Why do Farms Apply Manure By Jay M. Matteson, Jefferson County Agricultural Coordinator
There are 300 family owned and operated dairy farms in Jefferson County. They range in size from 10 to 1600 cows. This is the time of year when dairy farms, whether they are small or large farms, begin applying manure on their fields fertilizing the soil for their crops. Having manure storage lagoons allow farms to apply manure when it is best for the crops to utilize nutrients, minimize environmental impact, and stay in compliance with environmental regulations that dictate when manure can be applied on certain fields at certain times. Very unfortunately, storing manure does cause it to smell horrible. The farmers realize this and look forward to a day when there is a reasonably affordable way to treat manure to eliminate odor. That technology has not been developed yet. We all hope it comes soon. Usually the manure application and odor will last for a few weeks in the spring until the corn is planted. Once planted to corn, the field will not have manure applied on it. A hay field may receive an application of manure early in the spring to help the crop get started growing. After the field is harvested, an application of manure may be made again to help the crop grow for additional harvesting. In the fall, after corn is harvested, an application of manure is usually made preparing the soil for the following year. Dairy farms in NY, according to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, are among the most highly regulated in the U.S. Larger farms, usually 300 cows or more, may be required to comply with Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Regulations administered by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. These regulations require the farm to obtain a comprehensive nutrient management plan (CNMP) developed by a certified planner. The CNMP involves determining soil nutrient requirements, crop nutrient requirements, and the actual nutrient content of the manure. Environmental factors are considered such as field slope, and nearby waterways. The planner then develops an application plan for the farm that dictates when, where, and how much manure can be applied to any given field. I have drastically simplified the process in my explanation, it is more complicated for the planner and farm than what is explained. A CNMP is very expensive. The original plan may cost the farm $10,000 or more and then cost thousands of dollars for yearly updates. Building required practices, such as a manure storage lagoon, may cost the farm nearly $100,000, so they can comply with regulations, produce a high quality crop, and most importantly, be as good an environmental steward as possible. Unfortunately, neighbors don't like the smell of manure and can get quite upset when they don't understand why the farm is doing what they are doing. As a neighbor of a dairy farm with a lagoon, but not a farmer myself, I understand both the neighbors side and the farmers side of the issue. As the cost of commercial fertilizer is skyrocketing, along with many other costs of production for a dairy farmer, their cow manure becomes an increasingly valuable resource. Using it properly, applying it at the right time in the right amount, is even more important than it ever was. Another important fact to remember is that the local dairy farm, no matter the size, is very important to our local economy. Each dairy cow is worth $13,737 to our local economy according to the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence. A 300 cow dairy has a $4.1 million impact on our community per year. Many times local dairies pay the most property and school taxes of any local businesses and provide the highest employment in many rural areas. In Jefferson County, the average hourly rate paid to farm employees is $9.92 per hour plus benefits. Without them, many of our taxes would go up and people would be unemployed. If you want to learn more about Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Regulations, please visit http://www.comefarmwithus.com/ConcentratedAnimalFeedingOperationRegs.htm In 2006, Jefferson County had 30,900 "happy" dairy cows (happy cows live where the temperature stays below 70 degrees) that produced approximately 662 gallons of milk per county resident!
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