Ag Field Days Are Always about Learning--We Were So Sure, Then We Found We Were Wrong!

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October 01, 2016

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by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The purpose of Ag Field Days, education, goes both ways. Those doing demonstrations and exhibits often learn just as much from those attending the events.

Bob Kozak (right) talks about small farms in the Delmarva region with a USDA specialist at the Advanced Biofuels USA info table at the UMES Ag Field Day.

True again at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore/University of Maryland Extension 1890 Program/US Department of Agriculture Ag Field Day September 24. Themed "Addressing Food Security," the day offered a host of educational, informational, and recreational activities for the whole family.

Advanced Biofuels USA was there to talk about how food and fuel production can go hand-in-hand, highlighting a new local initiative studying energy beets as a feedstock for jetfuel, with potential for a high protein poultry feed as a co-product, along with possible soil and nutrient management benefits.

Been There, Done That

This was "new, new, new," we said; "nothing like this has ever been grown on the Eastern Shore or Delmarva," we said. These energy beets, developed by a Baltimore-based company and based on sugar beets grown in much colder areas of the world, saw their first light of day on the test plots at UMES, we said.

Warren Campbell shows how big an energy beet can get.

That's what we said until we found we were wrong. At least about the sugar beets. Lance Folke made a point of coming to our display to chat. We had not only information about advanced biofuels, policy issues and USDA Energy resources, we also had a couple of samples of the energy beets that had been harvested the week before. And, we also had room to pull up the 2002 Ford Focus that we retrofitted to use E85.

When asked what brought him here, Folke told us quite politely that not only did he know what these huge basketball sized roots were, his father and uncle had grown them on the Eastern Shore in the 1970's. And not only did they grow them, they grew them to make ethanol to use in their vehicles--as a renewable transportation fuel. We certainly needed to change our story!

Georgetown, in Kent County, Maryland, where this took place, is locally known for The Battle of Caulk's Field during the War of 1812 on August 31, 1814, with the local militia claiming victory having killed the British commander.

Young energy beet growing in UMES experimental plot.

With this history of taking matters into their own hands when necessary, in the face of the 1970's oil embargo, low supplies of gasoline, long lines and driving restrictions, Folke's father and uncle decided to try their hands at making their own fuel. So, they planted some acres of sugar beets and harvested them to make ethanol for fuel. Eventually, the threat of fuel shortages diminished, and, I imagine, the likely threat of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms interference with their operation increased; so they abandoned the project.

For Others, Something New

Most visitors had never seen a sugar beet, let alone an energy beet before. They were amazed at the size, the weight, and the purpose. Children just grinned when they held them. Lance Folke was the exception.

Hayride tours of the UMES experimental fields leaves the Center for Food Science Technology.

Attracted by the car with the hood up and the energy beets, many of the hundreds of visitors stopped by to talk and to teach and to learn. Some took the hay ride to tour the miles of experimental fields at UMES where they stopped at the energy beet field and helped harvest one of these balls of biomass. Some braved a taste of the fresh beet. It makes my mouth feel all fuzzy, but others said it had a texture like a hard apple and did taste sweet.

Sugar beets, from which these energy beets are derived, are used to make table sugar by dissolving about 18% of the beet that is sucrose (sugar), then processing it and crystallizing it. Plant Sensory Systems breeds energy beets to grow more biomass without so much concern about sucrose production. The idea is to produce as much mass as possible as sustainably as possible.

Sugar beet taproots can extend 6 feet into the ground.

This photo of sugar beets from the Nebraska Extension shows why energy beets may be of particular value in Delmarva.

Research at the University of Maryland has shown that radish roots have greater ability to penetrate compacted soil, improving root growth by subsequent crops and access to subsoil.

With 6 foot taproots, energy beets might take this to another level, not only improving the soil but also reaching legacy phosphate and nitrate that is too deep for other crops. Taking up these nutrients might become part of a nutrient management program, preventing them from leaching into waters headed for the Chesapeake Bay.

UMES has expertise in reducing nutrient leaching into waters of the Chesapeake watershed and would like to extend into this area of research.

In addition, "On-farm comparisons and limited replicated trials in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois have reported significant increases in corn and soybean yields following radishes as compared to fallow or other cover crops." (MOSESOrganic.org) This could be interesting for farms on the Delmarva if energy beets have the same effect.

There's lots of interest in Dr. Amy Collick's exhibit on edge-of-field and in-ditch approaches to reduce nutrient losses on the Delmarva.

The idea of taking this research further with energy beets proved attractive to a number of growers from Delmarva who were ready to sign up right away to participate in trials.

This project is still in its very initial stages, with extended trials not likely for a couple of years, depending on funding. The team doesn't want to get hopes up until they are able to analyze the data they are gathering from this initial tenth-of-an-acre experiment.

Advanced Biofuels USA has received a USDA Rural Business Development Grant to also use this data to conduct a feasibility study which should be useful to growers, entrepreneurs and local economic development offices as well as to scientists and investors as they make decisions about how to proceed.

The Bioeconomy Beckons

Some groups of students from high schools with special relationships with UMES drove hours to come to this event. We talked with some of them about the myriad jobs related to the new bioeconomy.

Joanne Ivancic (back to camera) talks with students from Glynn High School about careers in the bioeconomy.

Not only jobs on farms, but also laboratory jobs for scientists and computer jobs related to everything from programming and analyzing drones used to monitor fields to computer programs for new facilities for converting biomass to sugars or oils; and for converting those building blocks to finished products. For entrepreneurs, opportunities arise for starting new businesses planting, harvesting and transporting new crops and agricultural residues.

And, oh so important, jobs for people to communicate to the world, to business and political decision-makers, about these new opportunities. And law-makers and lawyers to give structure and life to the policies and funding needed to make the bioeconomy a meaningful, successful, sustainable part of the future.

Lunch break from a full day of lectures, workshops, expo, field tours at UMES Ag Field Day.

There's something for everyone to sustainably transition from a petroleum-based economy to a bio-based future.

So Much to Learn

So, among many things we learned that day, one is that indeed this is not the first time that beets were grown on the Eastern Shore as an experiment for renewable transportation fuel.

Another is that faculty, students and families, even toddlers, find what we are doing quite exciting. They could see the role that agriculture will play in their future; and could envision their roles in making that happen for not only food, but also for fuel and many other things. And, in a place that could benefit from reviving its agricultural potential.