Manure

Spring and fall are busy times of year for agriculture operations, whether preparing fields for the new cropping season or harvesting those crops. In many cases those two times of the year also involve pumping manure to evacuate the pits and fertilize the soil.

Covering manure storage is growing in popularity for a number of reasons, from odor control to minimizing rainwater accumulation to capturing biogas.

When people across the planet were asked to shelter in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, there were some stark changes in the atmosphere.

Last spring, The Yield Lab Institute announced the Manure Innovation Challenge, a startup competition for innovative management technologies and products that relate to manure, wastewater, waste nutrients or emissions.

There were 63 applicants worldwide, and eight of them were chosen to participate in the challenge, where they were provided mentorship, commercial strategy guidance and network access over several months.

Environmental stewardship and sustainability are important factors in business today. Consumers and companies want to purchase products and work with entities that are lessening their impact on the environment.

The answer to the question, “What supports the largest-value agricultural commodity in California?” might come as a surprise. But a farm adviser in the know has the answer and more questions.