New Manure Management Requirements for all Farms

From Penn State Extension Field Crop News, March 6, 2012 issue written by Doug Beegle, Soil Fertility

Since 1972 the Clean Streams Law in PA has required all farms that produce or use manure to have a manure management plan based on the DEP Manure Management Manual. In the past, this requirement has mainly been enforced based on complaints or actual pollution incidents. However, as a result of new pressures in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to do more to help clean up the Bay DEP has revised the Manure Management Manual and is requiring that all farms that produce or use manure must have a written manure management plan based on this manual. Farmers that have an Act 38 plan or a CAFO plan already meet these requirements.

To meet these requirements, Manure Management Plans (MMP) can be developed by the farmers themselves, for their own farm and do not need to be submitted for approval. The Manure Management Manual (MMM) provides for a simplified, manure management plan based on tables of acceptable manure rates for a variety of crops and manures. Alternatively, for more flexibility in determining manure application rates, farmers could use nutrient balance sheets (NBS) which require some calculations, but are much more site specific. Nutrient balance sheets and documentation are available in paper or spreadsheet formats. The MMM also covers setbacks from water, winter manure spreading restrictions, requirements for barnyards and feedlots, pasture management, record keeping, and manure storage and handling requirements. A farmer could choose to have a certified planner develop a more formal nutrient management plan (NMP) that would meet the state nutrient management law regulations (Act 38 plan). These plans provide for a much more site specific and user customized plan. Regardless of the type of plan, records of plan implementation must be kept and the plan and records must be made available for inspection by DEP or the Conservation District on request.

The Manure Management Manual and supporting information is available at: http://panutrientmgmt.cas.psu.edu/manure_management_program.htm. Penn State Extension has initiated an educational effort to help farmers meet these new requirements. Many extension educators and conservation district staff have been trained in developing these plans and can be of assistance to farmers. Also, local workshops are being planned to guide farmers through the process of completing a MMP for their farm. At these workshops, the requirements of each section of the MMP will be explained followed by “planning” time during which each farmer will complete that section of the MMP for their own farm. The goal is to have each farmer leave with a MMP that is well on the way to being completed. While all farmers may not completely finish the MMP during the workshop, they will know what additional information or help they need, where to get that information and help, and how to finish the plan. An on-line version of this workshop is also being developed to assist farmers who can’t attend a workshop and want to develop an MMP on their own. Extension equine educators are developing a similar educational program targeting horse owners. Finally, an important component of these plans is a farm map with fields, manure storages and environmentally sensitive areas identified. To facilitate this mapping, a simple on-line mapping program called PAOneStop has been developed by Penn State Extension. Farmers can create farm maps that will meet state requirements by visiting: http://paonestop.org/.

Locally in Susquehanna County, contact Willie Keeney with the Susquehanna County Conservation District at 570-278-4600 ext. 284 for more information about new manure managment requirements.