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Agriculture Energy - Module 1

Agriculture Energy Curriculum - Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
Initial Publication Date: April 29, 2016

Summary

  • Estimated Lecture Hours: 2
  • Format: PowerPoint

This is Module 1 of 15 of the Agriculture Energy Curriculum that provides non-biased material that puts students in a position to make a decision about the agricultural energy that interests them most, or is most cost effective for their own farms. User Guide is provided. This curriculum was produced by Eastern Iowa Community Colleges.


Learning Goals

Learning Objectives

  • Identify the main issues of energy use in American agriculture, and explain the correlation between energy inputs and agricultural prices (farmer costs and food prices).
  • Distinguish between direct and indirect energy use in agriculture and give examples of each.
  • Cite four benefits of energy conservation and renewable energy for agriculture (securing profits, improving processes, increasing productivity, and protecting natural resources vital for agriculture).
  • Discuss major environmental consequences of fossil fuel use and distinguish particular effects that pollution has on agricultural resources.
  • Identify the main sources of energy production today and critique their limits/reserves.
  • List five renewable energy sources (biofuels, wind, solar, geothermal and hydro) and give examples of agricultural applications for each.

Context for Use

See Teaching Notes.

Description and Teaching Materials

Teaching Notes and Tips

Topics Covered

  • American agriculture
  • Food Prices and farmer cost
  • Benefits of energy conservation and renewable energy
  • Process improvement
  • Fossil fuel and environmental consequences
  • Energy production limitations and reserves
  • Viability Assessment
  • Agricultural applications of renewable energy
  • Summary

Background

There is high interest among the forums in the topic of agriculture-based renewable energy technologies and the need to create jobs that meet energy demands in rural areas. In the last decade, bioscience has become one of the nation's most significant sectors in research and economic activity and grew by 4.6% across the U.S., adding close to 270,000 jobs nationally. Agriculture biotechnology products totaled less than $1 billion in 1995, but grew to $10 billion in 2005. More than 1,100 companies are engaged in Iowa's biosciences industry, employing over 72,000 highly-skilled workers. Some of the most promising biobased products are produced in immense quantities in rural areas.

This project was funded by the New Era Rural Technology Competitive Grants Program (USDA) which makes grants available to community colleges or advanced technological centers, located in a rural area, for technology development, applied research, and training necessary to produce graduates capable of strengthening the Nation's technical, scientific and professional workforce in the fields of bioenergy, pulp and paper manufacturing, and agriculture-based renewable energy resources. Although, focused on Iowa – these technologies cross all geographical regions.

Iowa and Agricultural Energy

Iowa's strengths in animal and plant sciences at its research universities and in the private sector point toward large-scale market potential and development of a bioscience sector. According to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Iowa is the nation's number one ethanol-producing state and ranks second in the production of biodiesel, processing more than 400 million bushels of corn into 1.1 billion gallons of ethanol annually and producing over 25% of U.S. biodiesel production. Iowa's biofuels industries have added $8 billion to Iowa's economy, generated $2 billion in new household income, and created 50,000 Iowa jobs. Agriculture households and rural communities have responded to government incentives and have expanded their production of renewable energy, primarily in the form of biofuels and wind power.


References and Resources

>> Energy Links and Resources

Citation

(2013). Agriculture Energy - Module 1.