December 29, 2009
Down on the Farm, an Endless Cycle of Waste
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
GUSTINE, Tex. — Day and night, a huge contraption prowls the grounds at Frank Volleman’s dairy in Central Texas. It has a 3,000-gallon tank, a heavy-duty vacuum pump and hoses and, underneath, adjustable blades that scrape the surface as it passes along.
In function it is something like a Zamboni, but one that has crossed over to the dark side. This is no hockey rink, and it’s not loose ice being scraped up. It’s cow manure.
Lots of cow manure. A typical lactating Holstein produces about 150 pounds of waste — by weight, about two-thirds wet feces, one-third urine — each day. Mr. Volleman has 3,000 lactating Holsteins and another 1,000 that are temporarily “dry.” Do the math: his Wildcat Dairy produces about 200 million pounds of manure every year.
Proper handling of this material is one of the most important tasks faced by a dairy operator, or by a cattle feedlot owner, hog producer or other farmer with large numbers of livestock. Manure has to be handled in an environmentally acceptable way and at an acceptable cost. In most cases, that means using it, fresh or composted, as fertilizer. “It’s a great resource, if used properly,” said Saqib Mukhtar, an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A & M University and an expert on what is politely called manure management. Read More
Most people don’t realize how much effort is put in to correctly handling the valuable nutrients that are obtained from livestock. It seems many get the impression that farmers and ranchers haphazardly handle the manure. The fact of the matter is that the system’s being used have been designed by engineers and approved by various government agencies. Along with that, the operators have every incentive to make sure everything is being done right. If you haven’t been around a nutrient handling system, I would encourage you to do so. It really helps you understand the full relationship of plants, livestock and food.
Showing posts with label nutrient management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrient management. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Cows Are Effecient Fuel Producers
Ag Engineer: Animal manure management could go 'green'
Manure has the potential to make dairies energy self-sufficient
July 10, 2009 Writer(s): Robert Burns, 903-834-6191,rd-burns@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION -- A recent Texas AgriLife Research survey of Texas and California dairies found that cows, like people, are big energy users.
That's the bad news. The good news is there's enough potential energy within the manure dairy cows produce to pay their electrical bill and more -- a lot more, according to Dr. Cady Engler, AgriLife Research agricultural engineer.
"Total energy usage ranged from as low as 464 kilowatt hour per year per animal for a pasture dairy in Northeast Texas to as high as 1,637 kilowatt hour for a hybrid facility in Central Texas," Engler said.
"The estimated daily potential energy availability from manure – 25 kilowatt hours per day per cow – is much greater than the average daily on-farm energy requirement of 3.2 kilowatt hours per day per cow," he said.
Engler will be presenting a paper, "Energy Usage Survey of Dairies in the Southwestern United States" at the upcoming Texas Animal Manure Management Issues, scheduled Sept. 29-30 at the Austin Marriott North in Round Rock. More information can be found at the conference's Web site at http://grovesite.com/tamu/tammi. Read More
One of the things that is very aggravating for me is to hear people refer to manure as waste. It’s far from it. This is not only a valuable nutrient that vastly improves the ability of plants to grow and produce, but it could also become a very valuable source of energy. This concept is nothing new. Dried manure was often used as heating fuel by our ancestors as they attempted to settle this country. It wasn’t considered a waste product then and it shouldn’t be now. The efficiencies of cattle and their ruminant digestive system have always been a marvel and they are proving it again to us.
Manure has the potential to make dairies energy self-sufficient
July 10, 2009 Writer(s): Robert Burns, 903-834-6191,rd-burns@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION -- A recent Texas AgriLife Research survey of Texas and California dairies found that cows, like people, are big energy users.
That's the bad news. The good news is there's enough potential energy within the manure dairy cows produce to pay their electrical bill and more -- a lot more, according to Dr. Cady Engler, AgriLife Research agricultural engineer.
"Total energy usage ranged from as low as 464 kilowatt hour per year per animal for a pasture dairy in Northeast Texas to as high as 1,637 kilowatt hour for a hybrid facility in Central Texas," Engler said.
"The estimated daily potential energy availability from manure – 25 kilowatt hours per day per cow – is much greater than the average daily on-farm energy requirement of 3.2 kilowatt hours per day per cow," he said.
Engler will be presenting a paper, "Energy Usage Survey of Dairies in the Southwestern United States" at the upcoming Texas Animal Manure Management Issues, scheduled Sept. 29-30 at the Austin Marriott North in Round Rock. More information can be found at the conference's Web site at http://grovesite.com/tamu/tammi. Read More
One of the things that is very aggravating for me is to hear people refer to manure as waste. It’s far from it. This is not only a valuable nutrient that vastly improves the ability of plants to grow and produce, but it could also become a very valuable source of energy. This concept is nothing new. Dried manure was often used as heating fuel by our ancestors as they attempted to settle this country. It wasn’t considered a waste product then and it shouldn’t be now. The efficiencies of cattle and their ruminant digestive system have always been a marvel and they are proving it again to us.
Monday, April 13, 2009
NJ's Seven Head Rule
Farmers face new animal waste laws
Sunday, April 12, 2009
By Randall Clark
rclark@sjnewsco.com
A new set of state rules have been enacted to guide how farmers dispose of their manure and manage their pastures, attempting to minimize the impact of agricultural pollution.
The process of getting Salem County livestock and equine owners on board is under way, though several have relayed a sense of foreboding on what it will mean for their operations.
"It's a little scary. I don't really know what it means for me yet," said one county horse owner, who wished not to be named because of the mounting piles of manure on their 14-horse operation.
Developed under the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, any farm with more than seven animals (of 1,000 pounds or more) must devise a comprehensive waste management plan.
Read More
Seven head. That’s all the livestock you need to own in New Jersey to require that you have a nutrient management plan. How many producers can afford to hire an engineer to make their management plans for them if they only own seven head? Livestock producers strive to be good stewards of the land, but this is nothing but a blatant attempt to eliminate livestock in New Jersey. There is one other thing to learn from this. Many times in agriculture, we see people in our own industry working hard for the “big producers” to be more heavily regulated. It’s important to remember that anytime regulations like that are put in place, they will always end up trickling down and affecting everyone involved, regardless of how “big” you are.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
By Randall Clark
rclark@sjnewsco.com
A new set of state rules have been enacted to guide how farmers dispose of their manure and manage their pastures, attempting to minimize the impact of agricultural pollution.
The process of getting Salem County livestock and equine owners on board is under way, though several have relayed a sense of foreboding on what it will mean for their operations.
"It's a little scary. I don't really know what it means for me yet," said one county horse owner, who wished not to be named because of the mounting piles of manure on their 14-horse operation.
Developed under the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, any farm with more than seven animals (of 1,000 pounds or more) must devise a comprehensive waste management plan.
Read More
Seven head. That’s all the livestock you need to own in New Jersey to require that you have a nutrient management plan. How many producers can afford to hire an engineer to make their management plans for them if they only own seven head? Livestock producers strive to be good stewards of the land, but this is nothing but a blatant attempt to eliminate livestock in New Jersey. There is one other thing to learn from this. Many times in agriculture, we see people in our own industry working hard for the “big producers” to be more heavily regulated. It’s important to remember that anytime regulations like that are put in place, they will always end up trickling down and affecting everyone involved, regardless of how “big” you are.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Producer's Records Becoming Public
Md. court rules nutrient plans can be made public
The Associated Press 2009-03-04
SALISBURY, Md. -
Nutrient management plans detailing how farmers handle animal waste will be made available to the public, a court has ruled.
Anne Arundel County Circuit Court ruled on Tuesday that the plans, which describe pollution discharge practices of farming operations, will be made available for public scrutiny.
The ruling affects the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations that create, store or discharge animal waste.
The court ruling comes soon after a federal permitting deadline concerning the plans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said many Eastern Shore farmers missed the Friday deadline to apply for the newly required Environmental Protection Agency permit.
The permit called for more stringent nutrient management plans. It concerned many in the chicken industry because the application for the permit would make the plans publicly available.
Read More
While this may not appear to be a big issue on the surface, this could have far reaching consequences for operations that have nutrient management plans. Imagine the process of trying to pass every management plan on a popularity vote. Science will not win the day in our society, which is a sad commentary for our country. Everything has to make people feel good in order to garner their support. Keep an eye on this issue.
The Associated Press 2009-03-04
SALISBURY, Md. -
Nutrient management plans detailing how farmers handle animal waste will be made available to the public, a court has ruled.
Anne Arundel County Circuit Court ruled on Tuesday that the plans, which describe pollution discharge practices of farming operations, will be made available for public scrutiny.
The ruling affects the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations that create, store or discharge animal waste.
The court ruling comes soon after a federal permitting deadline concerning the plans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said many Eastern Shore farmers missed the Friday deadline to apply for the newly required Environmental Protection Agency permit.
The permit called for more stringent nutrient management plans. It concerned many in the chicken industry because the application for the permit would make the plans publicly available.
Read More
While this may not appear to be a big issue on the surface, this could have far reaching consequences for operations that have nutrient management plans. Imagine the process of trying to pass every management plan on a popularity vote. Science will not win the day in our society, which is a sad commentary for our country. Everything has to make people feel good in order to garner their support. Keep an eye on this issue.
Implementing a Nutrient Mgmt Plan
Dairy environmental accountability
EXTENSION UPDATE
By Mary Sowerby, UF Regional Dairy Extension
The largest loose-leaf notebook I have ever seen sat in front of Trenton dairy producer Ron St. John at the Feb. 12 meeting of the Manatee and Fanning Springs working group. Its spine was 5.5 inches wide and another 3-inch notebook sat on top of it. The reams of paper found within those two notebooks represented documentation of nutrient (think primarily manure) management of one herd — Alliance Dairy, for one year — 2008.
Every dairy farm in Florida that has 700 or more mature dairy cows is considered a CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation). All Florida CAFOs are required to have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to operate legally under the Clean Water Act of 1972.
Dairies with less than 700 cows are generally considered AFOs (Animal Feeding Operations) and are not required to have a NPDES permit. However, a new set of Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rules are currently being written for AFOs.
The price tag to assemble the information needed to obtain a NPDES permit is generally over $60,000. It usually takes an environmental engineer to write it and it is required to have an engineer sign off on it. Then the never-ending record keeping begins. Read More
Just about anything you read that is negative toward modern livestock production tries to key on the idea that producers don’t care about the environment. They also say the regulations and science behind the nutrient management plans don’t work. While most of the people complaining probably have never studied a plan nor are they educated enough on environmental studies to give an expert opinion on whether a plan will work, they continue to spread falsehoods about animal agriculture. This article give a good brief run down of what most producers have to go through in order to comply with regulations.
EXTENSION UPDATE
By Mary Sowerby, UF Regional Dairy Extension
The largest loose-leaf notebook I have ever seen sat in front of Trenton dairy producer Ron St. John at the Feb. 12 meeting of the Manatee and Fanning Springs working group. Its spine was 5.5 inches wide and another 3-inch notebook sat on top of it. The reams of paper found within those two notebooks represented documentation of nutrient (think primarily manure) management of one herd — Alliance Dairy, for one year — 2008.
Every dairy farm in Florida that has 700 or more mature dairy cows is considered a CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation). All Florida CAFOs are required to have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to operate legally under the Clean Water Act of 1972.
Dairies with less than 700 cows are generally considered AFOs (Animal Feeding Operations) and are not required to have a NPDES permit. However, a new set of Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rules are currently being written for AFOs.
The price tag to assemble the information needed to obtain a NPDES permit is generally over $60,000. It usually takes an environmental engineer to write it and it is required to have an engineer sign off on it. Then the never-ending record keeping begins. Read More
Just about anything you read that is negative toward modern livestock production tries to key on the idea that producers don’t care about the environment. They also say the regulations and science behind the nutrient management plans don’t work. While most of the people complaining probably have never studied a plan nor are they educated enough on environmental studies to give an expert opinion on whether a plan will work, they continue to spread falsehoods about animal agriculture. This article give a good brief run down of what most producers have to go through in order to comply with regulations.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Manure Pots
From Tons of Manure, a Growth Industry
By GERRI HIRSHEY
IN almost-spring, as itchy gardeners drag out grow lights and seed-starting flats, it seems a fitting moment to trace the germ of a new and very green gardening idea. It first took root beside a reeking, unspeakable lagoon in the northwest corner of Connecticut and is blossoming sweetly nationwide. Kindly summon a gardener’s tolerance for earthy subject matter as this gritty tale unfolds:
More than a decade ago — she thinks it was in 1998 — Jane Slupecki, a marketing representative for the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, took a group of Litchfield County dairy farmers to a brainstorming dinner at a lovely lakeside inn there. Her agency had a small grant to try to find possible solutions to a big, stinky problem.
“Cow manure,” Ms. Slupecki recalls. “Endless tons of it. We were concerned about how farmers returned manure nutrients to their fields, and how we could prevent runoff of excess nitrogen and phosphorus into watersheds.” Since farms in riparian areas were of particular concern, most of the dairymen invited to dinner were grazing cows near the Blackberry River, which in turn feeds the mighty Housatonic. Their hostess remembers it as “just a lovely dinner,” but we will spare the reader the technical points of the conversation.
“Cow poop is cow poop,” admits Ms. Slupecki, who was feeling some frustration at the paucity of workable suggestions by the time they reached dessert and coffee. Half in jest, she blurted, “Can’t you guys do something with this stuff — make a flowerpot or something?” Read More
Manure should never be regarded as waste. It is a necessary part of the cycle of life. The nutrients contained in manure are required for plant growth. It’s a fantastic cycle that most people seem to have forgotten.
By GERRI HIRSHEY
IN almost-spring, as itchy gardeners drag out grow lights and seed-starting flats, it seems a fitting moment to trace the germ of a new and very green gardening idea. It first took root beside a reeking, unspeakable lagoon in the northwest corner of Connecticut and is blossoming sweetly nationwide. Kindly summon a gardener’s tolerance for earthy subject matter as this gritty tale unfolds:
More than a decade ago — she thinks it was in 1998 — Jane Slupecki, a marketing representative for the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, took a group of Litchfield County dairy farmers to a brainstorming dinner at a lovely lakeside inn there. Her agency had a small grant to try to find possible solutions to a big, stinky problem.
“Cow manure,” Ms. Slupecki recalls. “Endless tons of it. We were concerned about how farmers returned manure nutrients to their fields, and how we could prevent runoff of excess nitrogen and phosphorus into watersheds.” Since farms in riparian areas were of particular concern, most of the dairymen invited to dinner were grazing cows near the Blackberry River, which in turn feeds the mighty Housatonic. Their hostess remembers it as “just a lovely dinner,” but we will spare the reader the technical points of the conversation.
“Cow poop is cow poop,” admits Ms. Slupecki, who was feeling some frustration at the paucity of workable suggestions by the time they reached dessert and coffee. Half in jest, she blurted, “Can’t you guys do something with this stuff — make a flowerpot or something?” Read More
Manure should never be regarded as waste. It is a necessary part of the cycle of life. The nutrients contained in manure are required for plant growth. It’s a fantastic cycle that most people seem to have forgotten.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Private Info Going Public
EPA to require livestock operation manure plans to be made public
by Leah Beth Ward Yakima Herald-Republic
Large-scale livestock operations on tribal and nontribal land must now submit their manure-management plans for public review under regulations issued Thursday by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
The requirement that the CAFO manure-management plans be open to the public was foreshadowed in a federal court decision in 2007. That ruling was a result of appeals to the 2003 proposed EPA discharge permit by both environmental and industry groups.
Industry groups prevailed on the question of whether dairies had a duty to apply for the new CAFO permits by arguing successfully that they do not discharge into waterways.
As a result, the U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit said CAFO operators can't be required to get a discharge permit if there's only a potential for pollution. Put another way, a dairy that stores manure in lagoons and sprays it on crops is not considered to be discharging. Read More
The EPA wants to allow anyone who requests to do so, the permission to see your nutrient management plan. This is not only a privacy issue, but also a security issue. Anti-livestock groups love to see and report livestock operations that have problems with their systems, such as the rare occurrence of a lagoon that fails. With the type of information that these groups could now get about your system, there is the very real threat of someone trying to sabotage your setup to further their agenda. Allowing these people access to this information could be very dangerous.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Dealing with the EPA
Is the EPA in tight with Obama administration?
By David Kruse
POSTED: November 17, 2008
One guy that will see some job security during the economic recession as a result of the Obama election is Feedstuffs Magazine columnist, Trent Loos. He's a strong advocate for animal agriculture, who loves to torture the Humane Society and their liberal sect.
I suspect the change being planned by the Obama administration is going to include an EPA that doesn't think agriculture deserves special treatment. There is even talk of the appointment of Robert Kennedy Jr., as EPA administrator. Even if it's not Kennedy, as that would be overreaching, it is likely to be an RK Jr.-type. It's not as if environmental rules in agriculture had not been tightening up under George W. They have a lot.
State environmental laws have grown and toughened as well. The worry of livestock producers is that they had a seat at the table when environmental policy was debated and decided by the Bush administration. Policy was science based, real science, not the fruit loop pseudo science promoted by the Wachos.
The Obama campaign promised the science based policy evolution would continue but most livestock groups will believe that only after they prove it. The question that I would ask livestock producers is...are you ready? Read More
Regardless of who you voted for in the recent presidential election, our industry needs to start preparing for the renewed effort to regulate livestock production even further. If you have new representation headed for Washington, DC that you haven’t met, now is the time to start developing those relationships. There aren’t any mind-reading elected officials, so if you want them to know your thoughts on an issue, you need to contact them.
By David Kruse
POSTED: November 17, 2008
One guy that will see some job security during the economic recession as a result of the Obama election is Feedstuffs Magazine columnist, Trent Loos. He's a strong advocate for animal agriculture, who loves to torture the Humane Society and their liberal sect.
I suspect the change being planned by the Obama administration is going to include an EPA that doesn't think agriculture deserves special treatment. There is even talk of the appointment of Robert Kennedy Jr., as EPA administrator. Even if it's not Kennedy, as that would be overreaching, it is likely to be an RK Jr.-type. It's not as if environmental rules in agriculture had not been tightening up under George W. They have a lot.
State environmental laws have grown and toughened as well. The worry of livestock producers is that they had a seat at the table when environmental policy was debated and decided by the Bush administration. Policy was science based, real science, not the fruit loop pseudo science promoted by the Wachos.
The Obama campaign promised the science based policy evolution would continue but most livestock groups will believe that only after they prove it. The question that I would ask livestock producers is...are you ready? Read More
Regardless of who you voted for in the recent presidential election, our industry needs to start preparing for the renewed effort to regulate livestock production even further. If you have new representation headed for Washington, DC that you haven’t met, now is the time to start developing those relationships. There aren’t any mind-reading elected officials, so if you want them to know your thoughts on an issue, you need to contact them.
Monday, September 8, 2008
The Accurate Story of Manure
Manure "smells like money" as energy costs rise
With energy prices driving the cost of agricultural inputs up, nutrient-rich manure is getting another look."
Calls to Extension offices from people looking for manure and manure compost have increased in recent months," says Tommy Bass, Montana State University Extension livestock environment associate specialist.Bass said that this shift in perception is good for water quality, too.
"As manure gains value, it is likely to be used more efficiently and effectively. There's a potential for increased revenue for animal feeding operations," he said. Read More
While there are many people in this country that would like to convince you that manure is toxic waste, they obviously haven’t worked with it or studied how beneficial it is to agriculture. This seems to be aggravating me more and more, this attempt to label manure as nothing but a waste product. There is nothing wasteful about it. This is Mother Nature’s miracle-gro. While we need to make sure that we handle it properly, the benefits that manure can provide us are many, and with things like methane digesters becoming more popular, that list continues to grow.
With energy prices driving the cost of agricultural inputs up, nutrient-rich manure is getting another look."
Calls to Extension offices from people looking for manure and manure compost have increased in recent months," says Tommy Bass, Montana State University Extension livestock environment associate specialist.Bass said that this shift in perception is good for water quality, too.
"As manure gains value, it is likely to be used more efficiently and effectively. There's a potential for increased revenue for animal feeding operations," he said. Read More
While there are many people in this country that would like to convince you that manure is toxic waste, they obviously haven’t worked with it or studied how beneficial it is to agriculture. This seems to be aggravating me more and more, this attempt to label manure as nothing but a waste product. There is nothing wasteful about it. This is Mother Nature’s miracle-gro. While we need to make sure that we handle it properly, the benefits that manure can provide us are many, and with things like methane digesters becoming more popular, that list continues to grow.
Monday, April 14, 2008
New Way to Utilize Phosphorous from Manure
ARS finding ways to mine manure for phosphorus
Friday, April 11, 2008 12:48 PM CDT
Underground phosphorus deposits around the world are mined for use as a much-valued fertilizer. Now Agricultural Research Service (ARS) soil scientists Ariel Szogi, Matias Vanotti and Patrick Hunt have found a way to “mine” the phosphorus in poultry manure.
In 2006, the United States produced 8.9 billion broilers - and piles and piles of residual litter rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. Although poultry litter is typically used by farmers to fertilize their field crops with these two nutrients, it usually contains more phosphorus than the crops need. The excess phosphorus has the potential to wash away and pollute nearby rivers and lakes.
Szogi, Vanotti and Hunt have developed a method to obtain the phosphorus in poultry litter - consisting of a rapid removal and recovery of phosphorus in solid form - which they've dubbed “Quick Wash.” ARS has applied for a patent on this process. Read More
This article shows exactly why manure should not be regarded as waste, but a valuable nutrient resource. It is a valuable commodity that is in demand by crop producers. For anyone who has implemented a nutrient management plan, phosphorous can be one of the more challenging nutrients to manage. If this process gets up and running, it could be beneficial for livestock and crop producers alike.
Friday, April 11, 2008 12:48 PM CDT
Underground phosphorus deposits around the world are mined for use as a much-valued fertilizer. Now Agricultural Research Service (ARS) soil scientists Ariel Szogi, Matias Vanotti and Patrick Hunt have found a way to “mine” the phosphorus in poultry manure.
In 2006, the United States produced 8.9 billion broilers - and piles and piles of residual litter rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. Although poultry litter is typically used by farmers to fertilize their field crops with these two nutrients, it usually contains more phosphorus than the crops need. The excess phosphorus has the potential to wash away and pollute nearby rivers and lakes.
Szogi, Vanotti and Hunt have developed a method to obtain the phosphorus in poultry litter - consisting of a rapid removal and recovery of phosphorus in solid form - which they've dubbed “Quick Wash.” ARS has applied for a patent on this process. Read More
This article shows exactly why manure should not be regarded as waste, but a valuable nutrient resource. It is a valuable commodity that is in demand by crop producers. For anyone who has implemented a nutrient management plan, phosphorous can be one of the more challenging nutrients to manage. If this process gets up and running, it could be beneficial for livestock and crop producers alike.
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