Feedlot Update Sept. 13, 2011

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Feedlot Update

Sept. 13, 2011

Interesting topics and tour lined up for MACFO conference

An agenda packed with interesting topics and tour await county feedlot officers planning to attend the annual convention of the Minnesota Association of County Feedlot Officers. It will be Oct. 18-20 at the River Port in Winona. Following an MPCA update, Sens. Dan Sparks and Jeremy Miller will give a legislative update. The afternoon session features a panel discussion with representatives from Land Stewardship Project, SE Ag. Alliance, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, and Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association. On Wednesday there will be tour of a Wisconsin Discovery Farm. Thursday morning there will be a panel on crop nutrient needs.

Fall is the time to sample and analyze manure

Fall is a good time to sample and analyze manure for nutrient content. Manure from all storage areas storing manure produced by more than 100 animal units must be tested by the feedlot owner for nitrogen and phosphorus content at least once every four years, given the following requirements have been met:

1.      For feedlots with 300 or more animal units that are not required to have an National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, three years of annual testing have been conducted in the past and the results have been consistent.
2.      Additional samples are taken and manure tested whenever there are changes in manure nutrient content due to unusual climatic conditions or changes in manure storage and handling, livestock types, or feed.

Only the individual storage areas that hold manure from more than 100 animal units must be tested. For example, testing is not required for each small stockpile generated by less than 100 animal units

Laboratories certified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) or MPCA approved on-farm sampling and analysis must be used. A list of laboratories providing manure testing services can be obtained at the MDA website.
manure testing

Record-keeping an important part of manure management

Keeping records of certain manure application practices is required for all feedlot facilities with 100 or more animal units, even when a manure management plan is not required. Forms and spreadsheets for keeping required records are available from the MPCA.

Good records are important to account for second-year nitrogen from manure applications. Records also allow better estimates to be made of total manure nutrients generated at the farm, thus aiding in future planning efforts

Manure application records must be kept for the most recent three years, except that records must be kept for six years at NPDES-permitted feedlots and when manure is applied at any site within 300 feet of lakes, streams, intermittent streams, drainage ditches that are not protected by berms or DNR-protected wetlands. Manure management plan fact sheet.

Record-keeping instructions

Record-keeping form:

Records for transferred manure

Where ownership of manure is transferred for application to fields not owned or leased by the feedlot owner, the manager of the cropland where manure is applied and the feedlot owner must keep records where the manure is produced

Commercial applicators spreading manure onto land not owned or leased by the owner of the feedlot from which the manure is produced shall also keep a copy of the records. A copy of these records must be submitted to the owner of the animal feedlot or the manure storage area from which the manure is produced, no later than 60 days following land application.

Transferred manure record-keeping instructions:

Transfer Record Form:
dairy record-keeping

Manure expo presentation: Spreading manure in winter

A video was recorded from a live presentation July 20 on spreading manure in winter at the 2011 North American Manure Expo. Kevan Klingberg, University of Wisconsin Discovery Farms discusses how application of manure on frozen and snow-covered soils became such a hot issue. He also explains their research program that monitors surface water quality on commercial farms.  Lastly, he discusses the results of the research and how that information is being used to make management decisions on farms.  Note: The recording volume was set high on these segments. Start with your speaker volume on low and move it louder if needed.  Video webpage.

WebEx training for CFOs Sept. 13 and 14

The Feedlot Training and Communication Team is hosting WebEx meetings Sept. 13 and 14 for county feedlot officers (CFOs). It will cover recent events related to the feedlot program and in response to the training topic survey of CFOs in May. Brad Carlson, University of Minnesota Extension Educator, will be talking about “Manure Applications, Drainage and Water Quality. For more information, contact Courtney Ahlers, courtney.ahlers@state.mn.us. 

Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center News

LPE Webinar: Findings of air emissions monitoring study

In 2007 the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study (NAEMS) was initiated by a consent agreement between certain animal commodity groups and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose was to measure emissions of regulated gases from representative livestock and poultry facilities and improve the state of knowledge of agricultural air emissions. Now the monitoring is complete and the data has been turned over to the EPA. Join in as Al Heber, Purdue University professor, and Erin Cortus, Extension specialist at South Dakota State University, highlight the results of this multi-species study and offer their perspectives. Rick Stowell from the University of Nebraska will moderate the discussion. Webinar - Friday, Sept. 16, 1:30 p.m.

October Webcast: Proper lagoon closure

1:30 p.m., Oct. 21, 2011: When confined animal facilities cease operation, earthen manure storage and treatment structures must be closed properly to ensure that they pose little risk to the environment. Surface water and groundwater must be protected from manure and wastewater during and after closure of lagoons, settling basins and waste storage ponds. Speakers are: Karl Vandevender, University of Arkansas; Thomas Bass, Montana State University; Catherine Nash, USDA NRCS; Jeremy Seiger, USA EPA Region 6; Terry Medley, KS Dept of Health and the Environment; and Saqib Mukhtar, Texas AgriLife Extension. Look for the flyer to be posted soon at: Upcoming Webcasts.

Legacy grant, ag BMP loan fund improvements at Fillmore County feedlot

A feedlot project completed in Fillmore County is part of a larger effort to restore water quality in the Root River, and it demonstrates how local and state government agencies have worked together to help landowners finance environmental improvements. The Fillmore Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) had been working with a producer for a couple of years to develop a plan to bring the feedlot into compliance and to sign up for funding to make the project financially feasible.  The feedlot is located in an impaired watershed, making it a high priority project for the Clean Water Fund Competitive Grant program. The program is funded through the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment and administered by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). More about this project on BWSR webpage.

Snap Survey to gauge need for reprints

County feedlot staff soon will be receiving a Snap Survey via e-mail about feedlot program publications. Supplies of a number of useful publications are low or depleted. The survey will also seek input about possible funding sources for re-prints. The publications are primarily used for distribution to livestock producers.

Publications listed in the survey include: Applying Manure in Sensitive Areas, Manure Application Rate Guide, Manure Nutrient Management-Short Plan, manure application setbacks (magnet, shown here), and Composting Animal Mortalities. Results of the survey and discussion will occur at the MACFO convention Oct. 18-20.
setbacks magnet

CFO Toolbox gets updates prior to Sept. 27 training

The CFO Toolbox webpage is being updated prior to the county feedlot staff training scheduled for Sept. 27 in the MPCA St. Paul office. The training is geared for new county feedlot staff, and as a refresher for others. The Training and Communications Team has been going through the Toolbox webpage to identify needed updates, such as link corrections and document changes. Delta database documents for county staff have been moved from the Training webpage to the Toolbox page. Launched several years ago, the Toolbox webpage replaces a printed training manual, providing a more efficient and cost-effective training tool. If you see any needed changes or corrections, please contact Lenny Hulburt, Waseca County, lenny.hulburt@co.waseca.mn.us. 507-835-0652; or Forrest Peterson, MPCA-Willmar, forrest.peterson@state.mn.us. 320-441-6972.

County profile: Morrison - Darrin Welle

Despite being No. 3 among Minnesota counties in dairy production, 2011 marks the first time Morrison County can claim Princess Kay of the Milky Way, according to County Feedlot Officer Darrin Welle. Mary Zahurones, an 18-year-old college student from Pierz, was crowned the 58th Princess Kay of the Milky Way Aug. 24 at the Minnesota State Fair. In terms of livestock, Morrison County "has a little bit of everything" among its 692 registered feedlots with poultry, dairy and beef, Darrin says. He is very familiar with one of them, the 55-cow dairy north of Little Falls were he grew up, and still helps out with chores.

Darrin joined the Morrison County Planning and Zoning office staff Aug. 2, following a year with the Big Stone County SWCD. He graduated from St. Cloud State in 2010 with an environmental studies major and GIS minor. Returning to Morrison County he found a lot of feedlot work being done through the Natural Resources Conservation Service and SWCD. "They've been doing a good job," Darrin says. Over the past two years more than $3 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and state feedlot grant program has helped fund nine ag waste systems last year, and 13 projects this year. Darrin's work also includes zoning and SSTS certification. Morrison County feedlot program webpage.
darrin welle small

In the News

MPR, 9/13/11
MPR, 9/12/11
Marshall Independent, 8/30/11
Farm Bureau news release, 8/29/11
MPCA news release, 8/22/11
Drovers CattleNetwork, 8/22/11
Des Moines Register, 8/18/11

Calendar

Sept. 27: CFO training, 9:30-3, MPCA, St. Paul.
Oct. 18-20: MACFO convention, River Port, Winona.

Send us your news

The MPCA Feedlot Update welcomes news submissions from 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..