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Manure key for soil; neighbor respect part of mix

April 20, 2015, Watertown, NY — The snow has slowly melted, with crop fields absorbing much of the moisture on their surface and beginning to dry out. The process opens an annual window for farmers to start an important and cost-efficient means of ensuring good crop production: manure spreading.

Manure provides valuable nutrients to the soil, but its management requires a careful balance between how it is used and how it impacts neighbors, including the potential for negative effects on well water. The sometimes-competing land uses come at a time when the number of farms in the north country is decreasing, but when the size of many of the remaining farms is increasing, agricultural officials say. READ MORE