Waste Vegetable Oil for Heating Greenhouses

Climate Change and Agriculture: Promoting Practical and Profitable Responses 1 CASE STUDY Mike Collins, Old Athens Farm, Westminster, Vermont Waste Vegetable Oil for Heating Greenhouses Mike Collins and his wife Rebecca Nixon own Old Athens Farm, located in... More

Climate Change and Agriculture: Promoting Practical and Profitable Responses 1 CASE STUDY Mike Collins, Old Athens Farm, Westminster, Vermont Waste Vegetable Oil for Heating Greenhouses Mike Collins and his wife Rebecca Nixon own Old Athens Farm, located in southeastern Vermont. Fresh market organic vegetables and berries are grown on two acres, and their 10,000 sq. ft. of greenhouses produce tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplant. Sales are to local farmer’s markets and wholesale accounts. The three greenhouses require heating from late winter through late spring, at different times depending on the crops they hold. In the past, over 3,000 gallons of No. 2 heating oil was required, but last year Mike switched to waste vegetable oil for heating. Most of the waste vegetable oil is collected during the growing season, as part of Mike’s vegetable delivery route. Used deep-fry oil from restaurants within a 20 mile radius of the farm is picked up in five gallon containers, although some Less