See interview with Maple Grove turbine owner

The coverage by Nathan Phelps posted on the site of the the Green Bay Press Gazette includes a video interview of turbine owner Rick Adamaski:

MAPLE GROVE — It's easier these days to find Rick and Valerie Adamski's farm.

If you make a wrong turn in Hofa Park (you have a 50 percent chance of getting it right), take a look for the wind turbine jutting up from the rural landscape just west of the small Shawano County hamlet.

That's their farm.

The couple has adopted organic and sustainable practices on their dairy farm, and harnessing wind power is the latest example.

The 110-foot-tall, 35-kilowatt turbine is expected to begin generating power this week, supplying the electrical needs of the farm and providing extra energy that will be sold to Wisconsin Energy Corp.

The move is coupled with other efficiencies and conservation practices they have put in place on the farm.

"Ever since I returned to the farm, sustainability and energy use have been a focus," he said. "Renewable energy is very important, but first we've got to find efficiencies and do conservation. It would be like buying a high-efficiency furnace and leaving the windows open.

"We need to use whatever we're using wisely," Adamski said.

The Adamskis have sunk about $100,000 into the project and have been helped by about $68,000 in grants. They expect to have their investment paid off in about 10 years.