In Germany, ruddy-cheeked farmers achieve (green) energy independence


Since investors first approached farmers in Freiamt about installing windmills in the 1990s, the humble village has become a green-energy hub. Today, it produces 17 percent more power than it needs. (Mariah Blake)


Steamy milk: Helga Schneider has found a way to harvest its warmth to heat her dishwater and home. (Mariah Blake)


Mellert Bakery: Its whirring machines and ovens are powered by a water turbine. (Mariah Blake)


In Germany, ruddy-cheeked farmers achieve (green) energy independence
Freiamt residents produce 17 percent more electricity than they use, boosting their bottom line and proving that green isn’t just for geeky idealists.

By Mariah Blake| Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor/ August 21, 2008 edition


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Correspondent Mariah Blake reports on residents' efforts in a German village to go green.

FREIAMT, GERMANY
Dawn was just breaking over the Black Forest when Helga Schneider climbed out of bed, tugged on her overalls and thick brown galoshes, and trudged out to the cow pen. She herded a dozen head into a tiled alcove strewn with straw and manure, and began fixing rubber hoses to swollen udders.

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