agricultural waste management

Printable Fact Sheet (pdf)

How would one implement waste management?

Fortunately, there are planning documents and BMP options available to farmers for managing agricultural waste.  Waste management is commonly part of an overall nutrient management plan developed for a farm.  These plans play an integral role in the comprehensive waste management planning process and are used to spell out how farmers intend to maximize the benefit of nutrients available from farm waste products to benefit crop production and minimize environmental impact.  Although State and Federal governments are demanding more accountability in agricultural waste management, many such plans are developed voluntarily as an important aspect of the business.  Developing a plan for how waste is managed on your farm not only aids in the tracking of operational costs and the making of better management decisions; it can also be used to leverage State and Federal funding assistance.  Self-regulation protects private property rights and reduces the need for governmental control and regulations.

Site-specific waste management strategies should be developed and adhered to in order to maximize the cost efficiency and adequately protect local environmental resources.  This will require that routine soil and waste testing take place to match the crop needs to the nutrients available. By tracking the timing and application rates (quantity) of agricultural waste required, the space required to store operational waste can be determined.

A covered livestock feeding area located on an upland section of pasture is one example of good waste management.

Waste can be stored as a solid in building structures, or as a liquid in holding ponds or anaerobic lagoons.  Being able to store waste in an acceptable form until it is needed is a critical component of a waste management strategy.  If waste is not handled properly or is not applied at the right time, valuable nutrients are lost and environmental and human and animal health problems are created.  Besides the management practices noted above, the BMPs listed below can be used to improve waste handling and application:

• Avoid over-application by only applying manure to crops that can benefit from the nutrients;

• Do not apply waste to fields when heavy rain is expected and runoff potential is high;

• Exclude livestock from sensitive areas such as riparian buffers and wetlands;

• Locate winter feeding areas in a relatively flat upland area;

• Do not spread waste near waterways;

• Employ other conservation practices that minimize runoff and erosion to fields where waste is applied;

• Avoid spillage or overflow of lagoons, ponds and structures used to house waste;

• Regularly check waste application equipment and make sure it is calibrated;

• Where possible, divert runoff from land above livestock areas and away from nearby surface waters and wells;

• If an alternative water supply source is unavailable for livestock, create dedicated, limited access points to streams for drinking; and

• Consider adding flush gutters to livestock confinement systems to confine waste for future application.

Other ways to improve waste management on farms is to routinely check areas where fuel and chemicals are stored for spills and leaks and to be sure your farm is in compliance with applicable storage and handling regulations.   Keeping up-to-date on technologies designed to improve waste management such as composters for disposing of livestock mortalities and integrating them into your waste management strategy is also good practice.