Composting gathers interest among farmers
Ron and Deirdre Muncy of Halkirk, Alberta do not need to be reminded of how important it is to keep water resources safe for human and animal consumption. Like many producers who live in drought-prone areas, they understand how finite water supplies can be and recognize the urgency of protecting what they have.
Adding to that challenge is the need to properly manage manure on their mixed 150-head cow-calf and grain operation. One simple solution is an example of how they minimized the risk of contaminating water. They moved their manure holding pile from their barnyard to the middle of a field — away from any water sources or coulees that could cause runoff into adjacent rivers and streams.
As much as this move was made to protect their water and improve the aesthetic value of their land, the desire to be good neighbours also played a major role. "When it comes right down to it, no one owns the water; the guy down the road has just as much right to clean water as we do," says Ron. "Everyone has to play a role in keeping water safe."
According to provincial standards, manure compost piles should not be situated any less than 30 metres from any water body, but in actuality it's a matter of the further away, the better. Also, they should be placed in an area — preferably away from the farm site — which does not slope from the pile towards nearby wells, dugouts, rivers or other water sources.
A simple way to identify and address environmental risks on a farm or ranch is to develop an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP), says Deirdre Muncy, who also serves as a workshop facilitator for the EFP program. "That not only helps producers become more familiar with regulations, but also challenges producers to exceed regulations. EFPs provide simple guidelines on managing potentially dangerous materials."
The whole area of manure management and composting is developing rapidly, with a lot of information available to producers. A common question that comes up at EFP workshops is the difference between composting and stockpiling.
"Composting is not the same as stockpiling manure," says Virginia Nelson, a composting researcher at the AgTech Centre in Lethbridge. "Stockpiling manure is just that — piling manure. Piling manure for a year, or even 10 years, does not produce compost. Instead, it simply becomes older, usually drier, manure that still carries some of the same features of raw manure."
The primary difference between composting and stockpiling is oxygen. Oxygen is a key element in the composting process; when combined with a good carbon source, nitrogen and moisture, it produces the high temperatures required for microbial activity. These microbes digest and process the various components of manure, rendering it less offensive and less harmful to the environment.
By contrast, stockpiled manure decomposes in an anaerobic state — in other words, without oxygen. "While stockpiled manure has much of the nutrient quality of raw manure, it also retains much of the volume, odour and bacteria and weed seed issues often associated with raw manure," says Nelson.
The benefits of composting depend on the farm's manure volume and land base factors, says Nelson. Feedlots that have an adequate land base readily available for raw manure disposal, for instance, might find composting an added cost.
"However, for those operations without sufficient land base for manure disposal, or that need to truck manure an appreciable distance, composting may be a viable option. This could represent a considerable savings in trucking cost since composting reduces raw manure volume by as much as 60 percent."
Cost and time are also key deciding factors, says Nelson, as the composting process can take several weeks. "Ideally, properly composted manure should be turned once or twice a week during the process to introduce more oxygen, add moisture and maintain temperatures.
"The bottom line is the value of composting depends on each individual operation. Is the manure volume large enough? Is there a less expensive way to properly handle manure? Is there an opportunity to produce a value-added product with commercial value? These are some of the questions producers need to ask."
The fastest way to get the latest information on manure handling, including composting, is to ask for technical assistance, says Muncy. The EFP program is supported by a province-wide network of technical assistants who can help producers find the latest information on environmental questions.
Financial & technical assistance is available through the Canada-Alberta Farm Stewardship Program (CAFSP), which offers up to $50,000 to producers who have completed EFPs and are planning on-farm environmental improvements. CAFSP features 26 categories covering a wide range of improvements. More information is available by calling the program office toll-free at 1-800-667-8567.
The AEFP Web site is a key tool for more information on the EFP program. For workshop schedules, general information about the program and more, visit www.AlbertaEFP.com or call toll-free 1-866-844-2337.
This article is reprintable with credit to AEFP as follows "Reprinted courtesy of the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company; www.albertaEFP.com".
