Manure

Kevin Erb, a conservation professional training coordinator with the University of Wisconsin Extension, directed a simulated manure spill during the 2015 North American Manure Expo, held recently in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

In partial response to the energy crisis in the early 1970s, anaerobic digesters were installed at nearly 200 dairy farms across the U.S., only for the vast majority of these systems to shut down or fail after just a few years of operation.

However, with improvements in anaerobic digester technology, as well as a better understanding of the anaerobic digestion process, there was a resurgence of anaerobic digesters being installed on large dairy farms beginning in the late 1990s and continuing to this day.

When removing manure from a storage pit, it typically must be agitated to minimize solids accumulation and create a uniform fertilizer for field application. However, the act of agitation can destroy certain storage liners if its features aren’t taken into consideration.

How much does dealing with manure cost you? Many dairy producers can’t answer that question, and seldom do producers consider their manure management costs per hundredweight (cwt) of milk like they do with their other costs.

Since 2000, anaerobic digesters on livestock farms have reduced greenhouse gas emission by 19 millionmetric tons of CO2 equivalent. That reduction is equivalent to other potential reductions or mitigations listed in the PDF below.

When Bobby Jacquier’s grandfather Robert Jacquier first established Laurelbrook Farm in 1948 in East Canaan, Connecticut, the area was an excellent place for a budding dairy farm.

Over the years, however, the operation has not only faced the challenges of an expanding business but an expanding local population and increased regulations as well. To meet these challenges, the Jacquiers have taken a somewhat unusual route: compost.