Fresno State University dairy tests pilot system You’ve probably heard the horror stories about drinking water and streams being contaminated by dairy wastewater. Fortunately, while regulations have tightened, the technology to treat and re-use wastewater from dairy farms has expanded. The latest innovation is a sustainable, energy-efficient approach that uses worms and their castings (manure) to generate clean, re-usable water.

Soil compaction squeezes the profit out of countless fields across the country, and it’s a particular challenge to many dairy producers because of the sheer weight of the equipment used in manure management. With today’s massive machinery – particularly manure tankers and spreaders – soil compaction layers can form more than a foot beneath the soil surface. Freeze-and-thaw cycles and deep ripping can help reduce surface compaction.