Health Impacts and Economics of Using Dried Manure Solids in the Northeast

Six farms using different types of dried manure solid (DMS) strategies, including a farm that had side-by-side pens using sand and DMS, participated in a study to assess the impact on herd health of using DMS as bedding on dairy farms in the Northeast. Samples of unused and used bedding were taken over the course of a year and analyzed for bacterial content and physical properties. Mastitis and somatic cell count (SCC) records were analyzed in relation to those properties. Although mastitis differed among farm/bedding strategies (FBS), bacteria levels and properties of bedding had no effect on mastitis incidence. Lactation number, stage of lactation and SCC were the significant variables. Decreased levels of Klebsiella in the used bedding increased the odds of having an abnormal SCC for one FBS, and decreased moisture and fine particles in the used bedding increased the odds of having an abnormal SCC for a different FBS. For all others, abnormal cell counts were affected only by season, lactation number and milk production. Economic analysis showed a savings of between 1 and 26 cents per hundred weight of milk produced through the use of manure solids as bedding on five farms. This study suggests that properly managed DMS can provide an economic benefit without compromising herd health

Characteristics of a Sampling of New York State Composts

Composting and marketing of composted products is an option for managing organic residuals. Composting is an environmentally sound and energy efficient way of managing manure, yard waste, food scraps, paper residuals, and even animal mortality. However, the resulting product should be used in order for it to also be profitable. Many farms, schools and other composters have difficulty finding markets for their composts as consumers have little knowledge of compost qualities and sources. This document summarizes the characteristics that pertain to compost quality and relates them to compost sampled in New York State. The appendix provides means, standard deviations, minimum, maximum and median values for each of the parameters. All individual values can be found in this excel file

Composting at Home - The Green and Brown Alternative

Cornell Cooperative Extension; Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Science

Evaluation of Solids and Liquids from Anaerobic Digesters for Use as Bedding and Fertilizer

Summary: Solids and liquids from digestion of manure at 17 farms were analyzed for bacterial concentration, physical properties and/or metal concentrations. Four of these farms digested manure only and the rest accepted some type of food or food processing waste as co-digestion material. As expected, bacterial concentrations were variable and no clear trends were discovered for higher populations in solids that were digested with food and food processing waste versus those that came from manure only. In addition, no single type of waste yielded higher bacterial concentration than any other. Season played a much larger part in bacterial concentration than did co-digestion. Physical properties (% moisture and % of fine particles) of the solids were not significantly different whether digested with a co-digestion material or not. Organic matter, which may lead to increased bacterial growth in the bedding, but could be helpful for conditioning of the soil, was significantly lower in solids that were digested with manure only versus co-digestion. There were differences in the chemical properties of the solids that were co-digested versus those that were not. However, co-digestion should not affect the fertilizer value of the solids in normal farm operations as the difference favors them as fertilizer. The only one that may be of concern is increased phosphorus in runoff. Bacterial concentration in liquid digestate was similar to that of solids. Rather than co-digestion, differences in bacterial concentration were based on season, with summer having the highest bacterial load. Concentration of metals in all liquid digestate was well-below regulatory limits set for sewage sludge. Liquid digestate from co-digestion with food and food processing waste had higher concentrations of copper and zinc than liquid from digestion of manure only, but were still 5 and 10 times lower, respectively, than the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sludge and sludge product maximum (NYSDEC 360 Rules). There was no difference in fertilizer value (N, P, K) of liquid digestate from digestion with or without co-digestion materials. The concentration of boron, a micronutrient, was significantly lower in digestate from co-digestion of all wastes studied versus manure alone and the concentration of Zn was significantly higher from co-digestion with grocery store waste than any other liquid digestate. However, neither of these would result in deficiency or toxicity. Many of the other micronutrients found in the liquid digestate, regardless of co-digestion, were above limits set by EPA for use as irrigation water. The objective of this study was to see if the addition of food and food processing wastes to agricultural digesters has an adverse or positive effect on the end products. Taking into account all of the above information, it appears that co-digestion does not change either the solid or liquid digestate and thus can be used as animal bedding and for fertilization/irrigation of farm fields.New York State Department of Environmental Conservatio

Marketing Composts and Meeting Consumer Needs

Issued 2004, updated 2015Cornell Cooperative Extension, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Science

Cornell Farm Services Compost Facility

The compost program at Cornell University was started to manage manure from livestock in Cornell’s care. In the past, when manure could not be daily spread, it was piled and spread when weather conditions improved. These piles were unsightly, had no leachate control, and produced objectionable odors when spread. In 1992, Cornell Farm Services started composting the manure and bedding from the large animal hospital at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine.Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Cornell Cooperative Extensio

Compost Bulking Materials Fact Sheet #5

Issued 2004, updated 2013Cornell Cooperative Extension, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Science

Regulation and Certification of Composts

Cornell Cooperative Extension, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Science

Testing Composts

Issued 2004, updated 2015Cornell Cooperative Extension, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Science