With spring snowmelt not far off, Wisconsin livestock producers have a useful tool for deciding when and where to land-apply manure while reducing the risk of manure-contaminated runoff. The Wisconsin Manure Management Advisory System "is a set of maps to help farmers and others who apply nutrients to identify suitable cropland areas for spreading. The maps are in two categories: Short-term runoff risk assessment, for daily application planning, and WI 590 nutrient management, for long-term application planning."
Setting up a similar system in Minnesota is being discussed. It would link local geographical data with snow cover and current weather forecasts. It would help remove guesswork from manure management decisions, show accountability for responsible practices, and help achieve water quality goals.
According to the Nutrient Management Code 590 of the Natural Resources Conservation Service: Nutrients must not be surface-applied if nutrient losses offsite are likely. This precludes spreading on:
- frozen and/or snow-covered soils, and
- when the top 2 inches of soil are saturated from rainfall or snow melt.
Exceptions for the above criteria can be made for surface-applied manure when specified conditions are met and adequate conservation measures are installed to prevent the offsite delivery of nutrients.... At a minimum, the following site and management factors must be considered:
- slope,
- organic residue and living covers,
- amount and form of nutrients to be applied, and
- adequate setback distances to protect local water quality.
Wisconsin manure advisory system slide presentation.
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A series of training events have been scheduled for new county feedlot program staff and refresher for others. On March 11 and 12, the program provides an introduction to and overview of the feedlot program. Topics include the delegated county program, permitting and inspection process, and resolving pollution issues. An April 15 session will focus on land application of manure, and April 22, the MPCA's Delta database system. All sessions will be held in the training room of the Kandiyohi County Rescue Building, Willmar. The county feedlot program is a cooperative arrangement between the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and county government to administer Minnesota's feedlot rule. This cooperative program is known as "county delegation" or the "county feedlot program." County feedlot programs are responsible for the implementation of feedlot rules and regulations in 54 Minnesota counties including most of the major feedlot counties.
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Becky Alexander new feedlot tech in Cottonwood
Becky Alexander's
appointment as the county feedlot program technician in Cottonwood County
became official in January. She began working last year in the Cottonwood SWCD
office in Windom along with the previous feedlot tech, Lloyd Kalfs. Her duties
included assisting several counties as Watonwan Watershed Technician with
conservation programs and practices and assisting with the feedlot program
towards the end of the year in 2013. Prior to becoming the Watonwan Watershed
Technician she completed an MS in natural resources-aquatic ecology emphasis
from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In January 2014, she accepted another
position in the Windom office as the Farm Bill Assistant/Program Technician and
her other duties at the Cottonwood SWCD include farm bill assistance such as
RIM and CRP, SSTS, and other SWCD work (eg. tree planting). Contact info: becky.alexander@windomnet.com,
507-831-1153x3.
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Retirement recognition Feb. 28 for Bob Finley
The Mankato MPCA office will be hosting a retirement
recognition for Bob Finley at 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28. Finley joined the MPCA
staff in July 2004 as Southwest Region and feedlot program
manager. Several years later he transferred to the Mankato
office as Southeast Region and south watershed section manager. Previously,
Finley was director of the Water Resources Center at MSU-Mankato. Prior
to that he served as Executive Director of the Redwood-Cottonwood Rivers
Control Area in Redwood Falls.
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Zimmerman moves to East Otter Tail SWCD
Aimee Zimmerman is leaving as CFO in Wadena County for a position as district technician for East Otter Tail SWCD in Perham. She will be working with shoreland,
delegated as the county ag inspector, and assisting with the Wetland Conservation
Act. The Wadena SWCD has announced the job vacancy and will be accepting
applications through Feb. 21 for district technician, delegated as the CFO, ag inspector, and the Wetland
Conservation Act. The link for the announcement can be found at: http://www.macde.us/jobs.htm.
Interim county assignments for MPCA feedlot staff in southeast region
With a compliance and enforcement staff vacancy in St. Paul and temporary re-assignment of Steve Schmidt, county assignments for MPCA southeast regional feedlot staff are as follows: Metro area: Allie Remer, 651-757-2062, or the Mankato office (Sara Isebrand, 507-344-5263 or Dana Leibfried, 507-344-5265). Delegated counties: Carver, Dakota, Wright. Undelegated Counties: Anoka, Chisago, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Washington. Rochester area: Paul Brietzke, 507-206-2616. Delegated counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Wabasha, Winona. Undelegated county: Olmsted. Sara Isebrand, delegated counties: Goodhue, Rice, Steele. Mankato area: Dana Leibfried, delegated counties: Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Martin. Sara Isebrand, delegated counties: Brown, Faribault, Nicollet, Sibley, Waseca, Watonwan.
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The Board of Animal Health has a new look for its website. Visit www.mn.gov/bah
to learn more about the Board's role in safeguarding domestic animal health in
Minnesota. Important
note: Please check your links to documents, forms and
other content within our website and re-link as needed. Links to our home page
should still be functional.
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Submitted by the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine has developed a second porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) diagnostic test to help stem the spread of the virus currently threatening North American swine populations.
The test is the first announced United States PEDV swine herd surveillance test and brings PEDV diagnostic testing up to swine industry disease monitoring standards. This past summer, the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine developed a PEDV diagnostic test that detected the presence of the virus. This second test can detect evidence of the virus and is a very precise tool to detect a history of exposure to the virus.
Visit the University of Minnesota's website to read the full story.
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The Minnkota Agri-Builders and Equipment Suppliers Association 2014 meeting will be Thursday and Friday, March 13 and 14, at the Prairie's Edge Casino near Granite Falls. Registration opens at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. At 12:30 p.m., a representative from Riverview Farms will give a preview of a tour of calf facilities. Friday's program topics include: Manure pit foaming, beef housing systems, SDSU swine research facility, energy projects, and guidelines for builders and suppliers working in contagious disease areas. The Minnkota Agri-Builders and Equipment Association helps agricultural builders, equipment suppliers, contractors and consultants keep up with the latest information in ag construction. Organized by Larry Jacobson, University of Minnesota professor and Extension engineer in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, and Steve Pohl, South Dakota State University Ag and Biosystems Engineer, the association offers animal agriculture building updates at an annual symposium each March.
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Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center
Biomass gasification is a well-developed technology that has the potential
to convert various feed stocks into value added products for on-farm heat
generation and carbon sequestration. The availability of on-farm gasifiers that
can handle diverse feed stocks is limited and represents a hurdle to the
widespread utilization. Join us as Dr. Samy Sadaka (University of Arkansas)
discusses his research and some of the prospects for this technology. Feb. 28, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. More...
Future
Topics
March
7 - Water Quality Index for Agricultural Runoff
March 21 - On-Farm Manure Research Results (applying manure to standing crops)
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The spring series of soil, water, climate seminars sponsored by the U of M Dept. of Soil, Water and Climate, continues Feb. 26, 3:30-4:30 p.m. in 375 Borlaug Hall on the St. Paul campus. The speaker will be Dan Jaynes, Iowa State University, about field-edge practices to reduce nitrate losses to surface waters from tile-drained fields. List of speakers for the Spring 2014 seminar series.
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What you need to know about late winter manure application Wisconsin Discovery Farms MDA seeks applicants for ag water quality committee The Farmer, 2/7/14 U of M study finds fertilization destabilizes global grassland ecosystems News release, 2/16/14
Feb. 25-27: Central Minnesota Farm Show, River's Edge
Convention Center, St. Cloud.
March 11-12: Willmar Ag Show, Willmar civic center. March 13-14: MinnKota Agri-Builders, Prairie's Edge, Granite Falls.
March 18-20: Midwest Poultry Federation convention, St.
Paul RiverCentre.
April 25-27: Minnesota Horse Expo, state fairgrounds
coliseum.
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The MPCA Feedlot Update
welcomes news submissifrom partners about, projects, people, and upcoming
events. Email submissions to forrest.peterson@state.mn.us. Please note that
the MPCA has switched to a new service, called GovDelivery, to deliver the
Feedlot Update. To ensure delivery of these messages, please add mpca@public.govdelivery.com to
your address book or safe sender list. Past issues of Feedlot Update are
available on the feedlot program publications webpage.
Forrest
Peterson
Public Information
Officer
MPCA-Willmar office
320-441-6972
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