Abby Bauer, Editor

Abby Bauer serves as the managing editor for the Journal of Nutrient Management.

Abby grew up on a dairy farm near Plymouth, Wis. She received a master’s degree from North Carolina State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

She previously served as a University of Wisconsin agricultural extension agent. She co-chaired the first three Midwest Manure Summits held in Green Bay, Wis.

Small but mighty

First Thoughts

There are certain jobs young children tend to gravitate toward when asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Doctor, teacher, and fireman are common responses. Some aim...

Moving down the manure pipeline

Storage

When a window of opportunity opens to empty out a farm’s manure storage, the yard is suddenly filled with a buzz of activity. Soon, filled tankers will head down the country roads to move manure...

A story about sludge

On The Move

It lurks beneath the surface of every manure lagoon or anaerobic digester. Sludge, an unavoidable part of manure storage and treatment, is a manure by-product that is lower in organic matter

Working in harmony

Dairy

Manure handling starts with the animal, but the end user is an essential part of the equation

Words of wisdom

First Thoughts

Advice can be a tricky thing. Opinions and recommendations may be offered with the best of intentions, but the person on the receiving end could interpret the sentiments differently. The best advice o

Committed to memory

First Thoughts

When I was in middle school, the barn on my family’s dairy burned down. Most of the cows escaped, but the entire wooden part of the hip roof barn was gone, leaving just the brick walls standing

Low disturbance application opens doors

Application

Aaron Augustian said he and his brother, Todd, were looking to try something different with manure application when they were asked to join the Great Lakes Demonstration Farms Network a few years ago

Time to shine

First Thoughts

Anyone paying the bills to fertilize fields, heat a home, or both knows that those expenses have been draining more from the bank account as of late

Spreading nutrients & goodwill

Swine

“Families Feeding Families” is the motto that emerged as Dale and Laura Reicks grew their hog operation from scratch

Put your best foot forward

On The Move

No farm or custom manure applicator wants to experience a manure spill incident, but accidents happen. Rather than finding yourself thrown into the unwanted spotlight with no plan in place

A farmer’s view on feeding to cut emissions

Environment

As the number of food companies, restaurant chains, and national organizations making commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions continues to grow, it is likely that farmers will be asked to

Get the sample you need

Journal of Nutrient Management

To make the most of manure that is going to be used as fertilizer, analyzing the nutrient content first is a must. Collecting a representative sample is key to this process

Partners in progress

Journal of Nutrient Management

“A farm should be built around the manure system,” is the advice dairyman Jim Winn would give to someone planning to build a new dairy. “It’s the most important part.”

The perfect package

First Thoughts

We all know that what’s on the inside is what really counts. Still, presentation and packaging often make a big difference in how something is perceived and accepted

New neighbors

First Thoughts

A day I had hoped was in the much more distant future has arrived. An excavating crew laid the groundwork for a new road that will be built in the field that has been my backyard view

Look before leaping into renewable natural gas

Nutrient Management

A newer opportunity in the sustainable energy space is the production of renewable natural gas, or RNG, which is created from organic materials such as food waste or animal manure

Thinking outside the box

Nutrient Management

Dairy farmer Dean Swager isn’t one to just maintain the status quo. “If we can do something better, God gave us an opportunity to learn more and be better in our lives,” he said

Don’t become a statistic

On The Move

Like many employed in an agriculture career, custom manure applicators find themselves working long hours and in stressful situations. When the pressure is on, it is easy to want to cut corners to get

Composting is an art

Nutrient Management

Manure composting uses microbes that already exist in manure to break down organic matter such as manure and bedding, and it requires certain conditions to be successful

Digesting their way

Nutrient Management

For several years, Nick Dallmann was interested in adding an anaerobic digester to his family’s dairy farm. “I knew some other people who had one, and I saw the benefits from having a digester,”

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