CDFA Grant Applications Are Now Extended to a Due Date of October 16, 2017 For The Alternative Manure Management Program in California

This is a great way to jump start your manure management program at your California Dairy. If you have been on the fence about addressing your dairy’s manure situation, now is the time to hop off that fence and apply for a grant for the Alternative Manure Management Program. AMMP is an excellent opportunity to utilize state assistance. This link: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/AMMP/ is a great place to start the process.

Take Advantage Of The CDFA Grants While They Available NOW!”

Hurry! Grant applications are now extended to a due date of October 16, 2017.

When The Fines Start Coming, The CDFA Grants Will No Longer Be Available.”

California Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program And Your Farm

Here are some quick facts about the California Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP.)

1) It’s all about water quality discharge from your agricultural operation.

2) The program is designed to regulate the water quality of that discharge

3) Waste water discharge requirements (WDRs) or conditional waivers of WDRs are issued to you, the grower

4) The actions specified in the orders must be followed

The link below will take you to the page that gives you all the details in the program. Be sure to bookmark it!

http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/agriculture/

California Sustainable Ground Water Legislation Website

Learning about the California Sustainable Ground Water Legislation can be a time consuming process. If you are looking for a great place to start, it’s here! http://groundwater.ca.gov/

This site, tells you about GSAs (Groundwater Sustainable Agencies) which are local agencies that are responsible for developing and implementing the individual GSA plans for farms, dairies and other enterprises that use water in their daily business processes.

There is also information on developing GSPs (Groundwater Sustainability Plans) that you are required to develop and submit for compliance with California Sustainable Ground Water Legislation.

This is also a good place to start to submit your GSP to your GSA. This is the link for submission: http://sgma.water.ca.gov/portal/#gsa

 

http://groundwater.ca.gov/

Information on The California Dairy Regulation – SB 13-83

As we all know, the California legislature has taken aim at dairy farmers. Specifically, gas by-products produced by cows in the form of methane.

The state law, California Dairy Regulation – SB 13-83, calls for tougher regulations for the reduction of methane emissions from manure and cows. The law is demanding a 40% reduction of methane emissions from 2013 levels by 2030.

Fortunately, there is a way to address these concerns in a fiscally responsible, if not profitable way. Why run when you can stay local, and profitable. See this link for more:

 

For more on the legislation, see the following:
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/17/dairy-farmers-in-california-say-anti-flatulence-law-stinks.html

Recycling Water And Sludge For Municipalties

Recycling water and sludge for municipalities is a hot topic. Especially in the water-starved Central Valley of California.

The city of Modesto has embarked on a massive project to recycle their sludge for use by local farmers. This is smart project is the highlight of an excellent article on the NPR website: 
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/07/20/424571389/drought-stricken-california-farmers-look-to-tap-urban-wastewater/

But what do you do if you don’t have hundreds of millions of dollars?

With the Figure 8 Environmental approach, we have figured out a way to offset the costs of setting up your own sludge recycling system with income generated by the gathering and selling of waste byproducts. The result, as one of our customers put it, is simply a “no brainer.”

How To Make Money From Sewage

Recovering nutrients from sludge can be profitable, as well as environmentally sound.

In this case, Ostara, a company in Vancouver, Canada, is recovering phosphorus through sewage treatment. They produce a high-quality fertilizer is easy for plants to absorb.

Their solution is aimed at cities with large sludge processing needs. Another example of creative ways to deal with sludge.

How to make money from sewage involves a different approach to phosphorus.

To extract the phosphorus from sewage, one of the methods is to use microorganisms. The treated microorganisms become a byproduct called sludge cake, which can can be resold to local farmers and used to fertilize their soil. Or, you can use it on your own farm to boost yield per acre.

Read more about this method at:

http://ostara.com/project/how-can-money-be-made-from-sewage/” target=”_blank”>http://ostara.com/project/how-can-money-be-made-from-sewage/”>http://ostara.com/project/how-can-money-be-made-from-sewage/

How Much Waste Does A Dairy Farm Produce?

The answer is quite a bit.

According to the USDA, and estimated 335 million tons of “dry matter” waste is produced annually by all the farms in the U.S.

For more information, visit http://www.sustainabletable.org/906/waste-management/

This informative article presents a compelling case for consulting with Figure 8 Environmental.

1. One dairy farm with 2,500 cows and produce as much waste as a small city with 411,000 residents
2. Manure lagoons, where all of the effluent from the dairy’s cows is stored, can overflow and spill over into the local waterways, leading to major fines for the dairy farmer
3. Federal regulations require a plan of action for the management of dairy waste.
4. The Environmental Protection Agency can prosecute and fine dairies that discharge waste illegally.