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Improving manure managementIntroductionOf the major dairy producing areas of the country, the northern crescent of states around the Great Lakes, have the unique advantage of having a landscape and climate that is apt for both ruminant livestock and crop farming. This rich tradition of mixed farming has gradually changed since the 1960s. For example, in Wisconsin while 4 out of 5 farms had dairy cows in 1965, this was true of only 1 out of 5 farms in 1999 (PATS, 2000). Not surprisingly, the issues concerning nutrient management on livestock farms (over abundance) and grain farms (increasing cost of fertilizer, soil degradation) are of growing importance. A promising manner to address these issues would be the integration of separate farms via manure transfer and feed contracts. However obvious constraints exist. While the nutrient content of manure has been well documented, producers are concerned about its impact on weed pressure, soil compaction and yield heterogeneity. In addition, the economics of manure movement, the potential complexities of manure contracting and its impact on county roads have also been cited as problems. Nevertheless, as manure management regulations become more stringent, N prices are more volatile, and some subsidies for grain farmers are linked to land stewardship, this vision is gaining credibility. Coupled with these trends, are two rapidly growing services being offered by custom operators: harvesting hay and corn silage; and, hauling manure. This combination of changes in policy, prices, and greater management options, make this an opportune time to look at linking farms. OutcomesOur expectation is that over the next decade, it will become the norm for grain and livestock farms in southern Wisconsin to enter into contracts for nutrient as well as feed transfers between operations. This linking will result, in the long term, in improved profitability of the grain and livestock farming operations, as well as improved land stewardship. In the intermediate term, we anticipate that there will be a growing momentum to link farms due to success stories in farm papers, extension bulletins and increased experience with these types of contracts between producers, and among private technical service providers, NRCS, UW-Extension, and co-ops. In the short term, we will focus on gaining knowledge about the impact of manure on grain fields and increased awareness of the complexities of manure contracting with our Learning Team. Our target population will be grain and livestock farmers and their advisors in southern Wisconsin who are interested and willing to export manure and expand their grain rotations to include manure in their soil management system. |
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