Meadowbrook Dairy
Meadowbrook Dairy will be Ag-Grid Energy’s first renewable natural gas (RNG) project and first project in Michigan. Unlike most traditional RNG projects, this will utilize biogas produced from manure and food waste to fuel a combined heat and power (CHP) system for on-site production, offsetting most of the energy being consumed.
Date Operational
Q1 2025
Project Partnership
Ag-Grid Energy partnered with Dutch Meadow Dairy dba Meadowbrook Dairy to form the special-purpose company Meadowbrook Ag-Grid to own and operate three anaerobic digesters, gas upgrading equipment and a combined heat and power (CHP) system.
Project Description
- FOOD WASTE – Three digesters will recycle over 20,000 gallons of food waste per day.
- MANURE — Three digesters will recycle over 100,000 gallons of manure per day.
- ENERGY — Approximately 100,000 MMBtus of RNG will be produced each year from manure biogas. Additionally, a 550 kW engine will generate approximately 4.5 million kW hours of clean, renewable energy.
Farm Team
Meadowbrook Dairy was founded by Tony and Patti Jandernoa. Tony grew up working on a neighbor’s farm located about 90 minutes northwest of Detroit. The Jandernoas purchased that farm in 1994. Along with their four children, Tony and Patti began expanding the herd size. In 2016, they built a second dairy, Meadowbook, near Lake Odessa, between Lansing and Grand Rapids. In late 2022, the Jandernoas finalized the purchase of a third dairy farm, Berlyn Acres, in Fowler, MI.
About the Farm
Meadowbrook has 2,100 milking cows and more than 1,800 acres on which they grow corn, wheat and alfalfa. The newest Jandernoa-owned dairy, Berlyn Acres, has approximately 2,000 cows and will provide additional manure to the project.
Impact on the Community and the Environment
The RNG will be sold to displace fossil natural gas in the transportation market. The electricity and heat produced will be used onsite to power the facility.