From the Department of Dairy and Animal Science
Thb regular column from Penn State’s Department of Dairy and Ani
mal Science features the research findings, student opportunities, and
reports on other important topics generated in the Department. The back
issues of the column are archived on Lancaster Fanning’s Internet
www.lancasterfarming.com home page. Look for them.
National Pork Producers
Launches Environmental
Assessment Program
Bob Mikesell
Senior Extension Associate
Responding to global
economic forces, swine farms are
becoming fewer in number and
larger in size. People who live
near these operations are
concerned, understandably, about
a large operation’s odor and its
potential effect on water quality.
The National Pork Producers
Council (NPPC) has initiated
several programs to alleviate
public concerns about both water
pollution and odor from large
swine farms. One effort is the
Environmental Assurance
Program to educate producers
about their potential to pollute
and introduce best management
practices to avoid pollution.
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pollute waterways.
A second program of the
NPPC is the Odor Solutions
Initiative to identify potential
long-term solutions to odor
problems. Odor can arise from
manure application, manure
storage, and the pig barns
themselves. Odors from all three
sources can be reduced through
good management and sanitation.
The NPPC has spent $1.5
million in check-off funds to
develop the National Pork
Producers Council’s On-Farm
Odor and Environmental
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Assessment Program (OFO/EAP)
This educational program uses a
team of two trained assessors to
physically evaluate swine
operations. One assessor is from
a publicly funded institution such
as the Cooperative Extension
Service or the Soil Conservation
Service. The other assessor is a
private individual.
During an assessment, the two
assessors visit the farm and
evaluate management practices in
five areas of the operation:
1) General site. Is
the farm clean, well kept, and
visually pleasing? Where are
neighbors in relation to the
farm and manure application
areas?
2) Buildings. Are
technologies and
management practices in
place to keep odor generation
to a minimum? Are the pigs
comfortable and healthy as a
result of good ventilation,
sanitation, and management?
3) Manure Storage
Structures. Are structures
properly constructed and tree
of leaks and structural
damage? Are structures
secured and safe?
4) Manure Land
Application. Is manure
applied at reasonable times
and rates or in accordance
with a nutrient management
plan? Is manure application
equipment well-maintained?
Are manure application
records kept?
5) Mortality
Management. Are dead
animals secured and disposed
of in a timely and
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After the assessment and
before leaving the farm, the team
discusses their findings with the
producer. During the exit
interview, the assessors place
special emphasis on practices that
are unsafe or could potentially
threaten ground water.
Assessment findings are written
in a final report, signed by both
assessors and forwarded to the
producer. All the data collected
during the assessment are entered
into a national database kept by
NPPC. This database may
eventually yield information that
will allow producers to further
reduce odor.
Recently the NPPC signed a
voluntary Compliance Audit
Program (CAP) agreement with
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). Under this agreement,
producers who undergo an
OFO/EAP assessment and choose
(Continued from Page AID)
Berks County Dairy Princess
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Regional 4-H Achievement Day,
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 15, 1999-A33
to participate in the CAP program
receive a reduction ot tines lor
any
violations uncovered Pioduccrs
who have no violations 01 lake
coi rective action receive a seal
issued by NPPC and EPA
indicating their successful
completion of the assessment. To
further strengthen their support of
this program, EPA has released
$5 million to pay lor assessments.
By the end of 2001, National
Pork Producers Council has set a
goal of assessing farms that raise
80 percent of pigs nationally.
Pennsylvania’s goal is to assess
60 farms in 1999 As of April 1
this year, twenty one farms in
Pennsylvania have requested an
OFO/EAP audit, Pennsylvania
pork producers are encouraged to
have their farms assessed and to
participate m the CAP program.
For more information or to
request an assessment, call
Pennsylvania state coordinator
Bob Mikcsell at 814-865-2987
❖ Farm Calendar ❖
Altoona Campus, 9:30 a.m.-4
Contaminated Soil Cleanup Short
Course, Maryland 4-H Center,
College Park, thru May 27.
Mid-Atlantic Regional Post-
Harvest Handling Conference,
Sheraton Inn, Fredericksburg,
Walk, Foulkeways Retirement
Community, 3 p.m.
No-Till Vegetable Field Day,
Westtown Rd., West Chester,
bach’s Orchard, Catawissa, 6
Northwest Keystone Junior Beef
Classic, Butler County Fair-
management
nutrient