| | Gary Boyke continues to explore ways to remain a good neighbor while being environmentally responsible.
| The Boyke family in Fond du Lac was one of the early adopters of digester technology and applied for a USDA grant to cover part of the costs to purchase and install a digester. The rest of the costs were financed. Nearly six years later, the digester is generating enough electricity and byproducts to make the payments on the remaining loan, as well as cover the digester's operating costs. Though the system is paying for itself, making money was not Gary Boyke's primary motivation for installing the digester. He wanted a way to reduce odor and manage manure on their growing farm. Two of their four children have joined Gary and Rose Boyke in the business, and the farm—which began with Gary's grandfather and 13 cows in the 1930s—has expanded. As the farm has evolved, the Boykes have consistently explored ways to remain a good neighbor. "The digester was one piece of the overall picture."
~ Gary Boyke With the digester in place, the Boykes have comfortable bedding for their cows and haul a lot less manure (which means they use a lot less fuel). Vir-Clar Farm produces enough renewable energy to provide about 300 homes' energy needs each year. The resulting natural fertilizer is much better for the fields, too, Gary points out. That's an important benefit, he says, because Vir-Clar Farm is situated near a lake, and several creeks run through it. Separating the solids and the liquids in manure reduces the amount of phosphorus left in the liquid fertilizer. That makes it easier to apply in a way that benefits the soil and protects the nearby waterways. Gary is so enthusiastic about dairy farming's renewable energy potential that he describes Vir-Clar Farm as "producing milk and power for America." There's an open-door policy at the farm, so neighbors can see milk and energy being made right in their own backyard.
"Digesters will certainly be a piece of Wisconsin's renewable energy puzzle," Gary asserts. "If you think about it, digesters are capable of producing energy all over the state on multiple sites. That energy doesn't have to travel along power lines from some central source. It's very efficient—good for farms, good for neighbors, and good for the state."
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