Reinford Farms

Hear directly from Reinford Farms about 17 years of biogas power:

Reinford Farms is a family‑owned dairy operation that has partnered with Martin Energy Group for over 17 years to convert manure and food waste into reliable power and useful heat. What began as a solution to reduce manure odor has evolved into a long‑term waste‑to‑energy system that continues to expand as the farm’s needs grow.

“When you can get a company that understands both motors and digesters, you can have a really good working system.”
— Brett Reinford, Partner, Reinford Farms

2008 – Initial Digester & CHP System

In 2008, Martin Construction Resource designed and commissioned Reinford Farms’ first 500,000‑gallon complete‑mix anaerobic digester, paired with a 140 kW Caterpillar biogas engine‑generator installed by Martin Energy Group. At the time, the farm milked approximately 350–400 cows.

The system was intentionally sized for future growth and the addition of off‑farm organic waste. Shortly after commissioning, Reinford Farms began accepting food waste, quickly utilizing the digester’s excess capacity and increasing biogas production. The farm soon started selling electricity back to the grid while recovering engine heat to heat water, dry corn, and provide heat for the house and office space.

Over time, the original CHP system accumulated approximately 150,000 operating hours, demonstrating the durability of the original design and the value of ongoing service and operational support. Throughout this period, Martin Energy Group remained actively involved with maintenance, performance optimization, and system improvements to maximize output and reduce lifecycle costs.

“We have about 150,000 hours on that original engine, and we attribute that longevity to the help and service from Martin Energy. They’ve done a phenomenal job keeping it operational.”
— Brett Reinford

2019 – Digestion Expansion & Increased Power Capacity

By 2019, Reinford Farms had fully utilized the capacity of the original digester through a combination of dairy manure and increasing volumes of off‑farm food waste. To support continued growth and maintain stable system operation, Reinford Farms expanded its digestion and power generation infrastructure.

Martin Energy Group installed a 1.5‑million‑gallon anaerobic digester along with a 500 kW MAN biogas engine‑generator. This expansion added substantial digestion capacity and allowed the farm to:

• Handle higher organic loading rates from packaged food waste
• Improve overall biogas production stability
• Reduce operational stress on the original digester
• Increase system redundancy and long‑term reliability

Martin Energy Group ensured the new digester, gas handling, and CHP equipment were fully integrated with the existing systems. This approach allowed the site to continue operating efficiently with a small staff while creating a flexible platform for future upgrades. The expansion enabled Reinford Farms to continue increasing food waste intake while maintaining consistent, reliable performance across both digesters.

2025 – Power Generation & Methane Utilization Upgrade

In 2025, Reinford Farms completed another major system upgrade focused on power generation efficiency and methane utilization. By this time, the farm had grown to approximately 650 cows and was processing around 60,000 tons of food waste per year through the digester system.

As biogas production increased, the existing 500 kW generator no longer had sufficient capacity to utilize all available methane. The site was flaring approximately 1 MW worth of biogas, prompting Reinford Farms to upgrade its power generation equipment.

In 2025, Martin Energy Group removed the 500 kW genset and installed a new 1.3 MW biogas generator, strictly to capture and convert more methane into usable energy rather than allowing it to be flared.

This upgrade included:

• Engine and generator upgrades to increase electrical output
• New heat recovery system
• Updates to controls and system integration to improve reliability and performance

The 2025 upgrades will allow Reinford Farms to convert significantly more of its available methane into electricity and heat, reducing curtailment and strengthening overall system efficiency. Notably, these improvements were built on top of a system that had already logged over 150,000 operating hours, underscoring the value of long‑term serviceability and upgrade‑friendly system design.

“Martin’s will definitely be a part of our future. Their knowledge is unparalleled to anyone else I’ve talked to in the digester industry.”
— Brett Reinford