Manure

Utilizing manure as fertilizer is one common approach to capturing the inherent value in manure and reducing the costs of off-farm inputs. But the approach has its limitations; particularly in situations where there is more manure than can be responsibly managed on the available land.

There are many things a farmer can do to help the environment. In the dairy industry, utilizing anaerobic digesters to capture methane gas and produce electricity is a primary way to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While dairy farmers can actively take measures to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, those efforts are not always economically viable.

One option often considered for dairy farmers currently operating an anaerobic digestion system is the co-digestion of off-farm substrates.

When Lawnhurst Farms outgrew its bedding recovery unit – a mechanical dryer – it decided it was time to take the next step to produce more bedding for the dairy.

It may not be the most pleasant part of a dairy operation, but it’s one of the most important: What do you do with all that manure?

With nutrient pollution and water quality issues gaining attention in the media, as well as rising costs of fertilizers, retaining nutrients from fall manure is both economically advantageous and environmentally imperative.