MSU hosts Manure Management Virtual Field Day
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EmailOnline webinar featured virtual farm tour, interactive educational videos
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State University (MSU) hosted a virtual field day event on manure management on Tuesday, July 21.
View virtual farm tour here.
MSU Extension Educators Erica Rogers and Sarah Fronczak presented the Manure Management Virtual Field Day from Swiss Lane Farms in Alto, Michigan.
Despite not being held in-person, the organizers developed an interactive and responsive program that included video, conversation and a Q&A.
“This isn’t your typical webinar,” said Rogers, an Environmental Management Educator in Gratiot County. “This will be as in-person feeling as possible. We are actually going to tour a farm, virtually.”
Manure management policy, research and technology are constantly changing and requires frequent updating.
“Manure management doesn’t go away,” Fronczak said about the importance of the event. “There is always something new to learn and you have to be vigilant and continue education – laws change and technology changes.”
Rogers and Fronczak, an environmental management educator in Hillsdale County, led the tour via a Google Maps view of the farm, while showing a variety of previously-recorded manure management lessons from MSU Extension educators, the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) technician, Bill Lindberg, and local professionals.
Features of the day included:
- Meet the Farmer and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program, featuring Annie Link of Swiss Lane Farms and Bill Lindberg of MAEAP.
- Manure Technology: Sand and Solid Separation, featuring Swiss Lane Farms speakers, MSU Extension, and MAEAP.
- Taking the Mystery out of Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans, featuring James DeYoung of CJD Farm Consulting and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
- Dragline Manure Application and The Michigan Manure Hauler Certification Program, featuring Rogers.
- Live Question and Answer session with speakers.
The program is designed for a variety of audiences.
“Anybody that applies manure will benefit from this program – small farms, large farms and even field crop producers who use manure,” Rogers said.
MSU hosted the event in partnership with The Kent Conservation District.