Showpig.com Main Logo
Featured image for the article titled Fueling the Farm: The Daily Impact of Propane on the Farm

Fueling the Farm: The Daily Impact of Propane on the Farm

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Showpig News

Pig farmers wake up in the winter to a warm house, stumble out of bed to check the 75-degree farrowing house, and move feed around on the forklift. All daily tasks that pig farmers everywhere don’t think twice about. However, what doesn’t usually cross their mind is the energy source that powers a lot of daily farm operations.

More than 800,000 U.S. farms use propane for heating and agricultural operations. Kevin Wendt of Wendt Livestock is no exception. Wendt and his family use propane every day on their 25-sow show pig operation. And after a long day of work, it heats the house Wendt comes home to and fuels the appliances that cook his dinner.

“Propane is a clean, efficient fuel source option,” Wendt said. “I know it is safe burning in my livestock barns.”

Propane can be used anytime and anywhere, giving farmers back control over their farm. It does not rely on access to a gas line or the power grid, eliminates the risk of power outages and peak pricing, and provides consistent power regardless of weather, time of day, and location. Wendt’s propane is sourced from Union Propane in Plain City, Ohio. The unique aspect of the company is they give back to the community every year.

“We use Union Propane as our service provider because they are a locally owned and operated small business and they support the Union County Junior Fair Premium Auction,” Wendt said.

But Union Propane’s impact on the Wendt’s 4-H projects starts long before sale day. In fact, propane dries the grain in the grain bin that will eventually be in the feed bucket, powers the forklift that unloads feed and shavings from the semi truck, and heats the barns through a cold Midwest winter. Nearly 40 percent of farms in America rely on propane in their farming and ranching operations to run pumps and engines, heat buildings, and dry and process crops.

Americans use propane in their daily life without thinking twice about it. Whether it is on the farm or in the home, it is an efficient energy source.

“And there’s nothing like a nice steak prepared on my propane grill to end a long day,” Wendt joked.