Solar wind-powered livestock watering system developed by the University of Wyoming.

Farming is not the same business as when your dad or granddad did it. The explosion in computer and chemical technologies has shown the way for groundbreaking new techniques to operate a farm. And to that end, the University of Wyoming’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center (SAREC) near Lingle held a field day with tours of the facilities dryland crops, irrigated crops and livestock.

Included in the tours was the use of winter annual peas as a complement to winter wheat; management of herbicide-resistant kochia; disease resistance in sugar beets and potatoes; and weed control in dry beans with Valor herbicide.

After the tours, researchers gave presentations about melanoma (skin cancer) and wind turbine energy, as well as demonstrations of a solar and wind-powered livestock watering system, a camelina seed crusher and a bioreactor for making one’s own diesel fuel.

Don Randall of the Wyoming Business Council was on hand to explain the virtues of the bio-diesel product and show his support for the college’s research.

“Nothing against the older folks,” Randall said. “But tradition says I’m gonna do it this way and I’m not gonna change. The chemistry and chem. 2 classes (at the college) are all full because of these projects.”

Randall extolled the virtues of the bio-fuel, called B-100, commenting that it was garnering attention as an alternative to jet fuel.

For the complete article see the 07-27-2010 issue.

Click here to purchase an electronic version of the 07-27-2010 paper.