a ken last week by representatives of Lancaster
bounty agricultural agencies and groups, the
X)WAMP consultant, and the Department of
■nvironmental Resources. The tour was designed
o show to government officials just what has
ilready been accomplished in conservation
{radices of these projects. A total of 17
epresentatives from various agencies were on the
our.
Trimble’s manure pond is 12 feet deep and has a paved
slope going into it for the purpose of manur e removal. The
ramp has a 15 per cent dope to it.
Asked if he has any complaints about his manure pond at
all', the dairyman thought for a moment and then disclosed
that his pond collects a good bit of rain water at times.
Robert Kauffman, whose farm is home for 83 milk cows,
Ult . two manure storage areas and a slat dam between
Tfiem,oThe facility was designed by
specialists at Penn State, and it is said to be tbe only one of its
kind east of Minnesota. The idea behind the two separate
Said to be the first manure storage system of its
kind east of the Mississippi River, this one on the
Robert Kauffman farm, Peach Bottom, has two
distinct areas. In the foreground is the area where
manure is deposited from the feeding area. The
solids spread out and gradually drift towards the
"slat dam” shown in the center right half of the
picture. The solids stop here, but the liquids are
allowed to go through to a second collecting area
about 40 feet downhill. The liquids follow a con-
storage areas is that liquids are separated from the solid
portion.
As cn the Greider farm, soil conservation practices were
pointed out to the visitors at both the Trimble and Kauffman
farms.
The tour progressed so favorably that a fourth farm was
added to the program late in the day. That was an earthen
bank system with spray irrigation distribution on the Dave
Young farm, also of Peach Bottom.
'Kelso, who was instrumental in organizing the event,
expressed satisfaction with the way the tour was handled and
received.
Lancaster Farming. Saturday, Dec. 4.1976
Crete path to the “pond." The advantages of this
type of a system are that the solids can easily be
loaded and hauled with conventional equipment
The liquids are drawn out of the pond about once a
year. Kauffman has 83 milk cows on his 157 acre
farm and completed this manure storage system
just a few months ago. It handles almost all of the
manure from the herd, as well as water from the
milk house.
They were impressed
LANCASTER - Tom Kelso prevent possible pollution of.
of the Lancaster County streams.
Planning Commission The tour was conducted
described the recent visits to prior to the Thanksgiving
dairy farms “a great tour” holiday and included visits to
which succeeded in showing four farms,
engineering consultants and “The purpose was to have
DER’ representatives just it be an educational tool for
what agriculture is doing to tContmued on Page 24]
21