Multitalented and Ingenious
Frank Watson, Meteorologist

To be outstanding in your field you must be multitalented and ingenious and what best describes today's farmer.

When machinery breaks down or a problem arises time becomes money and many times farmers are left to solve the problem themselves. Time becomes too valuable to wait for a "specialist" to show. Often this leads to a new and better way to get things done.

When land was first settled and power was needed to for water and irrigation every farm was equipped with a windmill. This work fine until power generated by power plants became readily available, dependable and economical. The windmill was abandoned and now is regard as a lost but romantic picture of farming's past.

But wait, as gas prices have become more unpredictable we've seen the increase in the use of gasohol, where gasoline is mixed with 10 percent alcohol and E85, where alcohol is mixed with 15% gasoline. Of course the alcohol is derived from corn. We've also seen farmers become totally independent from fuel pumped from the ground in the use of bio-diesel, which is derived from vegetable oils and animal fats.

Also making a comeback, the windmill. Gone is the four-footed elongated pyramid style and in its place is a sleek single tower with two or three blades. If you haven't seen one traveling you might have caught one in a Hollywood movie.

These windmill "farms" have been popping up in the Midwest over the past few years but the Midwest still lags behind California, which is the number one producer of wind, generated energy. New Mexico is number 2 and Minnesota number 3.

Currently wind energy generated in the United States produces only enough energy to power about 1 million homes a year. That's about 1% of energy generated or 6,000 megawatts per year.

The goal of wind energy enthusiast is 10% by 2020. Scandinavia and northern European countries, where electricity costs about twice as much, lead the way in wind generated power. Some European countries added almost as much wind power last year as was generated in the entire United State and already are close to 10% power generated from wind.

Will America's breadbasket someday be known as America's energy basket? Some locations are more idea than others. There are good place for wind and poor places. The Great Lakes, exposed hilltops, ridge crests and portions of the Midwest may someday provide much needed wind generated power.

Annual lease payments to farmers can run as high as 2,000 dollars per unit. If you decide to venture off on your own the power that you generate can be sold to the local utility providing you year round income.

The obvious environmental advantages are wind provides a renewable source of clean nonpolluting energy. The disadvantage is also obvious, no wind-no power.

The government has made available 60 million dollars worth of public grants to study and expand low-wind-technology. While that amount seems rather paltry it just might be the seed needed to simulate a new and ingenious idea.

Frank Watson is a White Bear Lake, Minnesota meteorologist and can be found on the web at WeathermanWatson.com