FLD Biobaler WB55 in various locations around the state of Minnesota from September 17 to September 25, 2009. Click here for detailed schedule and contact info for the Minnesota demonstrations.

The FLD Biobaler WB55 is an all-in-one tractor-pulled machine capable of cutting, compacting, and baling biomass up to four inches in diameter and 25 feet in height.  This maneuverable machine has a rotating blade or hammer cutting system that has a low power requirement and produces naturally drying bales that can be transported using standard equipment.  The Biobaler is suitable for many woody crops including: willow, poplar, aspen, alder, under story vegetation, invasive woody vegetation.

Dates and locations:  (CLICK HERE FOR FULL DETAILS)
September 17: Waseca – U of M SROC
September 18: Madelia – Rural Advantage
September 19: Faribault – The Nature Conservancy and MN DNR  
September 20: Afton – Belwin Conservancy
September 21: Ogilvie – Ann Lake WMA – MN DNR 
September 22: Hinckley – St. Croix State Park. – MN DNR
September 23: Aurora – Koste and MN DNR
September 24: Hibbing – MN DNR

A video of the FDL biobaler in action:

Click here for detailed schedule and contact info for the Minnesota demonstrations.

Sponsors of the FLD Biobaler WB55 Demonstration Tour include: Belwin Conservancy, The Blandin Foundation, CINRAM – University of Minnesota, Iron Range Resources, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Power, The Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society, The Minnesota Sharptailed Grouse Society, The Nature Conservancy, Rural Advantage, Southern MN Initiative Foundation, University of Laval – Canada, University of Minnesota Extension, University of Minnesota Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment, University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center – Waseca, The Wildlife Management Institute, and Woodcock Minnesota.

Related posts:

1. October 2009 Woody Biomass Forage Harvester Demo
2. Fueling the Future: Presentations from the Role of Woody Biomass for Energy Workshop
3. Sign up for Conservation Stewardship Program by Sept. 30

Brainerd: April 2, 2009

• Assessment of Biomass at the County Level (409 K PDF) – Randy Hillard, AURI
• Biomass Marketing Opportunities (3.5 MB PDF) – Mark Linquist, MN DNR
• Biomass Markets and Sale (10.6 MB PDF) – Mimi Barzen, MN DNR
• Biomass Workshop Wrap Presentation (8.5 MB PDF) – Dean Schmidt, WesMinRC&D Coordinator
• Combining Carbon Payment with Biomass Harvest (519 K PDF) – Dean Current, Program Director, Center for Integrated Natural Resource and Agricultural Management; Diomy Zamora, Extension Educator/Assistant Extension Professor, UMN Extension
• Forest Stewardship Planning (311 K PDF) – Dean Makey, MN DNR
• The Basics of Woody Biomass (1.3 MB PDF) – Dana Raines, OnanegozieRC&D Coordinator
• The Current Status and Relevant Issues associated with Woody Biomass Harvesting in MN: A Survey of Participatory Loggers – Anna Robertson, MN DNR
• Wood to Kilowatts (535 K PDF) – Cecil Massie, 6 Solutions, LLC

Morris: March 19, 2009

• Densification of Biomass Feedstocks (3.5 MB PDF) – Alan Doering, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute
• Financing Growth of the Cellulosic Biofuel Industry (2.75 MB PDF) – Dr. Cole Gustafson, North Dakota State University
• Heating St. Paul with Woods (595 K PDF) – Michael Burns & Jeff Guillemette, Ever-Green Energy
• Local Opportunities for Biomass Energy Production (4.4 MB PDF) – Michael Sparby & Randy Hilliard, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute
• Marketing and Sale of Woody Biomass (1.3 MB PDF) – Mohammed Iddrisu, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Trends in Energy Use (988 K PDF) – Dean Current, Program Director, Center for Integrated Natural Resource and Agricultural Management

Ponsford: March 26, 2009

• Biomass Marketing Opportunities (3.4 MB PDF) – Mark Linquist, MN DNR
• Cost Share Assistance Programs (5.8 MB PDF) – Dawn Kier, White Earth Tribal Conservation District; Ed Musielewicz, USDA-NRCS District Conservationist – Becker County; rAdam Woltjer, USDA-NRCS White Earth Tribal Liaison
• Forest Stewardship Plan (677 K PDF) – David Johnson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• From Non-Food Feedstock to Fuel: “Here and Now” – Kerry Nixon, Manager, Central Minnesota Ethanol Coop
• Grasses for Biomass Energy (8.2 MB PDF) – Dwight Tober, Plant Materials Specialist, USDA-NRCS
• The Basics of Woody Biomass (891 K PDF) – Dana Raines, OnanegozieRC&D Coordinator
• Woody Biomass Resources (5.7 MB PDF) – Mohammed Iddrisu, MN DNR
• Wrap Up Session – Implications of Biomass (11.2 MB PDF) – Dean Schmidt, WesMinRC&D Coordinator

Roosevelt: February 18, 2009

• Biomass Basics (250 K PDF) – Greg Cuomo, Association Dean, Extension Center for Food
• Biomass Markets and Sales (10.4 MB PDF) – Mimi Barzen, MN DNR
• Farm Scale Biodiesel Research (5 MB PDF) – Paul Aakre, ASM Program, University of Minnesota – Crookston
• Forestlands and Brushland in Minnesota – The Minnesota Biomass Harvesting Guidelines – Dick Rossman, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Gasification – An Old Technology for a New Use (937 K PDF) – Joel Tallaksen, Biomass Coordinator
• Local Opportunites for Biomass Energy Production (9.11 MB PDF) – Michael Sparby & Randy Hilliard, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute
• Syngas to Anhydrous Ammonia: The Case of Haber-Bosch (319 K PDF) – Michael Sparby & Randy Hilliard, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute
• Trends in Energy Use-Renewable Today and Tomorrow (882 K PDF) – Dean Current, Program Director, CINRAM

St. Cloud: April 29, 2009

• Agricultural Biomass for Energy in Minnesota – Trends and Future (4.4 MB PDF) – Mark Lindquist, BiofuelsProgram Manager, MN DNR
• Biofuels from Cellulosic Biomass – An Overview of Current Technologies and Economic Feasibility (2.9 MB PDF) – Ken Valentas, Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota
• Biomass Energy Potential in Minnesota (4.2 MB PDF) – Bill Berguson, Program Director, NRRI, University of Minnesota-Duluth
• Destination 2025 – The future of renewable energy and materials in Minnesota (1.4 MB PDF) – Gregg Mast, BioBusinessAlliance of Minnesota
• Forest Stewardship Planning (3.3 MB PDF) – John Korzeniowski, ForestryDivision, MN DNR
• Property Tax Relief for Forest Landowners (975 K PDF) – Mel Baughman, Program Leader, University of Minnesota Extension; Mike Reichenbach, Extension Educator, University of Minnesota Extension

Related posts:

1. October 2009 Woody Biomass Forage Harvester Demo
2. Woody biomass: Sept. 2009 bio-baler demonstrations
3. Conference: Growing the Bioeconomy