{"id":26,"date":"2025-01-23T19:23:44","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T19:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/?p=26"},"modified":"2025-03-12T21:43:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T21:43:40","slug":"sustainability-spotlight-vander-woude-dairys-digester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/01\/23\/sustainability-spotlight-vander-woude-dairys-digester\/","title":{"rendered":"Anaerobic Dairy Digester Converts Methane to Renewable Natural Gas in Merced County"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Vander Woude Dairy, a family-owned and operated business in Merced, California, has taken significant strides in sustainable agriculture by implementing a covered lagoon digester for methane capture. Established as a partnership in 2005, the dairy is now predominantly owned by Simon and Christine Vander Woude, who oversee 3,200 Holstein milking cows and 1,750 acres of farmland. In October 2020, Vander Woude Dairy began construction on a covered lagoon digester, part of the innovative Merced-South Cluster developed by Maas Energy Works. The digester became operational in November 2021, marking a new chapter in the dairy’s commitment to environmental stewardship.  <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The project, funded with over $1.8 million from the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program<\/a> (DDRDP) through California Climate Investments (CCI) and an equal amount of matching funds from Vander Woude Dairy, cost $3.7 million. \u201cThe State of California\u2019s proactive support of programs like the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program was instrumental in helping our project get off the ground. Our family run dairy has made consistent environmental improvements over the years, but we were hesitant to take the leap on a large investment in a digester system when the technology was still emerging.\u202f CDFA\u2019s partnership with us and our neighbors helped us take the financial leap and their program has proven to be one of the most effective at enhancing the environmental sustainability of the California dairy industry in recent years,\u201d said Simon Vander Woude.  <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Biogas Upgrading Hub, Merced<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

CDFA forecasted that the digestor to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 18,800 metric tons of CO\u2082 equivalent (MTCO\u2082e) annually. However, the most recent 12-month data reveals that the dairy exceeded expectations, achieving nearly 24,000 MTCO\u2082e in reductions and injecting over 73,000 MMBTU of gas into the pipeline. The R-CNG produced by the Vander Woude Dairy Digester is injected into the utility pipeline to be used in large vehicles, qualifying it for credits under the state\u2019s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). These credits incentivize the production and use of low-carbon fuels, providing an additional revenue stream that supports the project\u2019s economic viability while reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. These outcomes underscore the digester\u2019s efficiency and its critical role in advancing California\u2019s climate goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Vander Woude Dairy Digester project is a model of sustainable economic development. Utilizing guidance from the Sacramento Regional Research Institute (SRRI), the project created 44 jobs\u201427 direct and 17 indirect\u2014during its construction phase. These positions spanned various industries, including construction, operations, and related services, contributing an additional $825,858 in economic output for every $1 million spent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the project team partnered with Proteus Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to empowering disadvantaged communities in the San Joaquin Valley. Proteus facilitated local hiring, ensuring that 85% of piping contracts were fulfilled by residents near the project site. Training programs specific to renewable energy provided opportunities for individuals to develop skills aligned with California’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Merced Hub, pictures is Tommy Souza, Plant Operator<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cFor our family farm, \u2018sustainability\u2019 means doing more with less. Our dairy is the host of a hub-and-spoke model of methane digesters in Merced County, and all the dairies that send their gas to this hub are family farms. My wife, children, and I are laser-focused on efficient operations, producing milk with less impact to our climate,\u201d said Simon Vander Woude. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By aligning with state and regional initiatives, the Vander Woude Dairy Digester embodies California’s vision for a sustainable agricultural future. Its innovative approach not only satisfies the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also fosters economic growth and empowers the local community, setting a benchmark for dairy operations nationwide. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vander Woude Dairy is transforming sustainability in agriculture. This family-owned farm in Merced, California, has implemented a cutting-edge methane digester, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 24,000 MTCO\u2082e annually and converting waste into Renewable Compressed Natural Gas (R-CNG). With state support and local partnerships, the project also creates jobs and empowers the community, setting a new standard for sustainable dairy operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":35,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[5],"class_list":{"0":"post-26","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-producer-success-story","8":"tag-methane-reduction","10":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":337,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2026\/06\/01\/catching-up-with-vander-woude-dairy\/","url_meta":{"origin":26,"position":0},"title":"Catching Up with Vander Woude Dairy\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"June 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever stopped to think about how your milk or butter\u00a0actually gets\u00a0to your table?\u00a0 We recently caught up with the family behind Vander Woude Dairy in Merced, and the conversation quickly went beyond cows and equipment. At its heart, their story is about family, responsibility,\u00a0a\u00a0passion for dairy farming\u00a0and a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Producer Success Story"","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Daryl+Simon Vander Woude","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/01\/01\/first-of-its-kind-fuel-cell-project-generating-electricity-from-dairy-waste-in-fresno-county\/","url_meta":{"origin":26,"position":1},"title":"First of Its Kind Fuel Cell Project Generating Electricity from Dairy Waste in Fresno County\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"January 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Bar 20 Dairy, a Shehadey family-owned and operated business in Fresno County, received $3 million in funding from the state incentive Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) in 2019, to implement a dairy digester to capture methane. The California Bioenergy dairy digester and Bloom Energy fuel cell technology have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Producer Success Story"","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross speaking at the Bar 20 ribbon-cutting ceremony.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":130,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/15\/fernandes-family-farms-four-digesters-one-legacy\/","url_meta":{"origin":26,"position":2},"title":"Fernandes Family Farms: Four Digesters, One Legacy\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"July 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Fernandes Family\u00a0 The Fernandes family has been dairying in California\u2019s San Joaquin Valley since the 1920s, when Frank Fernandes came over from the Azores and started milking cows during the Great Depression. A century later, his grandsons continue to dairy and have expanded on multiple facilities\u2014 and now, they\u2019re also\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Producer Success Story"","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":279,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2026\/02\/02\/hilmar-cluster-making-a-real-difference\/","url_meta":{"origin":26,"position":3},"title":"Hilmar Cluster: Making a Real Difference\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"February 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Through the implementation of anaerobic digesters, CalBioGas Hilmar LLC (Hilmar Cluster), working with Hilmar dairy farmers, are leading the way toward a more sustainable future for their surrounding community. \u00a0Cluster projects consist of a hub facility for centralized operations, including the collection of biogas from multiple dairy digesters. The hub\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Producer Success Story"","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":171,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/28\/investing-in-impact-how-the-oars-team-helps-deliver-climate-solutions-on-california-dairy-and-livestock-farms\/","url_meta":{"origin":26,"position":4},"title":"Investing in Impact: How the OARS Team Helps Deliver Climate Solutions on California Dairy and Livestock Farms\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"July 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The CDFA Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) is dedicated to supporting California's dairy and livestock farmers in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As proof of that, the CDFA\u2019s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) awarded nearly $25 million\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Informational"","block_context":{"text":"Informational","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/informational\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A technical assistance provider and rancher are reviewing data at a dairy farm","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/03\/28\/sustainability-spotlight-manure-management-improvements-at-triple-c-dairy\/","url_meta":{"origin":26,"position":5},"title":"Manure Management Improvements at Triple C Dairy\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"March 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This grantee Q&A was conducted by Dr. Alyssa Louie with the help of Mr. Robert Camozzi and Ms. Stephanie Dehner (Triple C Dairy) in November 2024 to develop an AMMP project profile in partnership with the California Air Resources Board Climate Investments Policy Section.\u00a0 Owner and operator of Triple C\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Producer Success Story"","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Manure collection pit and screw press separator installed as part of the AMMP project.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-28-112156.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-28-112156.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-28-112156.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26\/revisions\/62"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}