Manure management workshops scheduled
The Greene County Conservation District will host three free workshops for local farmers and livestock owners about writing manure management plans.
The workshops well be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. as follows:
• March 7 at the Carmichaels Grange;
• March 22 at the Nineveh Community Center;
• April 5 in the lower level of the 4-H Building at the Greene County Fairgrounds.
The workshops are free, although registration is required.
According to state Department of Environmental Protection regulations, anyone whose farm operations involve applying manure to land – whether by fork, machine or naturally by animal – is required to have a written manure management plan, regardless of the size of the operation. This applies to owners of grazing livestock and farmers who use manure to fertilize gardens or fields, as well as students with 4-H projects.
“The DEP’s goal is not to go out policing people about manure management plans,” said Karlie Wright, agricultural technician for the Conservation District. “What they really want to do is educate everyone about the impact of livestock on the land and help people manage those impacts properly.”
Financial and other support for this workshop has been provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts Inc., through a grant from the state DEP under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information, or to register for a workshop, contact Wright at 724-852-5278 or kwright@co.greene.pa.us.