Drive out to a large dairy in central Texas and the first thing that hits you isn’t what you’d expect. It’s the scale. Rows of freestall barns stretch across the prairie. A rotating carousel milks the herd three times a day, almost around the clock — so routine for the cows that it starts to look like social hour. The farm runs 365 days a year, and every one of those days produces a lot of manure.

The roots of the dairy industry run deep for Avolta Biogas Development Manager, Brian Yockel’s family. Yockel’s mother grew up on a family dairy farm in upstate New York, that is still owned and operated by the family. Yockel has fond memories of visiting for long stays in the summertime, a time he credits with instilling a passion for agriculture.