Historically, reduced tillage — defined as tillage that maintains plant surface residue and where nutrients are surface applied — was touted as the solution for phosphorus loss from agricultural

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are intensely managed production systems that allow for improved efficiency and better care of the animals. Manure from these systems must also be intens

Congress passed and President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act on August 7, 2022. This legislation is basically the U.S. Senate’s version of the Build Back Better Act the House passed earlie

Global warming is the rise in heat retention within the atmosphere, caused by the buildup of greenhouse gas (GHG). The consequence of global warming is climate change, which in practice results in the

We live at a time where memes — amusing or interesting photos or videos that are shared online — communicate sentiments in a new way. In a world with pandemics, an ever-growing political divide,

Farming is nothing new for the Roche family, who has been raising livestock and growing crops at their farm in southeastern Wisconsin for 170 years. What has changed in recent years

Over the years, the University of Wisconsin Division of Extension Discovery Farms Program has shared lessons learned from nutrient applications on frozen soil

Pulling a quality soil sample is rule number one of soil analysis. The most accurate laboratory in the world cannot accurately evaluate anything without a quality, representative sample

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

I’ve written numerous articles and made many presentations extolling the virtues of manure. Yes, we know it has some unpleasant characteristics and can be dangerous when not respected, but when well

Careful manure management is a principle of farm profitability and environmental stewardship. Thinking critically about your nutrient management plan can help protect your fields

For years, cover crops have been touted as a way to protect water quality among other benefits, such as soil health, a forage source, and carbon sequestration

The Washington Department of Ecology is proposing updates to the state’s Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) water quality permit. Several of the proposed updates are in response to a decis

This summer, Dutch farmers have been protesting at the nation’s parliament building and beyond in response to government proposals intended to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions

I recently helped a client work through a regulatory quagmire. The violation was a storage pond freeboard exceedance. The resolution was application of manure on cropland — two months later. An anti

Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued a general permit to a Smithfield hog feeding operation in the north central part of the state. Environmentalists and others opposed to the

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal recently about how food is produced and labeled. The following statement raised my ire: “Confinement livestock operations have polluted ground and surfac

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is undoubtedly the most dangerous gas associated with manure storage and handling. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lists acceptable exposu

When in Wisconsin a number of years ago, I had the opportunity to tour the Dane County Community Digester, which produces biogas (a mixture of high-energy methane and no-energy carbon dioxide)

The agriculture community continuously adapts to fulfill the ever-growing desires and needs of society. This willingness to try innovative practices that protect soil and water resources