Manure Manager

Features Animal Housing Applications Beef Environment Sustainability
Manure field days for small feedlot operators


October 19, 2012  by Shawn Shouse Angela Rieck-Hinz Denise Schwab Greg Brenneman

OMAFRA

October 19, 2012, Ames, IA – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is hosting two Iowa manure management and runoff control demonstration field days at the end of October. The purpose of these field days is to review low-cost options for managing runoff water and manure from small to medium size beef and dairy feedlot operations.

Recent compliance enforcement from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Agency has put the focus on runoff from small to medium size feedlots.

“Small and medium size open feedlots can potentially discharge significant amounts of nutrients to streams,” said Shawn Shouse, agricultural engineer specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “The nutrients can cause water quality problems in streams and present a loss of valuable fertilizer nutrients for the farm.”

Oct. 29 Wall Lake field day

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The first field day will be on Monday, Oct. 29, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Bob Ziegmann farm located near Wall Lake. This field day will feature a system designed to keep manure runoff out of the road ditch and distribute it in a crop field instead. The Ziegmann feedlot is located at 3740 B Ave., Wall Lake. To get to the feedlot from Wall Lake, go south 5 miles on M64 and then 2.5 miles west on B Avenue.

Oct. 31 Andover field day

The second field day will be on Wednesday, Oct. 31, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Ray and Andrew Naeve feedlot located west of Andover. This field day will look at two different kinds of manure handling systems. One is an earthen basin located below one feedlot that provides protection to a nearby stream. The other is a concrete settling basin adjacent to a feedlot that captures manure runoff and settles the manure solids with the effluent discharged to cropland.

The Naeve feedlot is located at 4166 135th St., Clinton. To reach the feedlot, go 0.5 mile north of the intersection of County Highway E50 and Z50 on County Highway Z50 (through Andover) to 135th Street. Turn left (west) on 135th Street and go 1.6 miles to the first place on north side of road. Lunch will be served by the Clinton County Cattlemen’s Association.

Both field days will be held rain or shine. In addition to the manure control systems, the field days will also include information on regulations for small and medium sized feedlots, nutrient content of feedlot manure and use in cropping systems, manure stockpiling regulations, and financial and technical assistance opportunities for feedlot owners.

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