By Katie Eikleberry
As the fall season continues to progress and cooler air moves in, the thought of winter weighs heavily on those who don’t work in hours but acres. Freezing, thawing, sleet and the beauty of snow are on the way.
Manure on farm fields and as a source of nutrients is very beneficial when applied properly using best management practices. Manure application is nature’s ultimate recycling project. Proper application makes good sense for the environment and for your bottom line, but manure applications must be done correctly.
At Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District, we do not recommend applying manure to frozen or snow-covered ground. Manure applications in the winter should not be part of a regular nutrient management plan for an operation.
With farmers increasingly under the spotlight when it comes to water quality and environmental stewardship, producers owe it to themselves and the rest of the industry to plan for proper manure applications.
In addition, proper manure application is the law, and there can be serious consequences if farmers do not follow those practices and an impact to waters of the state occurs.
As fellow farmers and agriculturists know, the reality is that sometimes “crap” happens on the farm, and emergency applications may be necessary to prevent storage overflow. If crap happens, it’s important to remember to only spread enough manure to prevent it from overflowing and in the safest location possible, until soil conditions improve to be able to follow best management practices.
Emergency application guidelines. During an emergency winter application, it’s important to follow these guidelines:
• Liquid manure must be injected or immediately incorporated and cannot exceed 5,000 gallons/acre.
• Land must have at least 90% surface residue, which most likely means cover crop ground or forage fields.
• Apply manure to the least risky fields with the least slope. Fields with a slope over 6% (that’s a lot of northeast Ohio) must be applied in alternating 60-to-200-feet strips on the contour.
• Manure cannot be applied on more than 20 contiguous acres.
• Applications need to have a setback of a minimum 200 feet from all surface water and 300 feet from all wells, springs and drinking water.
• Application rates cannot exceed those specified in Table 3, page 16 of the Natural Resources Conservation Services Conservation Standard Code 590, Nutrient Management at www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/Nutrient_Management_590_NHCP_CPS_2017.pdf.
While it’s important to follow these guidelines, they are not a “get out of jail free” card. Even if you are following these guidelines, if your manure application enters waters of the state — ditches, streams, rivers, etc. — you are still ultimately responsible and may face financial fines and improvement practices on the farm may be enforced. Keeping nutrient application records for five years is best practice.
Get help. Manure can be overwhelming on the farm no matter the size of facility. Not sure what fields to spread on? NRCS and Ashland SWCD offer assistance with comprehensive nutrient management plans to address where and when to place the manure (and other nutrients) at what rate.
CNMPs use soil testing and application timing along with other details to help develop a plan that works for the producer as well as following NRCS 590 Standards.
Ashland SWCD will be hosting an informational meeting at The Ohio Theatre in Loudonville, Ohio, Dec. 5, at 5:30 p.m. Attendees will hear from NRCS in regard to cost share opportunities for manure management practices, and Ohio Department of Agriculture representative Kip Studer will talk about nutrient management plans and statewide expansion of H2Ohio with incentives for the plans. There will also be a panel of CNMP writers on hand to discuss “feces from all species” and answer any “crappy” questions.
The doors will open at 5 p.m. Pizza and water will be supplied, and popcorn, candy and other drinks will be available for purchase at the concession stand. RSVP to Ashland SWCD at 419-281-7645 to ensure seating and pizza for all attendees. Ticket pricing is $5 per person, or you can bring a friend and you both get in free.
(Katie Eikleberry is the Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District conservation specialist. She can be reached at 419-281-7645 or keikleberry@ashlandcounty.org.)
