Originally published July 29 2005
Lab aims to assist Florida farmers with turning manure into an asset
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Scientists at the University of Florida's Suwannee Valley Livestock Waste Testing Laboratory note that the cost of commercial fertilizer is rising, and Florida farmers could save time and waste by recycling cow and chicken waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer.
According to the "Poop Scoop" newsletter -- published by the University of Florida to help farmers manage waste from thousands of dairy cows and millions of chickens -- manure can be a good thing.
"We try to take a light-hearted rear view of the problem, but managing all that waste to protect the environment is no easy task," says Cliff Starling, coordinator of nutrient management programs at UF's Suwannee Valley Livestock Waste Testing Laboratory in Live Oak.
The price of fertilizer is increasing rapidly, and the goal of the lab is to help change animal waste into a valuable resource by analyzing it for different nutrients, he said.
In North Florida, careful application of manure to crops also helps reduce the movement of nutrients into ground and surface waters in the 13 counties that comprise the Suwannee River Water Management District.
Because of the region's porous soils and active hydrology, every effort must be taken to protect water resources from pollution by animal wastes as well as human wastes and fertilizers, Starling said.
In addition to coordinating the lab's nutrient management programs, Starling conducts education programs, workshops and tours for farmers and other residents who want to utilize organic wastes on crops, pastures and pine trees.
Nitrogen, for example, is the most abundant nutrient in waste, and the nutrient must be broken down by microorganisms in the soil before it can be used by plants.
George Hochmuth, director of the UF research and education center in Live Oak, said the partnership is being coordinated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Suwannee River Water Management District in cooperation with UF, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Farm Bureau and other agencies, agricultural producers and related associations.
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