ONE-TWO PUNCH: Innovations and education are setting up a striking future for North Carolina agriculture and agribusiness.

• Author: Saylor, Teri
• Position: FARMING NC: EXPLORING AGRIBUSINESS

Butler Farms raises hogs. They help with the bottom line in the traditional ways, but the animals have taken on a new role, though passive in nature. They provide the farm and surrounding neighborhood with electricity, even if others nearby are in the dark.

The Harnett County farm captures methane released from its hogs' waste, burning it in a power plant to generate electricity. It makes more power with a solar-panel farm, which is complemented with battery storage. That keeps power flowing at night and on overcast days. Both feed into the farm's award-winning microgrid, which was developed in partnership with the local electric cooperative--South River EMC--and North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives in 2017. The microgrid supplements and diversifies South River's traditional power distribution system and ensures the farm and several surrounding homes have power during outages.

Agriculture, including food, fiber, and forestry, is North Carolina's largest industry, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It contributes $95.9 billion to the state's economy each year and employs nearly 1 in 5 of its workers. Getting it to that point took a lot of hard work. Moving it forward will require innovation, including the energy used in agriculture and the education that will help create it.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY

New sources of energy, and the technology to create, deliver and use them, are increasing efficiency at agricultural operations statewide, says Jim Musilek, vice president of innovation and business development for North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives. "Cooperatives are working with our agricultural members to help identify new ways to reduce farms' carbon footprints, lower operating costs and provide added resiliency, productivity and convenience," he says. "Examples of these efforts include ground-breaking energy projects, the electrification of farm equipment and processes, and efforts to reduce farm-energy costs."

Microgrids, electric equipment, such as irrigation pumps, forklifts and tractors and indoor agriculture are just a few ways that electric cooperatives are helping boost their agricultural customers' operations. In the process, customers are moving away from fossil fuels, lowering costs and creating economic opportunities.

White Rock Farms in Anson County, for example, has hog facilities, chicken houses and a Jersey dairy. Through a partnership with Pee Dee Electric and North Carolina's Electric...