With the great fall weather we’ve been having it looks like grain harvests are ahead of schedule and even though conditions have been great to get into the field it’s a shame yields are not where they should be.

With low grain prices and low yields you have to be careful to maximize return wherever possible and when it comes to grain farming an energy audit is the best way to look at energy inputs.

An audit looks at the previous year’s records; fuel and electricity, also looking at the efficiency of the drying equipment and then makes recommendations based on the findings.

These audits are a great tool and can be a real eye-opener illustrating where most of your money is going in operational expenses; allowing you to see the cost savings if the recommendations are implemented.

There is cost share available through EQIP to fund these audits and typically these can be completed for the contract cost. These are a good way to gather baseline data with little to no money out of pocket.

Reducing your energy costs by implementing these audits are a sure way to save money. Fossil fuel powered equipment has come a long way in a short amount of time and even dryers that are few years old can show improved energy savings.

During the audit interview the planner will work with you to see your desired drying preference, whether that would be an in-bin system or a batch dryer. Then the audit will make specific recommendations if a replacement dryer is needed.

These recommendations will have the cost savings per year and the total years of payback giving you a clear understanding of the money that could be saved.

If you are interested in implementation we offer cost share as well, and depending on the type of system you are installing the cost share can be pretty favorable. We’ve had several people take advantage of these opportunities and the return on investment has been pretty good.

There are also other programs through Rural Development that offer cost share on energy improvements but the most popular has been EQIP.

Besides grain drying systems we also offer cost share to complete audits on dairy and livestock facilities.

If you’d like to learn more about our options under EQIP, feel free to contact our office at 724-482-4800, Ext. 3.

Andy Gaver is a conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Butler County.