You know that distinct odor you smell while taking a ride in the country? It might be able to help some farmers generate their very own energy soon.

Ag experts in Marathon County are looking to develop an educational green building.

It is a $3 million dollar project that would allow farmers to learn how to use things already on their farms to produce electricity.

“This Rural Energy Education Center, we’re looking at trying to operate that building with solar, wind, geothermal and also this methane gas from the manure,” said Tom Drendle, an agricultural researcher.

The center would be built on the University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Station’s farm in the town of McMillan.

It would come fully equipped with a prototype methane digester.

The digester would be used to teach all other farmers in the area how they can pipe methane to produce energy.