MAKING SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING

The pioneers who settled this country were tough as nails. They left their homes, their occupations, and everyone they knew in search of a piece of land where they could build a house, start a farm, and make a new, hopefully better, life for themselves.

Growing up, I was an avid reader of the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her life was filled with happiness and heartbreak as her family traveled west looking for new opportunities. While I enjoyed her stories, what I didn’t think about at the time was the true bravery of those early pioneers. They traveled by horse-drawn wagons and moved to a plot of land in an unsettled part of the country on a hope and a prayer. They were literally trying to make something out of nothing.

Today’s farmers carry on that tradition, looking for opportunities to grow and develop their farms while feeding animals and making a living off the land. While this generation of farmers is protected from some of the devastating risks the pioneers faced, the current challenges come at a greater size and scale.

One such trial is manure management. Both environmental pressure and legal regulations require farms to handle manure with care, and there is certainly a cost that comes with it. At the very least, a farm must store and then dispose of the manure that is produced. But rather than treat manure as a waste product, there is ample opportunity to turn it into something worthwhile.

Most commonly, manure is used to provide valuable nutrients for growing crops and reduce commercial fertilizer inputs. On some farms, manure becomes even more than that.

From creating energy through anaerobic digestion to turning manure into dry bedding — these are uses of manure our ancestors never dreamed about.

For some, the ability to convert manure into compost, energy, or more can become an unexpected revenue stream, making use of a material on the farm that has to be handled one way or another anyway. For the dairy featured on page 14, a manure separation and water treatment system led to a side business of selling fertilizer for commercial use, and it has become an exciting growth opportunity for this farm.

A “side hustle” can become a lucrative part of an operation. Rather than milk more cows, raise more steers, or feed more pigs or broilers, money can be made from manure if the right tools are in place. A farm’s revenue does not have to exclusively come from selling milk or meat, and manure must be dealt with regardless. It can be a win for the farm and a win for the environment when we expand our manure treatment options.

As we wrap up summer and head into fall, the busy season of harvest will be followed by manure application for many. Make the most of the nutrients that you have captured, and more importantly, stay safe while working those long days and nights.

Until next time,

California

In early June, as many as 650 dairies and around 170 calf and heifer ranches and beef feedlots received certified letters from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. The letter was sent to inform those operations that they must comply with a new regulation dealing with groundwater nitrates.

The next step for these farms will be to join a Nitrate Management Zone. The zones aren’t formed yet, but they will be by early 2021. These local groups will make decisions about supplying safe drinking water in their communities. Farm owners are encouraged to make their voices heard before final decisions are made. More information can be found at bovinermp.org.

placed on winter manure spreading. Resolution for this situation could extend well into next year. The coalition is requesting an injunction to prevent farmers from having to comply with the conditions in the permit.

Wisconsin

In northwestern Wisconsin, the Polk County Environmental Services Committee tabled a new Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) ordinance that was ready to be voted on. Those opposing the ordinance voiced concerns about how allowing large farms to come to the area would affect the local communities. In particular, they disagreed with the rule that farms and manure lagoons only had to be located 200 feet from neighbors and a quarter mile from lakes and rivers. They also criticized the low permit fee.

The committee will look further into the proposed regulations and determine what the next steps should be.

Michigan

A coalition of agriculture groups and individual farmers filed a petition to the Michigan Office of Administrative Appeals on May 26 against the state’s updated general permit for large animal farms. The coalition includes the Michigan Farm Bureau, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Michigan Pork Producers Association, Michigan Allied Poultry Industries, Dairy Farmers of America, Select Milk Producers, Foremost Farms, and more than 120 farmers.

The new regulations are aimed to reduce waterway pollution from manure, but the agriculture community argues that the state overstepped its regulatory authority. In particular, the farm coalition has concerns about the restrictions jofnm.com

Idaho

The University of Idaho has been awarded a research grant of $10 million to make dairy manure more profitable. The five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture supports research focused on converting manure into a more transportable and commercially available fertilizer, plus investigating outlets to sell such products. The study will also fund the development and marketing of biodegradable plastics made from manure.