Cow Power
At Joseph Gallo Farms in Atwater, Calif., microbes produce methane from cow manure, and that methane is then burned in a generator to produce electricity for the farm. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
One of the herd at John Fiscalini’s dairy farm near Modesto. The methane-burning generator used at the farm is capable of producing enough power to run Fiscalini’s 530-acre farm, his cheese factory and 200 additional homes. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Maricela Aceves, right, weighs
Dairyman John Fiscalini decided to set up his farm’s biogas digester system out of frustration with regulators wanting him to fight pollution. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
John Fiscalini checks the separator tower, where manure and water are separated during the process by which methane gas is produced from the waste at his Central California farm. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Waste is washed away from the cows’ feeding area at John Fiscalini’s farm and cheese factory. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
A synthetic tarp covers a 7-acre lagoon where microbes digest filtered manure water at Joseph Gallo Farms during the process by which the waste is turned into methane gas. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Cattle at John Fiscalini’s farm graze on hay in the evening as the barn is illuminated by lights powered by their waste. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Excess methane gas is burned off at John Fiscalini’s dairy farm. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
