Tag: extension programming

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Using an interactive map exercise to help producers better manage their manure

Purpose

Time and time again, experience has taught us that many people learn by doing, not just from listening to presentations. The Nebraska Animal Manure Management Team has worked hard over the last six years to develop and expand what is now referred to as the Interactive Nutrient Management Decision-Making Exercise. This workshop will serve as a train-the-trainer event where attendees will:

    1. Discover how the exercise began and what it has grown to include
    2. Get familiar with the pieces and parts by helping set up the activity
    3. Experience a couple of the activities as participants
    4. Hear from others that have adapted the exercise and their experiences
    5. Brainstorm how the exercise can be used elsewhere or for other concepts

What Did We Do?

The Interactive Nutrient Management Decision-Making Exercise (mapping exercise) was developed by the Animal Manure Management Team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Minnesota to engage participants during Manure Application Trainings. In Nebraska, these trainings previously relied heavily on PowerPoint and recorded presentations, but with many people being hands-on learners, an interactive exercise was proposed. In 2020, the original 6 activities were used for the afternoon portion, and it has since grown to the exercise it is today that is incorporated throughout the whole-day training.

It has been used not only for livestock producers but also crop producers. Parts of it have been modified to fit into workshops at conferences and, most recently, high school classrooms. Current expansion topics include spray drift to avoid sensitive areas and nitrogen management from all sources.

What Have We Learned?

Because many livestock producers in Nebraska are required to attend Land Application Training events every five years to maintain their Livestock Waste Control Facility permit, the winter 2024-2025 programming season for the Nebraska manure team offered an opportunity to ask participants how their operations have changed since the first time they had seen the Interactive Nutrient Management Decision-Making Exercise (in 2020). The team asked 3 questions specific to the exercise and changes on their operations and found the following results.

In general, participants are considering the topics taught during training more now than they were five years ago. The figure below indicates that 48% consider weather forecasts to decrease odor risk more or much more than they did prior to experiencing the Interactive Nutrient Management Decision-Making Exercise. Forty eight percent and 59% consider water quality and soil health impacts from manure more than five years ago, subsequently. While many participants already factored in transportation cost compared to nutrient value captured for a field, 59% reported that they consider it more or much more than they did, and 55% reported that they now considered the value of manure nutrients based on a field’s soil test more or much more.

Figure 1: As a result of experiencing the interactive nutrient management decision making exercise, how does your operation consider survey redults

We also asked participants to share with us how useful they felt the changes and expanded activities of the Interactive Nutrient Management Decision-Making Exercise were. All participants felt that the changes and expansion were useful with 52% indicating that they were very or extremely useful.

Figure 2: How useful are the changes and expanded activities of the Interactive Nutrient Management Decision-making exercise pie chart

We also asked, “How do you expect your experience with the newer activities of the interactive nutrient management decision-making exercise will change your operation in the future?” and, among others, we received the following responses:

    • “[we will] take more consideration to neighbors near application”
    • “[we will make] better $ management decision[s] on manure application site[s]”
    • “[the activity] makes us want to plan out better to get better results”

Future Plans

With so much success using this teaching tool, we would like to expand it to teach topics other than nutrient management. The Soil Health Nexus, a soil health workgroup in the north central region of the US, is in the process of developing an adaptation of this tool that will teach participants about the impacts of certain practices on soil health. Currently, progress has been made on activities focusing on tillage and the use of cover crops. Other planned activities include a focus on crop rotation and the use of the Soil Health Matrix, a tool developed by the Soil Health Nexus.

The Nebraska Animal Manure Management team, as part of a different grant, also has plans to create some activities focused on integrating livestock into cropping systems.

We also support using the base model of this exercise and adapting it for other practices and audiences outside of Nebraska.

Authors

Presenting & Corresponding author

Leslie Johnson, Animal Manure Management Extension Educator, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, leslie.johnson@unl.edu

Additional author

Amy Millmier Schmidt, Professor and Livestock Bioenvironmental Engineering Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln;

Additional Information

Downloadable Curriculum: https://lpelc.org/interactive-nutrient-management-decision-making-exercise-curricula/

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge all other contributors to the curriculum in the past including:

    • Larry Howard, Rick Koelsch, Agnes Kurtzhals, Aaron Nygren, Agustin Olivio, Amber Patterson, Katie Pekarek, Amy Schmidt, Mike Sindelar, and Todd Whitney (University of Nebraska, Lincoln)
    • Daryl Andersen, Tyler Benal, Will Brueggemann, Russ Oakland, and Bret Schomer (Lower Platte North NRD)
    • Blythe McAfee and Tiffany O’Neill (Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy)
    • Andy Scholting (Nutrient Advisors)
    • Marie Krausnick, Dan Leininger (Upper Big Blue NRD)
    • Chryseis Modderman (University of Minnesota)
    • Nutrient Advisors
    • Settje Agri Services Eng.
    • Ward Laboratories Inc.

The authors are solely responsible for the content of these proceedings. The technical information does not necessarily reflect the official position of the sponsoring agencies or institutions represented by planning committee members, and inclusion and distribution herein does not constitute an endorsement of views expressed by the same. Printed materials included herein are not refereed publications. Citations should appear as follows. EXAMPLE: Authors. 2025. Title of presentation. Waste to Worth. Boise, ID. April 7-11, 2025. URL of this page. Accessed on: today’s date.

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Closing the Loop: Extension’s Role in Driving Circularity in Manure Management

Purpose

Circular agriculture is a farming strategy designed to minimize inputs and environmental impact by improving soil health, reducing waste, and reusing materials. In the context of livestock production and manure management, circularity emphasizes nutrient recycling, minimizing environmental losses, and balancing nutrient inflows and outflows to sustain agricultural systems. These priorities have long been a focus of Extension efforts across livestock-intensive regions.

This work examines the role of Extension in defining, branding, and messaging circularity within manure management. Our objective is to highlight past progress, explore future opportunities, and establish consistent messaging across farmers, industry, and the public. Through multiple analyses, we demonstrate how minor alterations in messaging can tailor information to address different audience concerns.

What Did We Do?

To evaluate the evolution of manure management and its role in circular agriculture, we conducted several analyses:

    • Historical Nutrient Flow & Circularity Metrics 

Using historical data, we traced changes in nutrient use efficiency due to advancements in cropping systems, manure handling, and livestock genetics. 

Findings illustrate continuous improvement in livestock production systems and highlight key drivers of efficiency.

Improvements were attributed to livestock performance, crop performance, and manure management, helping identify areas requiring greater emphasis for future progress.

    • Nutrient Separation vs. Direct Manure Application 

We compared traditional manure application with nutrient separation techniques to assess their impact on nutrient circularity and economic viability. Nutrient separation could include solid liquid separation systems, but ideally will be based on systems that target partitioning of N and P, to better focus on how nutrient flows are impacted.

    • Comparing Manure & Municipal Waste Management 

By comparing manure management practices with municipal waste handling systems, we examined how these comparisons shape public perception.

Extension’s role includes bridging the gap between agricultural decision-making and a public that is increasingly disconnected from farming, requiring clear, relatable messaging.

What Have We Learned?

The analysis highlights several key takeaways:

    • Livestock & Crop Improvements Have Driven Nutrient Use Gains – While significant progress has been made, additional focus on manure management is needed to accelerate circularity.
    • Decision Tools Can Be Re-Branded – Farmers and industry stakeholders can benefit from repurposed decision-support tools that incorporate circularity metrics to inform practical manure management choices.
    • Public Understanding Requires Clear Communication – Agricultural waste and manure management must be explained in ways that connect with non-farm audiences, emphasizing environmental and health benefits.
    • Multimodal Messaging Enhances Engagement – Using a combination of visual graphics, infographics, and multimedia content, Extension can effectively communicate circularity’s value to diverse audiences.

Future Plans

To strengthen Extension’s role in promoting circularity in manure management, future efforts will focus on:

    • Developing targeted messaging for farmers, industry professionals, and the general public to improve adoption of circular manure management practices.
    • Creating practical decision-support tools that incorporate circularity metrics to assist in manure management planning.
    • Enhancing outreach efforts through multimedia resources, including infographics, videos, and interactive educational tools.
    • Strengthening connections between manure management and broader sustainability discussions by aligning messaging with climate resilience, water quality, and regenerative agriculture initiatives.

Authors

Presenting & Corresponding author

Daniel Andersen, Associate Professor, Iowa State University, Dsa@iastate.edu

The authors are solely responsible for the content of these proceedings. The technical information does not necessarily reflect the official position of the sponsoring agencies or institutions represented by planning committee members, and inclusion and distribution herein does not constitute an endorsement of views expressed by the same. Printed materials included herein are not refereed publications. Citations should appear as follows. EXAMPLE: Authors. 2025. Title of presentation. Waste to Worth. Boise, ID. April 7–11, 2025. URL of this page. Accessed on: today’s date. 

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Using Hands-on Activities to Teach Land Application of Manure

Many states have regulations that require education for livestock producers and manure applicators. Adults that must attend these types of programs are often there solely to fulfill requirements and are not willing learners. While regulations may specify topics that must be addressed, most do not spell out teaching methods for these educational programs. It is well known that active learning promotes better retention of the material. In Nebraska however, these programs traditionally have been a combination of pre-recorded and live PowerPoint presentations as they are easier to develop and for educators that may not be manure experts to host. In recent years, the Nebraska Animal Manure Management team has been working to make their manure training program more interactive. This workshop highlights hands-on activities related to odor management, stockpiling and transporting manure, and equipment calibration. Audience members are encouraged to bring examples of hands-on activities that they are using to share with others.

Purpose

contents of one shoebox calibration kit
One example of an interactive teaching tool. Shoebox calibration kits allow participants to simulate a manure calibration in the classroom.

The objective of this workshop is to encourage idea-sharing and collaboration in the development of activities and teaching techniques to better manure-related programming across state lines.

Lessons Learned in Nebraska in 2019

Hands-on activities have enhanced our programming in Nebraska by increasing participation during our training events. Participants can no longer sit back and watch videos (or pretend to watch videos). While we do not require testing to receive certification, we feel that we have really improved our program. We received more written feedback about the program in the “comments” section of the evaluation and often received praise for the instructors, which we had never gotten before. For most of the activities that we made major changes to, there was about a 20% improvement in the number of attendees that selected moderately high to significant knowledge improvement (3 or 4 on a scale of 0-4) when compared to the previous year’s evaluation results. Because on average we also had a 13% improvement for activities that were not drastically changed, this result may be skewed, but is still an interesting change. Looking at the data makes one wonder whether the increased interaction between and amongst participants and instructors resulted in higher marks overall because participants were generally more satisfied with the program – even those parts that were not changed.

Authors

  • Leslie Johnson, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, leslie.johnson@unl.edu
  • Rick Koelsch, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
  • Erica Rogers, Michigan State University
  • Dan Andersen, Iowa State University

Additional information

 

 

The authors are solely responsible for the content of these proceedings. The technical information does not necessarily reflect the official position of the sponsoring agencies or institutions represented by planning committee members, and inclusion and distribution herein does not constitute an endorsement of views expressed by the same. Printed materials included herein are not refereed publications. Citations should appear as follows. EXAMPLE: Authors. 2019. Title of presentation. Waste to Worth. Minneapolis, MN. April 22-26, 2019. URL of this page. Accessed on: today’s date.

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