Farming the future: New innovations taking root
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com
The Farm at Mollie’s Branch has a new source of energy, one that will eventually be used for agricultural operations.
Josh Hayes and Ian Snider of Swangle Tree Logging work on a piece of cucumber magnolia tree to make a tongue for a two-horse drawn cart they will use in their restorative forestry logging endeavors. The pair were on hand at the Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Program Teaching and Research Farm on Saturday demonstrating their techniques as part of the Carolina Farm Stewards Association’s annual Farm Tour.
Photo by Marie Freeman
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The farm in Todd, part of this past weekend’s 2006 High Country farm tour, showed off a micro-hydro electric system funded by a grant through North Carolina A & T State University as a demonstration project.
One of the builders of the system, Brent Summerville, was on hand to show visitors how the system worked, using on-site creek water to generate power.
Summerville and other volunteers installed 1,200 feet of six-inch pipe, with an intake in the creek farther uphill.
The system, housed in a small shed and in farm owner Diane Price’s garage, generates 750 kilowatt hours (kwh) a month, enough for an average-sized home.
Though the system is tied into Price’s house at the moment, it will soon be used to light a barn, chicken brooders for egg hatching, heat for animals in the winter, and for running fans in the summer.
Price also learned more about energy use through the project, swapping out her regular incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs, cutting her energy usage.
Summerville said the system cost about $15,000 and had a 15-year payback period. However, that’s based on the current price of about 10 cents per kwh.
If electricity rates increase, the payback period will be shorter. Fifteen years is about the expected life of the system, though some motor bearings will have to be replaced every few years.
The biggest maintenance chore will be a pleasant hike through the woods to the pipe intake, which will need to be kept clear of sticks and mud.
A number of local sustainable development groups were involved in the project. The Appalachian State University Solar Club made an assessment of how much power the project would generate, and Summerville said, “They nailed it right on.”
Summerville said the project could become a great option as power prices continue to rise, especially given the recent heat wave that put pressure on the national power grid.
“It’s not inconceivable that prices will go higher,” he said. “With this system, it’s like buying all your power up front. As long as the stream’s running, it will work.”
The farm tour included 12 participating farms in the High Country, open for visits on Saturday and Sunday. The annual tour was sponsored by the local chapter of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.
Participants included Grandfather Mountain Apple Orchard, ASU Agro-ecology Teaching & Research Farm, Watauga River Farms, Lily Patch Farm, Danford’s Permaculture Garden, Edible Schoolyard at the Living Learning Center, Leola Street Community Garden, Moretz Mountain Orchard, Rose Mountain Farm, Big Horse Creek Farm and Zydeco Moon Farm.
The land, along with the pipe, drops in altitude about 100 feet over the length of the drop, creating 43 pounds per square inch of force.
That force can be diverted to a spinning generator, which powers a bank of eight storage batteries.
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