By Darren Turley
TAD Executive Director
The Texas Association of Dairymen (TAD) spends a remarkable amount of time discussing s**t (or stuff, or manure, or waste) in one form or another.
The technology involved in the handling of manure continues to evolve. We now have the ability to separate manure from the sand that is used in the barn to provide a soft place for cows to rest or sleep. This sandy “beach” can be cleaned to the point where it can be reused over and over. Removing the waste from the bedding sand protects the cows from the environment bacteria that could impact the animals’ health.
The manure generated by our dairy cows has long been used to fertilize fields that grow feed for both dairy and beef animals. Waste system technology can further compost the manure to refine the quality of the fertilizer. This refined “stuff” can then be applied at ergonomic rates on fields to match the soil tested needs, which can better feed the various planted crops that will be harvested to feed the cows.
If all of this was not enough, now there are technologies to capture the methane gas produced by the manure and clean it to be sold as compressed natural gas. These methane digestor systems are the new green energy projects popping up at Texas dairies. They are proving to be a very efficient source for power for Texans, and this market is poised to grow.
We also are seeing technologies being developed to remove and clean the fiber from the waste to a point where it resembles fine lawn clippings. This can then be reused and repurposed for various product applications that require organic fiber material.
I recently have been visiting with a number of individuals and companies that are investigating other research opportunities for turning cow waste into something productive. Not only is the industry looking at the uses for manure, but it is also looking at ways to make it less impactful. For example: possible changes to a cow’s diet to cut down on methane production.
As the country continues to move into the green energy field, the need to better understand the potential of our “stuff” is greater than ever. The dairy industry is committed to finding ways to better handle its waste – after all, dairy farmers are the original environmentalists who depend on the land, air and water to make a living as well as feed the world
We certainly never thought we’d see the day when a dairy’s plentiful byproduct would become valuable.
