Composting: John Gingerich Wegman’s Egg Farm Editor’s Note: The following is a presentation given at the Cornell Poultry Conference on July 6, 1994. The Egg Farm division of Weg man’s Food Markets is an egg pro duction complex located near Wolcott, N.Y. Approximately 600 tons of fin ished feed is produced weekly, which is fed to 720,000 layers (soon to be 840,000) and 240,000 pullets. When inputs are invested into chickens, output is expected. In this case, we are primarily interested in converting feed and water into eggs (currently approxi mately 300,000 dozen per week). However, there are other products of this process as well. Some of the energy produced is released in the form of heat, and some in the form of manure more than 550 tons per week on a fresh basis. How do we deal with it? Over the years, different methods have emerged. Until 10 years ago, all of the manure was handled on a daily basis. Cable-drawn scrapers brought the manure to an auger which loaded in onto a truck. The manure was hauled to lagoons sites on our cropland area where it was stored, then spread seasonally for fertilizer. It was a system with sig nificant labor in handling and rehandling, as well as having sig nificant equipment and mainte nance costs. Next came high-rise houses where manure drops from the birds on a second level into the lower level where it is stored, dried down somewhat (50-55 percent mois ture), cleaned twice yearly using a skid-steer loader, and spread on the land. Definitely an improve ment, but with the downside of fly problems and wintertime ammoni a in the houses. Most recent is the turbo design where manure collects on boards under the cages. Ventilation air moving over the manure dries it before it is scraped down through the slots into the pit below. This yields a very dry product (20-30 percent moisture) which is removed twice yearly. The ammo nia problem is almost entirely eli minated in the upstairs bird area. Recycling manure in its raw form as fertilizer to produce com to feed back to the chickens wouldn’t be too bad if it weren’t for the world that we interact with. Much of our cropland drains into bays which, in turn, drain into Lake Ontario. Too much manure over too long a time period has the potential of leeching excess nutrients (espe cially phosphorous) which can be damaging to the ecosystem. In reality, that problem may be more one of perception. We regularly monitor one particularly critical stream in several points, and find that the most significant pollutant sources are human rather than agricultural. This does, however, bring up the most critical environmental crea ture we interact with people. It is with these creatures that we can have a real problem. In the sum mertime, lagoons smell and give off flies. When liquid manure is spread, it just plain stinks. While the odors of spreading high-rise manure isn’t as bad, if flies were breeding in it when spread, they can make enemies quickly with the neighbors. Turbo manure is also capable of boosting fly breeding. Large Egg Producer’s Answer To Manure Management The people we interact with today are less and less tolerant. They are quick to complain about odor, flies, pesticide spraying, mud or manure on the roads, and even dust from tilling the land. Lately, we have had people claim ing resulting illness. Lawyers are consulted, and threats of various kinds are made (including calling the media). The reality is that in order to sur vive and thrive in the future, there has to be a better way. We do not believe in being held hostage by problems, but rather to turn them into opportunities. Doing that, however, is a real challenge. For the past few years, we had contracted with a company who used our high-rise manure for compost. They processed that pro duct for retail sales. Even though they have gone out of business, we saw potential in the composting of manure. Last summer, we constructed a composting facility with six 20 x Fire Drills Not Just For School Anymore BOALSBURG (Centre Co.) Imagine waking from a sound sleep to the cries of “Fire! Fire!” Jumping out of bed you notice the glow of yellow light dancing like flames on the wall. Glancing out the window on your way out of the bedroom you realize that the glow is coming from your bam. As you run down the stairs your mind races through thoughts of Agriculture Department To Boost Industry Marketing Efforts HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Pennsylvania agricultural or ganizations can double their pro motional dollars by participating in the Pennsylvania Agricultural Product Promotion and Marketing Matching Grant Program, Agri culture Secretary Charles G. Bro sius said. ‘The Department of Agricul ture is pleased to offer this match ing grant program to help com modity organizations inform con sumers about our high quality, nutritious, bountiful food prod ucts,” Brosius said. “Each match ing grant creates a public/private partnership that will help to in crease sales for the common wealth’s number one industry agriculture.” Pennsylvania nonprofit agricul tural product promotion and mar keting organizations are eligible to submit applications. Funding may be used to pay the cost of agricul- 200 foot bays, utilizing a Farmer Automatic turner. This facility has the capacity to turn out up to 8,000 tons of composted manure per year. This is a stable product which can be stored, and is an excellent fertilizer product which, when spread, does not give off odor. Pathogens are also killed in the composting process. Our immediate market for the product is for agricultural applica tion, both for our own land as well to sell to other farms. In the long term, marketing both in the land scaping and retail arena has poten tial. However, some further pro cessing may be needed for those markets. Our most immediate challenge is the daily manure cleanout We still have facilities for over 300,000 layers as well as all the pullets producing over 40 ton daily of 70 to 80 percent moisture man ore. This represents our greatest what to do. Call the fire depart ment Use the fire extinguisher or a hose to douse the fire. Get the horses out of the bam. Reaching for the phone, your mind is still racing when you sud denly realize that you cannot remember the number fra- the fire department, not to mention your address. You run outside to get help only to fid mass chaos. tural product promotion and mar keting projects, the cost of a por tion of the organization’s contri bution to a national or regional agricultural promotion or market ing project, the cost of education programs conducted by the appli cant. and/or the cost of trade shows. To receive a matching grant, applicants must provide funds in an amount at least equal to the amount requested. The minimum amount of a matching grant re quest is $l,OOO. The deadline for submitting a completed application is Dec. 1. For more information or to obtain an application, contact Mike Varner in the Bureau of Market Development at (717) 783-9948. environmental problem, because it is too wet to compost However, if we mix the very dry turbo manure with it it becomes compostable. Our strategy is to gradually con vert more of the older facilities to new turbo buildings in order to be able to blend a proper moisture manure so that we can compost all of our manure. This will bring the facility up to full operating capacity. If composting is looked upon as being the magic solution to all problems, well, challenges still present themselves. First, the facil ity to do this is expensive. Second ly, the composting process in itself Horses are in the bam squealing and people are running frantically. By the time the fire department has been notified, precious moments have been lost along with everything in your bam. Horse have died and people have been injured. It’s unfortunate. It’s also preventable. Fire escape plans are followed and routinely practiced in many schools, businesses, and homes throughout the country. However, few farms or stables have imple mented fire safety practices. Times are changing, though. On Sunday, Oct. 13, several horse owners and members of a local fire company gathered at Slab Cabin Farm in State College. The purpose of the gathering was to learn how to develop a plan to pre vent a tragedy similar to the one above. The clinic started with Krisdean Beattie, an emergency medical technician and registered nurse at the Hetshey Medical Center, dis cussing first aid care for people injured at a fire scene. She was followed by Dr. E. Scott McAllis ter, an equine practitioner from Centre Hall, who explained ways to cate for horses injured in fires. Afterwards, National Equine Safety Association (NESA) rep resentatives discussed the causes of fires and ways to prevent them. Then the group gathered outside for a mock drill. Smoke billowed out of bam doors and windows. “Fire in the bam!” BUY. SELI.TRADE OR BENT THROUGH THE PHONE: 717-626-1164 or 717-394-3047 PAX 717-733-60S8 Mon., Tuen.. Wed., Frl. B AM to 5 PM; Thurs. 7 AM to 5 PM ROPE IN SOME EXTRA #« Z* CASH! #4 Advertise With A f sffi Lancaster Farming ' JA 1 CLASSIFIED AD... JU'-" Phone. 717-394-3047 * or 717-626-1164 creates significant odor. We are simply moving the odor from the point of spreading to the point of composting, so we have a different set of neighbors who are upset We are working on technical solutions to this. We have made some prog ress, but need to make more. We know that solutions exist but they are expensive, and their adapta tions to our facility are not fully proven. Tthe challenges continue to pre sent themselves. However, we continue to believe that hidden in the problem is a silver lining of opportunity for a valuable by product At the sound of the cry Philip Jodon, owner of Slab Cabin Farm, came from a nearby shed. He walked briskly to the bam, paus ing only briefly to feel the door for heat. Then he opened the door and walked into the smoke-filled building. Moments later his wife Sherry walked into the bam she was delayed by calling the fire department When Philip emerged out of the smoke seconds later, he was lead ing a blindfolded horse. Quickly pulling the blindfold from the horse’s head, he lead it to a nearby pasture. He turned the horse loose and chased it away from the gate. Then he walked briskly back for another horse. Sherri going to the pasture with a second horse, and passed by him. Not a word was spoken. The relay continued until the two managed to “save” five horses. It took less than four minutes. Through practice the Jodon’s will be able to reduce their time of evacuation, but more importantly those observing learned the importance of bam fire drills. Horses do not react the same as people, and it is important to be prepared for any situation that may arise when horses are involved. The Pennsylvania Equine Council (PEC) plans to offer fire safety programs across the state. For more information, contact Bonnie Darlington, PEC secret ary, at P.O. Box 570, Boalsburg, PA 16827, (814) 364-9826. ■f*| CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT 125-C INTERNATIONAL TRACK LOADER, 75% U/C, excellent condition. Asking $13,500. (215)598-3528. 1969 Case 1150 w/ripper, 4+l bucket, good mach $6500.00. Call (301)371-9346 1975 Int. Backhoe series 3500 A, end. cab, X-Hoe, good cond, $7500. Call (301)371-9346
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