On February 10th, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) will host the third in a series of ongoing seminars for agricultural producers at The Plecker Center of Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, Va.
These seminars are a collaborative effort between ODEC, its member-owner distribution cooperatives, Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, Exact Energy, the Virginia Dept. of Mines, Minerals & Energy, usda Rural Development, and the usda Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Speakers will include Scott Sanford from the University of Wisconsin Extension Service, Josh Ludgate of Exact Energy and Dr. Maria Papadakis, a Professor of Integrated Science & Technology at James Madison University, to name a few. The event will offer farmers real-world information they can use to conduct energy audits, increase productivity and achieve more energy efficient operations. Attendees will also learn about current NRCS programs to assist with energy efficient improvements.
Cory Guilliams with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRSC) and Laurette Tucker with usda Rural Development also will prepare attendees for undergoing an NRCS audit that can make them eligible for federal grant funding to implement energy efficiency projects.
“This workshop is designed to help Virginia’s farmers, many whom live in rural areas served by electric cooperatives, learn about resources that will help them upgrade their farm’s overall energy efficiency. We are planning several workshops this year, each geared toward a specific sector, like dairy, poultry, swine, and many others.” said Erin Puryear, Manager of Member Services and Energy Innovation Planning for ODEC.
The free workshop, which is open to anyone in the agribusiness sector interested in learning about energy efficient farm operations, will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with lunch provided. To register, contact Arlene Hines at (8047) 968-4024 or email [email protected] by February 5, 2014.
Share
AFP
