Renewable Energy Field Days Draw Statewide Crowd

The four field days hosted over 90 attendees total! I was able to attend 2 of the 4 field days that I helped to organize: Warren's off-the-grid systems on August 5 and Bondi's solar livestock watering on August 6. I enjoyed meeting the hosts and learning about the systems myself, but the best part was watching the attendees get to know each other and exchange ideas and information.

Sam Warren of On Warren Pond Farm in Trumansburg has been homesteading since the early 1990s. He's installed his energy systems over fifteen years for less than the utility companies wanted to charge him to run power down to the farm. Violet was worried that attendees would lose interest, but Sam's systems kept everybody enthralled. After a brief introduction everyone had the opportunity to see the windmills, solar panels, and waterwheel up close and ask questions. The waterwheel was a curiosity for most people; they saw more practical application in the solar and wind technologies. However, the waterwheel runs many of Sam's tools (e.g., a drill press) directly and simultaneously, which means that there's no need to store electricity for later use. This field day hosted the largest group: we counted 36 people in attendance!



Bob and Mary Lou Bondi are just getting started with a small beef operation - fulfilling Bob's lifelong dream - in a historic barn in Pultaney, NY. 19 people turned out to learn about Bob's solar pump system for livestock watering, which was installed with grant assistance from the Finger Lakes Resource Conservation and Development Council. Dick Winnett of FLRC&D talked about funding options and Bob explained how the system works. Bob and Mary Lou were gracious hosts, which was a big help for me and Violet since MapQuest steered us wrong and we arrived later than planned. Though this field day was a success, for me the best part was touring the barn, which was restored with grant aid a few years ago. Bob also showed us a pond built on the high point of his farm, which will provide gravity-fed water to more remote pastures.



There were many differences between these two events, but the similarities strike me as being much more important. Each farmer is exploring several different technologies to find what combination works best. The attendees were a diverse group, including farmers, journalists, extension agents, homeowners, students, and would-be homesteaders; everyone was attentive and curious and they learned as much from each other as they did from the hosts. "Green" might be the buzzword of the day, but passion for renewable energy is present in such a diverse population that I will be surprised if interest declines anytime soon.

It was truly a rewarding experience to see so many people show up partly because of my efforts.