Worldwide, the dairy industry has grown into a US$720 billion entity. Environmental concerns, sustainability issues, and increasingly stringent regulations have made manure management a top priority for dairy farmers, who can now turn to automation for solutions to these challenges. Nutrient recovery from manure not only reduces environmental impact but can also produce revenue through by-product sales and reduced water management expenditures. Designed, developed, and manufactured in BC, the Valid™ Nutrient Recovery System is an effective solution for manure management and nutrient recovery.
The Challenges of Manure Management
The dairy industry constantly strives to optimize operations and to reduce the costs associated with manure management. New, stricter government regulations are forcing dairy farmers to ensure that nutrient levels in their soil do not become a source of dangerous contamination for surrounding land and streams. Nutrient runoff into streams and lakes can cause toxic algal blooms that are harmful to both aquatic life and to people. Having an effective nutrient recovery strategy is critical to meet these regulations and to protect the environment. Dairy farmers can now invest in specialized equipment that will remove nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) from the manure stream, thereby reducing excess nutrient levels in their farmland.
Sustainable growth is another significant concern for today’s dairy industry. Farmers looking to increase herd size must have a plan for the increased manure load. Unfortunately, opportunities to acquire additional, workable land are scarce. Farmers must look for ways to reduce manure storage requirements within their existing footprint.
The rapid pace of technology change makes investment in new equipment challenging for today's farmers, in terms of decision-making and finances. Without a solid ROI (return-on-investment), many farmers cannot justify specialized equipment upgrades.
Non-Centrifuge Manure Management
For larger farms, the traditional practice of spreading raw manure onto crop fields is no longer an effective solution for manure management. Manure spreading in highly-populated regions is restricted to a 6-month window between March and October, which creates additional land and storage concerns. Older technologies, such as screen presses, are less efficient than centrifuge-based systems, and they also require multiple pieces of machinery.
The article, “Dairy and swine manure management – Challenges and perspectives for sustainable treatment technology,” highlights how essential it is for farmers to invest in technologically-advanced manure-management systems. Economic constraints and local farming practices are key considerations, and they can guide the selection of an appropriate manure-management system.
Automation: An Effective Manure-Management Strategy
Nutrient recovery systems now use centrifuge technology to remove nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) from manure through mechanical separation. This process produces a dry, stackable product that is easily transported, and one that greatly reduces waste removal, storage, and transportation costs. This dry matter can be sold for use in areas with low soil-nutrient levels, creating an additional revenue stream for the farm. Tracking and balancing nutrient levels in the soil also prevents the runoff of excess NPK into waterways. As an alternative technology for managing slurry, use of a centrifuge-based system allows dairy farmers to achieve growth without the requirement for additional land.
A 2017 study, funded in part by the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia, the B.C. Dairy Association, and the B.C. Agricultural Research and Development Corporation, tested the suitability and effectiveness of a centrifuge on dairy farms. The seven participating farms all used sawdust bedding and were provided with a centrifuge. Each farm ran their centrifuge at different spin speeds and infeed rates to determine the optimal settings for maximum extraction of NPK. Results from the study demonstrated that centrifuges were an effective manure-management strategy, with consistent nutrient extraction rates of 50-60%. The study further concluded that “At this level of phosphorus extraction, most B.C. dairy farmers should be able to reduce excess soil phosphorus levels, meet the requirements of a nutrient management plan, be in align [sic] with potential future nutrient management regulations, and even increase their herd size, without having to purchase or rent additional land.”
What Makes the Valid™ Nutrient Recovery System Unique?
With Valid’s Nutrient Recovery System, farmers are able to reduce solids content going into long-term storage to as low as 3% by volume, dramatically reducing long-term storage requirements and lagoon maintenance. Valid’s Nutrient Recovery System has proven to be 50-60% more efficient at removing nutrients from manure than conventional separation systems.
Designed, developed, and manufactured in BC with support from the BC Dairy Association (Dairy Industry Research and Education Committee) and the Investment Agriculture Foundation (IAF), the Valid™ Nutrient Recovery System is an effective solution for manure management. Valid’s engineers worked closely with industry professionals to produce an efficient and customizable Nutrient Recovery System. The average BC dairy farm has between 80 to 200 head of cattle. Unlike most nutrient recovery systems that are designed for much larger herd sizes, the Valid™ Nutrient Recovery System is purpose-built for small to medium-sized herds, and it can easily be optimized and scaled for larger farms.
Valid’s Nutrient Recovery System is designed to integrate seamlessly with a farm's existing operations. Engineered to reduce the number of processing steps, the system eliminates the need for pre-separation, thus shortening process time, and reducing equipment and footprint requirements.
Valid™ offers online remote monitoring and remote firmware updates, providing up-to-the-minute data to farmers about the status of the system's operations. At Valid Manufacturing Ltd, we pride ourselves on exceptional customer service, and our after-sales team is available to support farms that have purchased Valid™ Nutrient Recovery Systems.
Connect with Valid Manufacturing Ltd.
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/valid-manufacturing-ltd-
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ValidManufactu1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/validmanufacturing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/validmanufacturing
Progressive Dairy
Worldwide, the dairy industry has grown into a US$720 billion entity. Environmental concerns, sustainability issues, and increasingly stringent regulations have made manure management a top priority for dairy farmers, who can now turn to automation for solutions to these challenges. Nutrient recovery from manure not only reduces environmental impact but can also produce revenue through by-product sales and reduced water management expenditures. Designed, developed, and manufactured in BC, the Valid™ Nutrient Recovery System is an effective solution for manure management and nutrient recovery.
The Challenges of Manure Management
The dairy industry constantly strives to optimize operations and to reduce the costs associated with manure management. New, stricter government regulations are forcing dairy farmers to ensure that nutrient levels in their soil do not become a source of dangerous contamination for surrounding land and streams. Nutrient runoff into streams and lakes can cause toxic algal blooms that are harmful to both aquatic life and to people. Having an effective nutrient recovery strategy is critical to meet these regulations and to protect the environment. Dairy farmers can now invest in specialized equipment that will remove nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) from the manure stream, thereby reducing excess nutrient levels in their farmland.
Sustainable growth is another significant concern for today’s dairy industry. Farmers looking to increase herd size must have a plan for the increased manure load. Unfortunately, opportunities to acquire additional, workable land are scarce. Farmers must look for ways to reduce manure storage requirements within their existing footprint.
The rapid pace of technology change makes investment in new equipment challenging for today's farmers, in terms of decision-making and finances. Without a solid ROI (return-on-investment), many farmers cannot justify specialized equipment upgrades.
Non-Centrifuge Manure Management
For larger farms, the traditional practice of spreading raw manure onto crop fields is no longer an effective solution for manure management. Manure spreading in highly-populated regions is restricted to a 6-month window between March and October, which creates additional land and storage concerns. Older technologies, such as screen presses, are less efficient than centrifuge-based systems, and they also require multiple pieces of machinery.
The article, “Dairy and swine manure management – Challenges and perspectives for sustainable treatment technology,” highlights how essential it is for farmers to invest in technologically-advanced manure-management systems. Economic constraints and local farming practices are key considerations, and they can guide the selection of an appropriate manure-management system.
Automation: An Effective Manure-Management Strategy
Nutrient recovery systems now use centrifuge technology to remove nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) from manure through mechanical separation. This process produces a dry, stackable product that is easily transported, and one that greatly reduces waste removal, storage, and transportation costs. This dry matter can be sold for use in areas with low soil-nutrient levels, creating an additional revenue stream for the farm. Tracking and balancing nutrient levels in the soil also prevents the runoff of excess NPK into waterways. As an alternative technology for managing slurry, use of a centrifuge-based system allows dairy farmers to achieve growth without the requirement for additional land.
A 2017 study, funded in part by the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia, the B.C. Dairy Association, and the B.C. Agricultural Research and Development Corporation, tested the suitability and effectiveness of a centrifuge on dairy farms. The seven participating farms all used sawdust bedding and were provided with a centrifuge. Each farm ran their centrifuge at different spin speeds and infeed rates to determine the optimal settings for maximum extraction of NPK. Results from the study demonstrated that centrifuges were an effective manure-management strategy, with consistent nutrient extraction rates of 50-60%. The study further concluded that “At this level of phosphorus extraction, most B.C. dairy farmers should be able to reduce excess soil phosphorus levels, meet the requirements of a nutrient management plan, be in align [sic] with potential future nutrient management regulations, and even increase their herd size, without having to purchase or rent additional land.”
What Makes the Valid™ Nutrient Recovery System Unique?
With Valid’s Nutrient Recovery System, farmers are able to reduce solids content going into long-term storage to as low as 3% by volume, dramatically reducing long-term storage requirements and lagoon maintenance. Valid’s Nutrient Recovery System has proven to be 50-60% more efficient at removing nutrients from manure than conventional separation systems.
Designed, developed, and manufactured in BC with support from the BC Dairy Association (Dairy Industry Research and Education Committee) and the Investment Agriculture Foundation (IAF), the Valid™ Nutrient Recovery System is an effective solution for manure management. Valid’s engineers worked closely with industry professionals to produce an efficient and customizable Nutrient Recovery System. The average BC dairy farm has between 80 to 200 head of cattle. Unlike most nutrient recovery systems that are designed for much larger herd sizes, the Valid™ Nutrient Recovery System is purpose-built for small to medium-sized herds, and it can easily be optimized and scaled for larger farms.
Valid’s Nutrient Recovery System is designed to integrate seamlessly with a farm's existing operations. Engineered to reduce the number of processing steps, the system eliminates the need for pre-separation, thus shortening process time, and reducing equipment and footprint requirements.
Valid™ offers online remote monitoring and remote firmware updates, providing up-to-the-minute data to farmers about the status of the system's operations. At Valid Manufacturing Ltd, we pride ourselves on exceptional customer service, and our after-sales team is available to support farms that have purchased Valid™ Nutrient Recovery Systems.
Connect with Valid Manufacturing Ltd.
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/valid-manufacturing-ltd-
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ValidManufactu1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/validmanufacturing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/validmanufacturing