Land Application Training In January, February

Jan 06, 2015

Transforming manure into improved crop yields while protecting the environment will be the focus of nine Nebraska Extension workshops scheduled for January and February. The programs are for livestock and crop producers as well as those for responsible for applying manure nutrients in the field.

Schedule

O'Neill — Jan. 26, 9 a.m., 128 N. Sixth St. Suite 100 (Extension Office)
Scottsbluff — Jan. 27 – 9 a.m., 4502 Avenue I (Boardroom at the Extension Center)
Burwell — Jan. 27 – 9 a.m., 250 S. Eighth Ave. (Courtroom)
York — Jan. 29 – 9 a.m., 2345 Nebraska Ave. (Extension Office)
West Point — Jan. 29 – 9 a.m., 200 S Lincoln St. (Courthouse)
Columbus — Feb. 3 – 9 a.m., 210 E. 23rd St. (Pinnacle Bank Meeting Room)
Lexington — Feb. 4 – 9 a.m., 1002 Plum Creek Parkway (Extension Office)
Osmond — Feb. 5 – 9 a.m., 412 N. State St. (Library Meeting Room)

The workshops will help livestock producers apply the nutrient management planning requirements of Nebraska's Department of Environmental Quality regulations and increase the economic value of manure, said Leslie Johnson, UNL animal manure management coordinator. Participants who attend the day-long event will receive NDEQ Land Application Training Certification.

Livestock producers with livestock waste control facility permits received or renewed since April 1998 must be certified. A farm must complete an approved training every five years. Farm personnel responsible for land application of manure are also encouraged to attend.

The in-depth, one-day class targets newly permitted livestock operations. Operations that have already attended this initial training, but which need recertification, may attend the morning portion of the training.

Attendance during the morning session will fulfill NDEQ requirements for re-certification for those who completed the initial land application training five or more years ago. This two-hour program will include updates on changing regulations and other manure management topics, such as protecting herd health with biosecurity, pathogens found in manure, and the manure value calculator spreadsheet released in 2012. Farm staff responsible for implementing the farm's nutrient plan are also encouraged to attend.
Registration

Pre-registration is required for all workshops. The fee for the full day workshop, which includes lunch, is $60 per operation for one representative plus $15 for each additional participant from the same operation.

The Land Application Training Recertification morning portion is $30 for each participant.

These workshops are sponsored by the Nebraska Extension AMM Team which is dedicated to helping livestock and crop producers better use the state's manure resources for agronomic and environmental benefits.

Source:unl.edu

Video: How to fix a leaking pond.

Does the pond leak? Ummmm....possibly a tiny bit. Well, more than a bit...ok, the darn thing leaks like a sieve!

QUESTIONS ANSWERED: Damit is not plastic. Therefore, there are no microplastics. I wish I had not mentioned plastic, but that is a very common polymer and I mentioned it as an example of a polymer. A polymer is simply a chain of repeating molecules, or "monomers." Cellulose is a polymer of glucose molecules. Starches are also polymers of various molecules such as fructose, maltose, etc. We have many polymers inside our bodies. In other words, just knowing something is a polymer doesn't make it bad, toxic, harmful, etc. However, this also doesn't mean all polymers are safe.

The specific polymer used for Damit is a trade secret, however, it has been closely scrutinized by multiple health and safety authorities. This includes the governmental authorities of Australia, the USA, Europe, and Asia. Not only have they determined that is safe to use in earthen ponds, and not harmful to fish, but it is considered safe to use in human potable water systems in all of these areas. And of course, they know the exact makeup of the polymer when making this determination. I'm told that the same polymer is in use by many municipalities to keep potable water storage tanks leak free. I can't tell you exactly what the polymer is, because I don't know, but given the confidence with which the governmental authorities have authorized its use, I would bet it is made of a monomer that we are exposed to all the time, like fructose or something.

It also breaks down in a matter of years, and does not accumulate in the environment. The end products of breaking down are CO2, water, and base minerals like potassium. The SDS reports no need for concern with ingestion, inhalation, or contact. If in eyes, rinse with water.

End result, can I say for sure that it is 100% safe? No, I don't know exactly what it is. But given people who do know exactly what it is, and have scrutinized it, have approved it for use in human potable water systems, I'm pretty comfortable putting it in an earthen pond.