When discussing feedlot profitability, producers may often talk about the cost of gain or break-even costs. If manure enters the discussion, it is often referred to as an expense

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

Mitigating phosphorus loss from cropland is often a balancing act, with numerous environmental and management factors interacting simultaneously

One of the enigmas of manure management is how to account for the nitrogen it provides after application. Some discount it altogether, assuming it has either all been lost or simply “unavailable.”

Soil productivity is a function of several interacting factors including parent material, soil texture, drainage, pH, nutrient levels, and soil organic matter content

“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.”

I have developed countless manure management plans over the past 44 years. They all boil down to three basic principles: quantity, quality, and opportunity

As fertilizer prices climb and concerns about supply shortages loom, manure is an even more valuable nutrient source this fall

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

Nutrient applications, from either manure or fertilizer, come with an ever-growing list of items to consider before, during, and after application

Manure collected from open lot animal housing systems varies due to weather conditions, management of cattle and pens, and other factors resulting in substantial changes in manure characteristics

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,”

When it comes to accidents that lead to manure spilling where it doesn’t belong, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension specialist Kevin Erb asks farmers to remember this

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), soil health is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living system, within ecosystem and land-use boundaries

Over 40 years ago, I told a client not to put any fertilizer on his corn crop — zero — after a liberal application of poultry manure. Five months later, a record corn yield was seen

Interpreting manure analysis reports may seem to practically require a doctorate degree. Confusing is just the tip of the iceberg of obstacles one might face when navigating through the ocean of information

The author is a senior extension associate for Penn State University.Legislated mandatory certification of custom applicators in Pennsylvania began in 2006 with a unique five-level educational format.

Wow! Thats about all I can say about this fall manure application season. It is truly the tale of two different worlds

Biochar is a carbon-based product resulting from pyrolysis, where feedstocks (wood chips, corncobs, or even manure solids, for example) are heated without oxygen to high temperatures to produce oils

Corn silage production offers a great opportunity to plant cover crops for erosion control and water quality benefits. In Northern climates, cover crops can be hard to establish following grain harvest