Agriculture is a major part of the economy in Pennsylvania, especially in Lancaster County and surrounding areas. This region accounts for more than 20% of the state’s agricultural production with more than $1.5 billion in agricultural products sold, and close to 10,000 jobs in agriculture.
Livestock is the major producer of agricultural products here, with poultry, eggs, cattle and calves, and dairy products leading the way. Our crop production is led by grains, including corn for grain or silage, hay, soybeans and wheat. We also produce nursery, greenhouse and floricultural products, as well as produce such as vegetables, melons and potatoes.
This is a diverse agricultural economy, but propane can help all these farms keep costs down while helping to improve output. Sweetwater Propane offers comprehensive propane services to farms all around Southern Pennsylvania including bulk propane delivery and cylinder exchanges.
Heating. A farm can have several outbuildings including barns, poultry houses, hog houses, dairy houses, greenhouses and more. Propane provides reliable, energy efficient building and water heating to all of them.
Generators. A lengthy power outage can be disastrous for a farm. Propane standby generators automatically turn on when the power goes out. These will keep the lights on, heating and water heating systems running so livestock are safe, and greenhouses will have the lighting and power they need to protect growing plants and seedlings.
Equipment. Propane is beginning to power a wide range of farm equipment. You can use it for emissions-free irrigation equipment. Propane forklifts can be used both outdoors and in outbuildings and barns to safely and efficiently move everything from bales of hay to bags of feed.
Weed control. An invasion of weeds in your fields can lead to crop loss, something that can be very costly. However, using chemical herbicides is detrimental to both your health and the health of those who work for you as well as the environment.
Herbicides are not only costly in the chemicals required, but also in time spent waiting for you and your workers to be able to return to the fields.
Propane-powered flame weed control is a more efficient method of weed removal that will allow you to get back to work quickly without being exposed to hazardous chemicals. Plus, with propane there are no chemicals seeping into your soil or groundwater!
Crop drying. Crop dryers that use propane are approximately 50% more fuel-efficient than they were in the past, saving you money on propane gas costs while being more environmentally friendly.
When using propane to dry crops, more BTUs are produced, making the drying process more efficient.
On-site propane crop drying will result in a higher crop yield and less chance of loss than if you dried it off-site. Also, you’ll save money because you won’t have to pay someone else to dry your crops!
The commercial propane experts at Sweetwater Propane are eager to help you manage your farm’s expenses while growing your bottom line. Contact us today for more information about our agricultural propane services.
