Understanding Nutrients, Emissions & Odors at Harrison Farms ‐ 1 Farm Site and Projects Farm, Site, and Projects Paul Kivlin ‐ UW Extension/NPM/Discovery Farms Kevan Klingberg ‐ UW Extension/Discovery Farms Kate Meeks – Communications Intern / Discovery Farms
Farm Overview • E & L Harrison Enterprises, Inc. is a 4000 hog finishing operation owned by Lynn and Patricia g p y y Harrison. • The operation consists of five hog finishing h f f h f h buildings, at three locations: – Dunn and Chippewa counties, northwest of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Farm Overview The Harrison family has raised hogs since 1913, when Lynn’s h f l h d h h ’ • grandfather moved to the area. Until the spring of 1998 the operation was farrow ‐ to ‐ finish: U til th i f 1998 th ti f t fi i h • – Farrowed 6 x / yr in outside lots, avg 16 to 17 piglets per sow/litter. – “Similar operations in total confinement were averaging 20 + piglets per sow/litter. We weren’t competitive anymore,” Lynn says. per sow/litter. We weren t competitive anymore, Lynn says. Considered building a big sow farrowing set ‐ up. • Ultimately started buying feeder pigs, put up total confinement • finishing barns and transitioned to raising feeder pigs to market weight.
Farm Overview Lynn and Pat are active with Wisconsin Pork Association (WPA) and • the National Pork Board. – Lynn served three terms on the WPA board of directors, – President in 1997 and 2005, – Lynn remained on board as reorganized from Wisconsin Pork Producers Association to Wisconsin Pork Association Producers Association to Wisconsin Pork Association. – Lynn served on the National Pork Board from 2002 – 2008, – President from July 2007 – July 2008 President from July 2007 July 2008, – Lynn served within the National Pork Board Environmental Committee, that oversees check off funded research related to environmental issues surrounding the pork industry.
Site Characteristics • The general landscape of this farmland is gently sloping with isolated moderate slopes 0 10 % sloping, with isolated moderate slopes, 0 ‐ 10 %. • Landscape varies from cropland, pastureland, and L d i f l d l d d scattered woodland along riparian areas. • USDA Soil Survey maps indicate that a majority of the farm has sandy loam soil characteristics.
Site Characteristics • Along with the hogs, Harrison farm ~ 700 acres of corn and l h h h f f d soybeans: – 320 acres of cropland under irrigation, – 250 acres of highly erodible land (HEL). • Has used no ‐ till crop establishment practices since 1993, typically maintaining 50 ‐ 70% crop residue levels. • Swine manure is injected into the soil each fall and spring Swine manure is injected into the soil each fall and spring to meet crop nutrient needs. – Fields typically receive manure every other year.
Site Characteristics Soybeans after corn grain 50 % surface residue after planting 0 % f id f l i 1 ‐ pass 30 “ rows, planter follows (3) coulter ‐ cart.
Site Characteristics Manure injection slots into corn residue (Top Left). Manure injection slots into soybean residue (Bottom Left).
Farm Overview • One of the Harrison properties is located near the Muddy Creek State Wildlife Area and Old Elk Lake, a unique and somewhat rare shallow prairie pothole lake. • http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/ wildlife areas/muddycreek htm wildlife_areas/muddycreek.htm
Muddy Creek Wildlife Area Old Elk Lake with Harrison cropland immediately to NW
Old Elk Lake with Harrison cropland immediately to NW
Farm Overview • Significant development pressure felt from nearby Eau Claire and Menomonie to subdivide around Old Elk Lake. • At the same time, the WI DNR wanted to expand the Muddy Creek Wildlife Area and buy land around Old Elk Lake to protect as a wildlife sanctuary. Lake to protect as a wildlife sanctuary. • Lynn and Pat decided they didn’t want their farm to end up subdivided into rural residences: subdivided into rural residences: – Sold 77 acres that adjoined Old Elk Lake to the DNR, – Sold the development rights on another 350 acres surrounding the lake.
Farm Overview • Purchase / selling of development rights is a mechanism for protecting farmland from development. • Landowner voluntarily sells development rights to public agency, land trust, unit of government. public agency, land trust, unit of government. • The right to develop or subdivide land is permanently g p p y relinquished. • Landowner retains all other rights and responsibilities: – right to farm and post as private property, – responsibility to pay property taxes – responsibility to pay property taxes.
Projects Conducted at Harrison Farms Projects Conducted at Harrison Farms Air Quality Impacts Air quality (emissions and odor) Air quality (emissions and odor) • • has been a challenge for the swine industry for decades. Harrison’s 5 barns (3 different • feedlot locations) were evaluated using facility emission data and a regulatory air quality model. l i li d l The WI Ambient Air Quality • St Standards and U.S. EPA Reference d d d U S EPA R f Concentrations were used to evaluate potential public nuisance and public health p impacts.
Projects Conducted at Harrison Farms Projects Conducted at Harrison Farms Best Management Practice Challenge Agricultural best management • practices (BMP) are designed to practices (BMP) are designed to protect natural resources and farm profits. Some farmers are reluctant to adopt BMPs because they fear profit loss. To increase adoption of BMP’s, a • collaboration of private / public organizations created a program called the “BMP Challenge”. BMP challenge provides insurance, – Pays producers if the adopted best – management practice reduces crop yield and net income. yield and net income. During the early phases of this • national initiative, the Harrisons participated in verifying the participated in verifying the implementation protocols developed to run the larger program.
Projects Conducted at Harrison Farms Projects Conducted at Harrison Farms Sampling Protocol For Under Floor Swine Manure Storage Pits Proper manure sampling and analysis is p p g y • important to determine the nutrient content of manure and define appropriate application rates. Typically, manure sampling is done as • liquid pits are agitated and emptied. By the time lab analysis results are received, – the manure has (typically) already been h h ( ll ) l d b applied. The purpose of this study was to • determine whether accurate, pre determine whether accurate pre ‐ agitation samples could be obtained. Can pre ‐ agitated samples be analyzed and – accurately reflect swine manure nutrient y content so that field specific application rates can be decided before the pit is emptied?
Conclusion • Unlike most Discovery Farm locations, the Harrison farm did not have in ‐ stream or edge ‐ of ‐ field water farm did not have in stream or edge of field water monitoring. – Topography did not lend to finding appropriate side by side basins where Harrison had full management of the small watershed. • While this location did not have an appropriate landscape for water monitoring, the conducted l d f i i h d d projects provided valuable information for swine producers and the agricultural industry as a whole. p g y
Information Available • This presentation is the first in a series of four developed to provide the data and information collected at E & L Harrison Enterprises, Inc. ll d E & L H i E i I • There are 4 factsheets 4 briefs and 4 presentations There are 4 factsheets, 4 briefs and 4 presentations associated with this project. • All factsheets, briefs and presentations are available on ll f h b f d l bl the UW ‐ Discovery Farms website. • http://www.uwdiscoveryfarms.org
Acknowledgement Thank you to the Wisconsin Pork Thank you to the Wisconsin Pork Association for their interest and support of this project.
For Additional Information http://www.uwdiscoveryfarms.org UW Discovery Farms 40195 Winsand Drive 40195 Winsand Drive PO Box 429 Pigeon Falls, WI 54760 Pigeon Falls, WI 54760 1 ‐ 715 ‐ 983 ‐ 5668 jgoplin@wisc.edu Kevan klingberg@ces uwex edu Kevan.klingberg@ces.uwex.edu
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