{"id":5078,"date":"2014-03-14T08:00:46","date_gmt":"2014-03-14T12:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=5078"},"modified":"2014-04-02T12:55:16","modified_gmt":"2014-04-02T16:55:16","slug":"green-cheese-black-mesa-ranch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/green-cheese-black-mesa-ranch\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Cheese: Black Mesa Ranch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sustainability can be a problem at many dairies, but in this blog series<\/a> intern Alicia gets the deets on some eco-friendly cheesemakers from across the map. Find out what makes each cheese green, and enter the weekly contest for a chance to win an issue of culture<\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Solar power sometimes gets a bad rap. The technology can be pricey. The panels take up space. It\u2019s complicated to set up. And yet, the payoff is great. There are no emissions. Sunlight is free and will never run out. And it makes it possible to live off the grid while still enjoying modern-day niceties.<\/p>\n

And no one knows this better than David Heininger, cheesemaker at Black Mesa Ranch<\/a> outside of Snowflake, Arizona. He and his wife Kathryn run a goat dairy completely off the grid, relying on solar and wind power to care for their 125 animals, including Nubian goats, cows, sheep, and chickens.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve been on the property for 14 years, but didn\u2019t start the dairy until 2003. \u201cWe had a small off-grid system that started with two arrays of panels, the windmill, and a small generator as back-up. Since then we\u2019ve had to expand it. As we started to grow the dairy, we started adding more panels,\u201d says Heininger.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/a>

Black Mesa Ranch solar panels<\/p><\/div>\n

Their system uses photovoltaic solar power. Sunlight is collected by solar panels containing cells filled with semiconductor materials. These cells translate solar radiation into electricity. An inverter, which converts the electricity from the solar panels into a format that is useable for household appliances, completes their system. Because you cannot produce electricity on a cloudy day with this method, Heininger also uses a battery bank to store excess power as a literal rainy day fund.<\/p>\n

\"solar<\/a>

Diagram from MillenniumPlanet.org<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Black Mesa Ranch also employs a 900 watt, 50 foot wind generator, which can directly generate electric power 24 hours a day. They also use a diesel powered generator for times when they have especially high energy needs. Maintenance is generally minimal; the battery bank must be equalized on a monthly basis, a process involving overcharging the batteries to keep them running optimally. Though Heininger notes, \u201cThe system runs itself on a daily basis, but there\u2019s always something to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"battery<\/a>

Black Mesa Ranch battery bank<\/p><\/div>\n

Though photovoltaic systems can be expensive to implement, costs have dropped 30 percent in the past decade. Heininger estimates he\u2019s invested $30,000 in installation and upkeep costs. He\u2019s also made several improvements over the years, both expanding and replacing current components of their system. \u201cI\u2019m not sure you could push the system further you can go as far as capacity on things. It\u2019s a really good system for what we\u2019re doing, but we\u2019re a really small scale operation,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

However, what\u2019s really driven Black Mesa Ranch\u2019s sustainability efforts is necessity. They live off the grid and the power company has no plans to connect them any time soon. When asked if they would put such effort into sustainability if they were able to connect to the grid, Heininger answers without hesitation. \u201cWe would hook into the grid in a flash. The electricity coming through the system is subsidized, it\u2019s by and large reliable and cheap, so it\u2019s smarter from a business perspective.\u201d That may be the case, but the culture<\/strong> staff\u2014and the planet\u2014are grateful for the work the Heiningers are doing in sustainable energy. <\/p>\n

This week\u2019s contest question is: What cheese most reminds you of sunshine?<\/strong> Submit your answer in the comments below<\/strong> by Thursday, March 20 at 12:00p.m. EDT for a chance to win the current issue of culture<\/strong><\/a>. The winner will be chosen at random and announced in next week\u2019s Green Cheese post.<\/p>\n

Tune in next week to hear from The Cultured Cow Creamery<\/a>, a North Carolina creamery that aids in the fight against world hunger.<\/p>\n

Photo by Compfight<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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