Features Applications Other
Time for Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo almost here

Planning is pretty much complete
for the 2008 edition of the Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo, scheduled
for July 9 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center, located just north
of London, Ohio.

Planning is pretty much complete for the 2008 edition of the Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo, scheduled for July 9 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center, located just north of London, Ohio.

With a theme of ‘The Economics of Recycling’, the one-day event features educational and commercial field demonstrations, educational sessions and commercial vendor displays.

As fertilizer prices continue to soar, crop producers are becoming more and more interested in what manure can provide for their soil fertility needs. In light of this, managing manure to get the most from it as environmentally soundly and as safely as possible is becoming even more important. Events being held at the expo will help livestock and crop producers do just that.
The educational sessions available at the event include:

• 
  Manure 101: The Superior Fertilizer – Understanding how the application rate and timing affect utilization of nutrients is key to maximizing the value of manure. Learn to calculate the value of manure nutrients as well as the role of calibration. Presented by Robert Mullen, Ohio State University soil fertility specialist.
• 
  Records: What? Why? How? – Good documentation of manure application can save time and money. Records are important in determining nutrient needs and essential evidence in the event of an accidental spill. Presented by Kevin Elder, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Livestock Environmental Permitting Program.
• 
  Growing a Management Team – Good communication between producers and applicators is the key to a successful team. What key pieces of information do producers and applicators need to ask and tell each other? Presented by Bill Knapke, Cooper Farms.
• 
  Safety Concerns – Livestock buildings and other spaces where manure is confined may create safety issues such as high emissions of gasses or particulates. How can these emissions be reduced and what safety measures should workers follow? Presented by Dee Jepsen, Ohio State University Extension state safety leader.

Case studies will also be presented at the Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo. These will include:

• 
  Using Liquids on Crops – How do manure application rates and timing affect crop production, the environment and the bottom line? Experiences from two farms will be shared.
• 
  Brokering and Custom Application of Poultry Manure – Excess manure nutrients can provide an additional source of income. How can a third party help market those nutrients? What are the potential risks and liabilities?
• 
  Environmental Management – The role of the custom applicator is expanding to include assessing the whole farm nutrient balance and recommending application practises. How can the producer and applicator ensure quality control to enhance economic and environmental goals?
• 
  Extending the Application Window – Management of manure storage is important to maximizing value and minimizing risks. How can practises such as side dressing help?

Educational demonstrations will round out the Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo.

Topics to be covered include:

• 
  Calibration of manure handling equipment and application rates for solid manure;
• 
  Liquid manure application;
• 
  Best management practises for stockpiling manure;
• 
  Managing soil compaction;
• 
  Slurry seeding application; and
• 
  Maintenance and proper handling of equipment to ensure safety.

The 2008 Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo, held as a sister event to the Upper Midwest Manure Handling Expo, is sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Michigan State University, Purdue University, Penn State University, Cornell University, Ohio Composting and Manure Management, and the Midwest Professional Nutrient Applicators Association.

To obtain more information about the Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo and learn about any last minute details, visit http://oema.osu.edu, or contact Tami Combs at (614) 292-6625 or combs.155@osu.edu

The smoke from the smoke machine wafts up from cracks in the soil, showing where liquid manure can easily gain access to a field tile.		R Frank Gibbs, a resource soil scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service in Ohio, demonstrates his smoke machine. Visitors to the 2008 Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo will have an opportunity to see this first hand during an educational demonstration of liquid manure application.
Visitors to the Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo will have an opportunity to see manure application equipment at work, weather permitting.		A crowd of participants watches the demonstrations held during the last Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo, held in 2006 in Michigan.
The Great Lakes Manure Handling Expo allows participants to learn first hand about manure management issues.