This summer, the EPA proposed a new set of regulations aimed at curbing methane emissions. This announcement has drawn a sharper focus on methane, a greenhouse gas almost 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

It’s a hidden, silent danger on a growing number of farms across the U.S. Each year, manure pit-related incidences claim lives of farmers and their family members across the nation – and as more and more producers begin to implement these tools on their operations, the number is sure to rise. 

Utilizing manure as fertilizer is one common approach to capturing the inherent value in manure and reducing the costs of off-farm inputs. But the approach has its limitations; particularly in situations where there is more manure than can be responsibly managed on the available land.

There are many things a farmer can do to help the environment. In the dairy industry, utilizing anaerobic digesters to capture methane gas and produce electricity is a primary way to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While dairy farmers can actively take measures to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, those efforts are not always economically viable.

One option often considered for dairy farmers currently operating an anaerobic digestion system is the co-digestion of off-farm substrates.

With nutrient pollution and water quality issues gaining attention in the media, as well as rising costs of fertilizers, retaining nutrients from fall manure is both economically advantageous and environmentally imperative.

Kevin Erb, a conservation professional training coordinator with the University of Wisconsin Extension, directed a simulated manure spill during the 2015 North American Manure Expo, held recently in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.