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

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

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

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

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

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

More and more anaerobic digesters are being built on dairies. These digesters capture carbon from manure as biogas

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.”

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

Manure spills are a real obstacle for any livestock operation and any custom applicator. They may stop application for the day or require outside equipment to be hired for quick cleanup

“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.”

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

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