SMALL BUT MIGHTY

There are certain jobs young children tend to gravitate toward when asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Doctor, teacher, and fireman are common responses. Some aim more for celebrity status, with aspirations to become a movie star, singer, or professional athlete. For kids growing up around agriculture, farmer or veterinarian usually top the list.

As high school graduation nears, young people tend to narrow down their career aspirations to something a tad less glamorous than becoming the next Taylor Swift or Tom Brady. When I think of my fellow dairy science classmates, most were headed down a path toward genetics, nutrition, or communications.

Few young people set their eager eyes on a career in manure handling or nutrient management, but I would argue that more probably should. It truly is an area of agriculture that is filled with potential, and it affects farms — and communities — of all sizes across the country and around the world.

This very specific area of farm management has broad implications. Of course, there is the direct storage, handling, and application of manure, but it is so much more than that. There are people studying crops and soils to determine how farms can best utilize these nutrients. Others are engineering new solutions for handling manure and updating old equipment to meet the needs of today’s farmers. People are inventing completely new ways to work with manure, and then individuals at universities are studying these new technologies. Companies are manufacturing products that reduce the volume and odor. Positions connected to the manure space tie into environmental issues and sustainability. Or, if one wants to pursue a career in regulation or law, manure certainly involves that.

This past year saw the return of more in-person events, some that had been sidelined for a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meetings like the Waste to Worth conference and the Texas Animal Manure Management Issues conference were a gathering of the minds for people who work with manure and nutrients. It was energiz- ing for me to see these academic experts come together, a small fraternity of sorts, bonded by the work they do to study this valuable by-product and help farmers make the most of it.

Some manure specialists have desks in an agricultural engineering department, while others are linked to their soils or agronomy colleagues. Some are more focused on studying the nutrients found in manure; others evaluate technology that can be used to help process it.

Like many areas of agricultural research, there are bright young minds getting into the field, but they don’t seem to outnumber the seasoned veterans who already spent a career dedicated to this area of study and will be heading to retirement sooner rather than later. New talent waiting in the wings will help keep these important positions filled in the future.

A similar assessment could be made about the area of nutrient management in general. From manure haulers to laboratory techs to manure equipment salespeople, there are many services needed by farmers, and it will require the next generation of the workforce to embrace this line of work. Those interested in this field may be small in number, but their impact is mighty.

If you know a young person trying to find their path in the agriculture world, encourage them to give manure and nutrient management a look. I can’t promise they’ll come home with clean clothes every day but there is tremendous opportunity to help farmers and be involved with exciting changes in the future. Who knows what we’ll be able to do with manure next, but what we know right now is that proper manure management is important to everyone.

Until next time, Abby

California

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) awarded $37.65 million in grant funding to 41 methane reduction projects across the state. In total, these projects are estimated to cut annual greenhouse gas emissions in The Golden State by 233,393 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

These projects are part of the Alternative Manure Management Program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from manure produced by dairy and livestock farms. Including this latest round of grants, 273 projects have received funding since 2015, and these projects reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 2,555,727 metric tons per year, which the CDFA says is equivalent to removing more than 550,600 cars from the road.

Wisconsin

The 2023 budget for Dane County, Wisconsin, includes $3 million to study the feasibility of opening a commercial grade, community scale manure processing plant and funding to acquire a site for this potential development.

In a press release, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said that the county had done a lot over the past decade to address the root cause of excessive algae growth in the Yahara Chain of Lakes, but a grander scale solution is needed to reach the county’s phosphorus runoff reduction goals. Dane County — home to Madison, the state’s capital — is still a major player in dairy and other agricultural commodities. This new manure processing plant, in combination with two existing digesters in the county, would treat approximately 400 million gallons of manure each year from about 40,000 cows.

Delaware

An emergency order approved by members of the Delaware Nutrient Management Commission will allow for a 180-day extension of properly staged poultry litter in state fields. The order took effect on November 1.

This follows last spring’s order by the Delaware Department of Agriculture to restrict the movement and application of poultry litter in two counties to control the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The ability to stage litter in preparation for spring application will help farmers who faced storage limitations while still reducing litter movement when HPAI risk is anticipated to be greatest.

United States

Included in the Inflation Reduction Act is $40 billion over the next 10 years directed toward existing voluntary programs promoting climate-smart agriculture, rural energy efficiency and reliability, forest conservation, and more. Around half of those dollars will support Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) programs. The remaining funds will support programs that improve land health, water quality, and the economic stability and climate resilience of farming operations.

For agriculture, funds will be used to streamline nutrient management planning, provide technical assistance for conservation programs, and support a program to quantify carbon sequestration and carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions. More specifically, $8.45 billion will be allocated to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP); $4.95 billion for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP); $3.25 billion for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP); and $1.4 billion for the Agricultural Conservation Easement

Program (ACEP). The Rural Energy for American Program (REAP) will also receive funds to support the generation, storage, and use of renewable energy.

As part of the nutrient management initiative, the USDA will conduct an outreach campaign to highlight the ways nutrient management can contribute to a farm’s bottom line. An estimated 89 million acres of cropland across the country exceed the nitrogen loss threshold, and implementation of nutrient management plans for these acres would result in more efficient use of resources and could save farmers $2.6 billion, along with reducing nutrients that end up in ground and surface waters.

The Biden-Harris Administration made $500 million in grants available through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program to increase American-made fertilizers. The goal is to spur competition and combat record-high prices. According to the USDA, the grants will be used to support independent, innovative, and sustainable American fertilizer production. The funds will also expand the manufacturing of fertilizer and nutrient alternatives.

The Netherlands

The Dutch agriculture minister resigned unexpectedly following a turbulent summer of protests by farmers in opposition to a court ruling that required farms to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Dutch government allocated an extra $24.2 billion to work toward this goal, but a mid-September deadline to present a plan for the transition away from intensive farming practices was not met by the agriculture minister.

Henk Staghouwer announced his decision in September after holding the position for only nine months, telling reporters that he wasn’t the right person for the job. The position will temporarily be filled by the former agricultural minister, Carola Schouten.