As we tackle the concept of whole-farm nutrient management in this issue it really comes to light how dairy producers today must perform an incredible balancing act throughout their entire operation.

Adaptability and flexibility are key in this manure management option Although the current economy has people wondering what the future of dairying will look like, one company has recently developed a system it feels will help the industry productively deal with manure management issues in the years to come. In fact, with dairies already using this new process, these innovations are available today.

Water is essential to every dairy operation. It is required by cows and crops and also used in many daily farm tasks. However, when excreted in manure it quickly becomes a nuisance, especially in wet, humid climates.

We farm on the Saanich Peninsula on southern Vancouver Island, with 200 head of Holsteins and their youngstock. They are housed year- round in freestalls with sawdust and scraped with alley scrapers into a lagoon with six months’ capacity.

Recent reports rolling out of California might leave the average person believing that digesters on animal facilities are on their way out. First, there is the battle over which is more damaging to air quality – the natural emissions from anaerobic digestion in lagoons or the emissions from the generators that turn methane into power.

Methane digesters have recently come under fire in California. Once seen as a viable option for helping producers deal with problems associated with manure management, the engines used to convert biogas into electricity have come under fire as an unwelcome source of emissions many air boards are clamping down on. Without the ability to generate additional income or offset energy use at the dairy, many had considered digesters a dying part of manure management.

Can dairy farmers capture energy contained in manure produced by their cows and improve their operation’s sustainability, profitability and public image?

Making electricity is more than flipping a switch or trapping gas. Indeed, the process takes much longer than many hope for, and with all the responsibilities on the farm to take care of, it’s a process that demands more time than a producer has. What are the steps to getting your digester hooked up to the grid? And who should you work with to get your methane making money?

Carbon credits – their creation, how they will impact the struggling economy – are not only generating buzz and discussion online, but action on several fronts. Washington State’s governor has proposed a statewide, cap-and-trade; California and other states have either enacted or are currently evaluating similar legislation; and, for the first time, a proposed federal budget includes a revenue line item generated from a national cap-and-trade system seeking to limit and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The addition of anaerobic digestion with biogas utilization or sale (hereafter a biogas system) to a dairy or other livestock operation can significantly reduce odor problems and possibly increase net farm income. In addition, it can substantially reduce the emission of methane.