EasternIowaFarmer_Fall2023

THE ENERGY ISSUE
EASTERN IOWA FARMER PHOTO / CONTRIBUTED
Duhme has cut the electric bill for his
store by more than half since installing
solar and wind power.
projects on his property. “But, you’ve got
to look at it long-term. You’re not looking
at how much money am I going to make
right away. You ain’t gonna make no money.
You’re going to save money in the long-run.
You’ve got to look at it that way. Did I ever
think I was going to have solar and wind?
No.”
But then, he adds, “I never thought my
electric bill would be that big. There’s a lot
of money running in there every day,” he
said, gesturing toward the wall of freezer
space at the business. “And energy ain’t
going to get any cheaper.”
Duhme said he will have wind power
about nine months out the year.
“In the dog days of summer, you’re not
going to get wind, unless there’s a storm
coming through. When there is a storm coming
through, that old baby cooks,” he said
of the windmill. “When the winter comes
along, the wind blows all the time. You can
bank some of those kilowatts at that point
on your electric bill. When you need energy
again, you’ve got those credits built up.”
The windmill was installed in April, and
he saw positive effects in three windy days at
the end of the month. He monitors both his
solar and wind energy production with touch
screens in his building.
The column for the windmill reaches
about 100-feet into the air on a high spot
on the property. It’s far enough away from
anything that in the unlikely event it would
fall, it wouldn’t hit any structures. To prepare
for the turbine, five loads of cement – some
290,000 pounds – were dumped to make a
slab. On April 10, a crane lifted the huge
structure into place just beyond the blue
grain bins, remnants of when his parents
farmed the property.
In mid-July, he was super busy prepping
tenderloins for several local county fairs,
cutting them a certain size and running them
through the tenderizer. By the time fair
season was over, he processed thousands of
them.
And while he had a lot on his plate right
in front of him, he said he’ll continue to
explore ways to increase his efficiencies.
“I’m always looking toward the future,” he
said. n
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1524 Hwy 130, Tipton, Iowa 52772
Mobile: 563.357.8238 | Office: 563.886.6556
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Pictured: Ron Stutzel, Joe Schultz,
Bob Miedl, Colton Miedl, Steven Wethington,
Kiley Schultz, Chris Schultz, Linda Weaver
76 EASTERN IOWA FARMER | FALL 2023 eifarmer.com