South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension staff are organizing a bus tour to the North American Manure Expo 2011, July 20 in Norfolk, NE. The Manure Expo is being held at the Northeast Community College Ag Complex.
At the Manure Expo, approximately 50 exhibitors from the United States and Canada will display and demonstrate all types and sizes of manure handling equipment including manure and fertilizer spreaders, manure incorporation equipment, GPS equipment for manure application and manure storage options.
New this year are sprinkler irrigation systems for manure application. Ride-and-drive style demonstrations will be available for those who want to test equipment. All demonstrations will be held, regardless of weather, on 40 acres of land adjacent to the complex.
“Professionalism in Manure Management,” is this year’s theme. Educational topics include manure stockpiling, manure pit foaming and safety, center pivots for irrigation of manure and the latest research on winter application of manure on frozen soils.
The expo runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no cost to attend. For more information, visit http://manureexpo.org.
The SDSU bus tour is open to producers, policymakers and concerned citizens interested in attending the expo.
SDSU staff organizers include Erin Cortus, agricultural engineer and Extension environmental quality specialist; Steve Pohl, Extension agricultural engineer; and Bob Thaler, swine specialist. The tour departs from Brookings on July 19 and stops along the way to tour agricultural operations in South Dakota that are implementing progressive manure systems.
The bus will stop at a 1,000-cow dairy with a covered lagoon that is paid for with carbon credits; an 1,800-head beef feedlot using a vegetative treatment strip/system; and different feedlot and manure systems at the SDSU Opportunities Farm, including an irrigation system.
“We want the South Dakota livestock industry to grow. In order for that to happen, producers need to understand what the most current options are out there for dealing with manure in environmentally-sensitive ways,” says Thaler. “We also want the general public, concerned citizens and policymakers to attend so they can see firsthand how modern manure treatment systems work, and how they protect the environment.”
The cost for the bus tour is $30/person. Make checks payable to SDSU Ag Engineering. The check covers the bus tour, box lunch and snacks July 19 and a box supper and snacks July 20. Attendees must make their own hotel reservations and cover the costs of additional meals.
Registration deadline is July 8 and space is limited. To register, contact Candy Willms at (605) 688-5141 or Candy.willms@sdstate.edu.
For more information and a complete itinerary, contact Erin Cortus at (605) 688-5144.