HB what do you feel about small scale such as the type that are used in villages in India and China. I feel if someone were going to be playing at farming and just trying to be busy enough to keep pride going then a small scale biogas system would be a cost effective way of cutting out the grid and having full time "LUZ".
Maybe it is my West Virginia roots coming through but I got to stay a redneck.
John
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/troprice/Biogas.htm