Comprehensive Small-Farm Manure Runoff and Milking Parlor Wastewater Management
Funding Agency:  Michigan Milk Producers Association
 
Principal Investigator: Steven Safferman
Co-Principal Investigator:  Dawn Reinhold (MSU)
Contributor: Lloyd Rozema (AQUA Treatment Technologies, Inc., Ontario, Canada)
Project Advisor: Stephen Davis (USDA, Michigan NRCS)

 Problem Statement: 

  Dairy farmers with small herds, less than 200 cows, face challenges in managing storm water runoff and milking parlor wash water.  Often, large storage lagoons and manure storage structures are not available to serve as collection sites for impacted waters and expensive engineered treatment systems are simply not economically feasible.  Yet improper discharge of impacted water to surface and ground water may result in potential health risks and environmental harm.  Effective, economical technologies need to be researched. 
Specific Purpose:    To determine the effectiveness and efficiency of novel, comprehensive small-farm manure runoff and milking parlor wastewater management practices.  All aspects of planning, design, construction, and operation will be closely monitored and documented with the goal of providing technology transfer material to small farms, either directly or though the MSU Extension.  The information will also be valuable for the operators of large farms as some technologies being considered can be easily scaled up.

 

CONTACT

HOME