The curricula contains a map where participants keep track of their progress visually as they work through the different activities.
An educational curricula was pilot tested in 2020 by Extension professionals in Nebraska and Minnesota. It utilizes a table-top sized map game board, six pre-planned scenarios, and interactive planning by small groups to select preferred manure application sites. The original curricula addresses:
How far will I need to travel to manage manure nitrogen? Phosphorus?
Which fields benefit the most agronomically from manure?
How far can I afford to travel?
Which fields benefit most from manure’s soil health benefits?
What water quality risks are connected with individual fields?
How can I use a weather forecast to minimize neighbor’s odor risks?
These activities often lead to lots of peer-to-peer teaching. For example, we have witnessed discussions about minimizing compaction and planning to minimize impacts on community infrastructure and neighbors. As participants work through these discussions, they add visual reminders (i.e. happy and sad face emojis) to the map to weigh the benefits and concerns connected to individual fields.
Over the course of the last several years, the curricula has been expanded. There are now additional activities on the following topics:
Crediting nitrogen from all sources to choose a nitrogen rate
Determining value of commercial fertilizer nutrients
Determining manure availability
Observing setbacks and stockpiling manure
Reading soil and manure samples
Resources are Available for Adapting to Your State
The curricula includes:
Fact sheets complement many of the activity’s main worksheets, helping the participants make their decision on which field is the best for manure application.
a 25-square mile map,
scenarios set up for seven alternative animal feeding operations (you pick one for your group),
Seven alternative fields for land application with record and information cards (soil tests, soil health tests, nutrient removal rates, water quality risk indicators),
worksheets for each of the activities, and
a facilitator guide to help set up the scenario.
You may download electronic copies of all resources, adapt to your state, and begin sharing a highly interactive and peer-to-peer educational experience.
Downloadable Resources
Thank you for your interest in the curricula. Please fill out the following form to access the files:
This webinar discusses purposeful additives like nitrification inhibitors and biochar as well as accidental additives like copper sulfate from disinfecting foot baths and how these things can and should impact our decisions when applying manure. This presentation was originally broadcast on September 22, 2023. Continue reading “Implications of Manure Additives: Both Purposeful and Accidental”
This webinar will focus on assisting livestock farmers and veterinarians to better identify, diagnose, and treat sick animals with the goal of improving farm efficiency and antibiotic stewardship. This webinar is brought to you by the iAMResponsibleTM Project, a nationwide team of researchers and extension experts working to develop and deliver effective outreach on antimicrobial resistance for diverse audiences. This presentation was originally broadcast on August 18, 2023. Continue reading “Improving disease identification, treatment, & antibiotic stewardship in livestock production”
This webinar highlights one tool that provides resources to support livestock production and expansion, as well as two others that focus on manure application planning and making the best use of manure available. This presentation was originally broadcast on May 19, 2023. Continue reading “Models & Tools to Improve Manure Management”
This webinar shares research and guidance on minimizing the risk of virus movementthrough manure and mortality management. This webinar also explains theroles technical advisors can play in response to an outbreak. This presentation originally broadcast on March 17, 2023. Continue reading “Moving Manure and Mortalities after Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza”
This webinar highlights literature reviews and studies to reveal what is known now and how the results are currently and will continue shape future research on soil health and manure’s effect on it. This presentation originally broadcast on February 17, 2023. Continue reading “Manure and Soil Health: Current Research and Future Directions”
The first in a series of 3 webinars, this presentation introduces the fundamentals of carbon emissions, as well as technologies, practices and market opportunities available to agricultural producers are critical to that transition on the livestock operation. This presentation was originally broadcast on November 18, 2022. Continue reading “Carbon Markets for Livestock Operations: Manure Treatment and Handling”
This webinar discusses the science and economics behind the use of worms in the processes of composting (i.e., vermicomposting) and treatment of wastewater and manure liquid waste stream (vermifiltration). This presentation was originally broadcast on May 20, 2022. Continue reading “Use of Vermifiltration as a Tool for Manure Management”
While both raw and composted manure benefit soil health and crop production, there are benefits to creating and land-applying composted manure over raw manure. Product uniformity, volume, weed seed, pathogen and parasite reduction and nutrient stability are just a few of the benefits. However, composting manure in Minnesota and North Dakota have yet to gain popularity.
A group of compost producers, who ultimately became our producer cooperators and partnered with us for workshops, were consulted on the reason composting manure is not more common. One said, “It is lack of understanding and time management that holds most other farmers back from composting manure; they do not know how much composting can help their operation.” Another mentioned, “When I started researching composting for my farm, I took a three-day class in Illinois because there wasn’t anything available in North Dakota or Minnesota. Most farmers are not willing to travel that far. There is a need for composting education programs in the two-state area.”
What Did We Do?
NDSU Extension partnered with the University of Minnesota Extension with the original plan of holding four workshops in two years (two each in ND and MN). When implications from the COVID-19 pandemic ensued, we changed our plans to host an online workshop in 2020 and were able to continue with two in-person workshops in 2021.
The online workshop consisted of 13 videos that were sent to registrants 2 weeks before an online, live discussion was held in August 2020 with the presentation team as well as 3 producer cooperators. One of the videos consisted of on-farm interviews with each of our producer cooperators to show the registrants the ability to manage compost differently with similar results. The videos are still available and have been viewed collectively 1,845 times.
The in-person workshops were held in July and August of 2021. Each workshop covered the same material as the online workshop and all three producer cooperators attended each event. The producer cooperators were responsible for helping attendees with the compost diagnostics activity as well as answering questions during a panel discussion.
What Have We Learned?
Online Workshop
180 people registered for the online workshop and 50 joined the live discussion with presenters and producer cooperators
43 responded to the immediate follow-up survey where
76% thought the self-paced format was excellent
64% thought the amount of material was excellent
62% thought the topics covered were excellent
15 months after the online workshop, 21 people participated in a follow-up survey and as a result of the workshop, 58% reported they had altered their manure composting practices.
When asked what manure composting change(s) they made, 58% reported they improved their operations adding,
“I have more confidence in my ability to compost successfully and have a better understanding of the environmental impacts of composting.”
“I no longer have to pay someone to haul away our waste”
“Although not composting on a commercial level, I manage several community gardens where large volumes of biomass are accumulated. After learning additional techniques, my piles were hotter and decomposed more quickly. The key? More moisture!”
Moving the workshop online for the first year allowed us to fully engage our producer cooperators. The online workshop resulted in participant comments such as,
“Well organized and executed. Appreciated that videos were individual by topic area, short, and focused. That allowed me to watch what was relevant and fit it into my day more easily.”
“Really enjoyed the discussion and interaction between the three cooperators. Also appreciated having enough time to flesh out the information, i.e., didn’t try to squeeze it into one hour.”
Though an in-person meeting would have allowed more hands-on experience, the online version reached a broader audience with attendees from 31 states and 3 countries.
In-person Workshops
31 people attended the in-person workshops in ND and MN, of which 10 participated in a 4-month follow-up survey
67% of those who made changes as a result of the workshop stated they started composting manure
100% of those who did not make changes were either agency or university Extension/research personnel who reported the workshops impacted them, their work, and/or their relationship with their clients by:
“Allowing me to be more educated about manure composting so that when producers inquire about composting I am able to give them accurate information.”
“Using workshop information to inform clients of another manure handling method to consider; composting.”
The workshops, both online and in-person, facilitated discussion and mutual learning among experienced and novice composters of livestock manure.
Future Plans
Questions about static composting were asked during both the online and in-person workshops. This practice is not common in North Dakota or Minnesota so there is certainly a future learning and workshop opportunity.
Authors
Mary A. Keena, Extension Specialist, North Dakota State University
Chryseis Modderman, Extension Educator, University of Minnesota; Melissa L. Wilson, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Minnesota; William J. Gale, Extension Agent, North Dakota State University
This project was funded by North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NC-SARE).
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. 2022. Title of presentation. Waste to Worth. Oregon, OH. April 18-22, 2022. URL of this page. Accessed on: today’s date.
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