Please join us on May 29th in Rutland for the Tech @ Rutland meetup event. Local business leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors will gather for networking and refreshments at Green Mountain Power’s new Innovation Center!
Please join the event here
Directions to event here
For more information, email Andrew Stickney: andrew@vermonttechnologies.com or Steve Costello at Steve.Costello@greenmountainpower.com
Buzz Hoerr hopes winning a Pennsylvania state environmental award will equate to more business for his odor-reduction technology.
“We are certainly hoping this award will help give us momentum,” Hoerr said.
Hoerr’s company, ElectroCell Technologies, based in Colchester, Vt., was one of 16 recipients of the 2012 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.
His company markets a manure treatment technology for hog farms that reduces odors and nutrients along with making it easier for plants to take up nutrients.
The company is well-known for its work on the James Snavely hog farm in Mount Joy, Pa. Snavely’s was the first farm that ElectroCell worked with to bring the manure treatment technology onto farms.
Hoerr said it has improved soil health on the farm along with reducing odors coming from manure applications.
He said the company has six farms under contract and is in talks with four others.
The technology, which originated in Israel and which ElectroCell has exclusive North American rights to market, treats manure using a portable system.
Manure is drawn out of a lagoon and into a machine, where it flows across a series of electrical plates. Electrical pulses weaken and puncture the cell walls in the manure, which essentially kills the odor along with some of the nutrients.
The manure is then returned to the pit, where most of the nutrients settle at the bottom — Hoerr claims 90 percent of the phosphorus and up to 50 percent of nitrogen settle at the bottom of the pit once it’s treated.
He said that after the manure is applied, plants are able to take up nutrients more readily, reducing runoff.
The 500,000 gallons of manure at Snavely’s farm are treated in the early spring and fall, right before land application and at other times of the year when needed.
The technology has earned the company some income through the selling of nutrient credits via the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority’s (PENNVEST) annual nutrient credit auction.
A spot auction on Nov. 2 of last year included 500 nitrogen and 462 phosphorus credits from ElectroCell. It wasn’t a lot of money though — only $3.10 per nitrogen credit and $4.73 for phosphorus.
Having the ability to aggregate nutrient credits on behalf of farmers was originally a selling point when the company first marketed the technology. On Snavely’s farm, the company aggregated credits generated through the installation of a grass waterway and the fact that Snavely no-tills most of his ground.
Income from credits generated through the manure reduction technology went to ElectroCell.
But the weak nutrient credit market, which Hoerr said is lacking in buyers, doesn’t bode well for companies banking on building a business by selling nutrient credits.
“Right now, because of sort of lack of demand in the credit market, there’s not much financial incentives. Essentially what we did, we adjusted our sales strategy,” he said.
Instead of trying to sell actual machines, the company just sells a service.
And while the odor reduction and better management of nutrients is appealing to farmers, Hoerr is finding more producers interested in adopting it to better manage their nutrients via the state’s phosphorus index.
Last year’s revisions to the state’s manure management manual gives producers the option of having a certified planner develop manure application rates using the phosphorus index.
“We’ve met with a number of farmers who have said they want to stratify nutrients and be able to manage to P-side index while still being able to get nitrogen from the manure,” he said.
While the machines are currently working on hog farms, Hoerr said there is a possibility they could work on dairy operations, perhaps by treating water that is used to flush barn alleys.
Snavely said the biggest benefit has been the reduction in odors when he spreads manure on his fields.
“The main benefit you can quantify is the odor reduction,” he said.
The system has also allowed him to keep manure at the farm, much of which he had to export before since he has only 100 acres to work with.
Snavely subcontracts with ElectroCell to take the machine to other farms in the area.
He said that although not many other farmers have picked up on the technology, it still has a lot of potential.
“It’s been slow to be received. They don’t really understand it. But the people that do understand it are very pleased with it,” he said.
http://www.lancasterfarming.com/results/Manure-Treatment-Technology-Gets-Environmental-Award-
GBIC and the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce invite you to attend a free informational meeting over breakfast on Wednesday, March 14, from 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. at the Sheraton Hotel on the status of pending legislation regarding taxation of cloud based services. We will provide an overview of the issue with the assistance of Michael Wasser, attorney with State Tax Services, LLC and former Vermont Tax Department analyst, a question and answer opportunity and advice as to how you can get involved to change the state’s direction on this issue.
A recent article in Seven Days entitled Vermont Software Firms: Taxing the Cloud Has no Silver Lining provides an overview of the issue and why we need to encourage action by state officials.
Space is limited to the first 50 people to sign up, so please email alexa@vermont.org to register for this free breakfast meeting and pass the word on to your colleagues to attend.
In a recent guest post for OnStartups.com, Ty Danco — VCET friend, FX Aligned CEO, and local startup legend — gives his 2011 list of the “best and worst startup stuff”. Ty covers everything from books and blogs to apps and accelerators, sorting through mountains of media and delivering only his top picks. Start 2012 by checking off a few items on Ty’s list!
VT EPSCoR is now offering three different funding opportunities for the private sector:
Deadlines for each electronic submission are:
Innovation Fund due April 5, 2012. Awards up to $12,000 each.
SBIR Phase (0) due May 1, 2012. Awards up to $15,000 each.
Use of Facilities for Private Sector due May 8, 2012. Awards up to $5,000 each.
Please check each individual RFP for full requirements and more detailed information.
Electronic Submission forms will be available on the web at the above links on
December 15, 2020.
Questions? Contact Lillian Gamache at epscor@uvm.edu
We are expecting a great turnout!
http://www.facebook.com/techatvt
Thinking about starting a technology firm?
Got a growing business?
Looking for interns?
Or, do you just want to connect with other entrepreneurs and investors?
If so, then please meet up at the Tech @ White River Junction
Thursday, December 1st, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at:
Tuckerbox Restaurant
1 South Main Street, WRJ, VT
(802) 359-4041
Map
The Vermont Tech Enterprise Center in Randolph (map) is offering a series of free events targeted at startup and early-stage businesses. The calendar is listed below. For more information, download the VTEC Workshop Flyer.
New Business Forum November 9, 2020 11:30am-1:00
Cash Flow Management November 22, 2011 5:00-6:30pm
Budgeting January 24, 2021 5:00-6:30pm
Social Media Marketing February 28, 2012 5:00-6:30pm
Strategic Planning March 27, 2012 5:00-6:30pm
Financing Options April 24, 2012 5:00-6:30pm
Turn a Hobby into a Business? May 22, 2012 5:00-6:30pm
Tomorrow, the U.S. General Services Administration, the VT Procurement Technical Assistance Center, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will host an event at Norwich University to discuss business opportunities for VEC members and Vermont’s Environmental Sector.
Friday, October 21st, 2011
8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Milano Ballroom, Crawford Hall
Norwich University
158 Harmon Drive
Northfield, VT 05663
Google Map
To learn more about this event, visit VEC’s website
Vermont Environmental Consortium’s vision is to be the go-to organization for the environmental business sector in Vermont. VEC’s mission is to promote growth and job creation in Vermont’s environmental business sector.
Thinking about starting a technology firm?
Got a growing business?
Looking for interns?
Or, do you just want to connect with other entrepreneurs and investors?
If so, then please meet up at Tech @ Brattleboro event
Thursday, September 15th from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Marina Restaurant in Brattleboro, VT
Route 91, Exit 3, South on Route 5
28 Spring Tree Road
Brattleboro, Vermont 05301
802-257-7563
Map
For more information, download the press release
Visit the Facebook Event
Brought to you by:
Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
FreshTracks Capital, LP
Graduate School of Marlboro College
Vermont Technology Council
North Country Angels
Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET)