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.

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.

Plenty of things have changed in the world of dairy farming. Advancements in milking systems mean that robots, not people, can perform the several-times-per-day task of milking cows.

Manure management are buzzwords that often bring a scowl to the face of a dairyman. It is often due to the huge costs of maintaining a manure system on a dairy, including equipment, personnel, regulatory costs, custom services, nutrient management plans, neighbour relations, odour control, sampling, maintenance, etc.

It would seem fair to say that dairy farms are beneficial to their local communities. Not only do they provide a nutritious food source, but they have contributed nearly 900,000 jobs nationwide.

Operating a biogas plant is a big commitment, but the work comes with a sizable reward. Unlike other renewable energy sources, biogas is largely independent of external influences such as wind or sunlight.