Waste management is complicated by the increased urbanization of rural areas: Where once your barn was isolated, suddenly neighbors are peering over your fences and wrinkling their noses. The last thing you want to do is invite complaints by having a messy, smelly manure pile, or farm that is environmentally insensitive.
If you live in and/or are involved with agriculture, chances are you've heard about the state nutrient management law. All state governments have been passing revised legislation requiring that qualifying landowners put such plans in place.
Farmers have been using nutrient management plans for years. A farm with two or more animal units per acre is designated a Concentrated Animal Operation (CAO) and must have a NMP. One animal unit is 1000 pound of live weight regardless of animal type, i.e. one dairy cow at 1300 lb live weight = 1.3 AU.
Recent revisions to the PA law now include EPA thresholds for animal numbers regardless of the number of acres a landowner may have under his operational control. Those operations are referred to as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations or CAFO’s and are required to purchase a permit issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The details regarding EPA animal numbers, high quality stream regulations, and the permit are too lengthy to include in this brief summary. For example, a swine finishing facility with 2,500 (or more) pigs over 55 (or more) pounds live weight would be a CAFO operation regardless if there was 1,000 acres of cropland (owned by the facility and under their crop management control) available for application of the manure generated at this facility.
PA law, because of EPA rulings, also requires horse operations with eight or more animal units and with two or more animal units per acre to have a nutrient management plan. One pleasure horse at 1,000 pounds of live weight equals one animal unit. A draft horse, on the other hand, could be as heavy as 2,000 pounds or two animal units.
Getting a plan is fairly straightforward: Soil tests determine the levels of various nutrients, and a nutrient management adviser can analyze how these levels meet the needs of a target crop. If nutrient levels are higher than what's needed, the landowner is advised against adding fertilizer until nutrient levels have dropped and/or export manure.
For assistance, contact:
Charles Markle, Nutrient Management Technician, at
717-582-8988 ext 112 or
Cooperator Assistance Agreement Form (PDF 45 KB)
A very good web site for information regarding Pennsylvania Nutrient Management and links to educational, technical, and related data is http://panutrientmgmt.cas.psu.edu.
Charles Markle is a Nutrient Managament Technician in charge of Nutrient Management and Project Grass programs.