Farm energy production and rural development go hand-in-hand. At the end of this "igniter" is a suggestion for a national farm energy production service/library.

But first, this thought: perhaps another "hand" is that of disaster relief. A portion of those funds could be earmarked in an "if, then" situation for various forms of farm energy development.

Wind power, solar power, and waste vegetable oil to biodiesel production equipment purchases
with disaster relief funds would lead to four important results

1) financial aid to farmers, ranchers, and other agri-business operators during critical
times

2) invigorate farm energy production as "perennial crops" when seasonal crops and livestock are stilted by weather or diseases

3) establish and maintain farm energy production to rival the "world's bread basket" as America's "energy basket" and

4) spur local innovations by citizens and students that inevitably lead to intense learning, business startups, job opportunities, and retention of young people.

All of the states' Rural Electric Co-ops, partnering with farmers, ranchers, and other

operators, can use relief funds to upgrade transmission line capacity, capacity that all

farm energy producers will benefit from.

Just as in your office and elsewhere, "information overload" is status quo for farmers, ranchers, and rural community leaders. Members of Congress have the
Library of Congress and the Congressional Research Service to call upon when they have
questions during decision-making.

Farmers, ranchers, and rural community residents would benefit from a Farm Energy Production Service that would be modeled on the CRS and the National Agricultural Library at.

By slashing farm energy production, marketing, and management "information orverload," America's agriculture professionals will be best equipped to product power as efficiently as they now produce foods and fibers.

Even though the physical location of the Farm Energy Production Service/Library is in
Watertown, its website and electronic communication methods (radio, cell phone, email to fax, podcasting) as well as print, enable the Service/Library to work with ag operators,
municipalities, county externsion services, and school districts in any state. Where
appropriate, mobile Service/Library vehicles- running on biofuels and having solar panels on
the roofs- could go to communities that want to be "immersed" in farm energy production.

There are numerous examples of community wind farms!

Minnesota has several hundred MW of installed community wind, and there is more in many other states as well.

A limited selection of case studies is available on our website.

Marin

Generally, the land for a wind farm is leased from a farmer by those who own the wind farm.

This is because the capital outlay for a commercial wind farm is a multi million dollar investment, beyond the reach of rural landowners.

I have heard of people interested in community owned wind farms althouhg I can't remember where.

Does any know of any that are built and producing?