Fall is a busy time on our dairy farm – and one of the most important jobs we do each year is pumping manure. While it might not sound glamorous, manure is one of the most valuable resources we have. It’s full of nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that our crops need to grow strong and healthy.
Each fall, we carefully pump and spread the manure from our storage lagoons onto our fields. This process starts with agitating the lagoon, which stirs the manure to create an even mixture. This ensures that every gallon we pump has a consistent nutrient content. From there, high-powered pumps move the manure through hoses or tankers to the fields.
We often use dragline systems to apply manure – long hoses that lay across the field and inject the manure directly into the soil. This method helps keep nutrients where the plants can use them, minimizes odor, and reduces runoff risk. In fields farther away, we may use tankers that haul manure and inject it or carefully surface-apply it.
Before we start, we take soil samples from our fields and test our manure to know exactly how many pounds of nutrients we are applying per acre. We also rely on flow meters and GPS mapping to monitor application rates in real time. This precision helps us apply the right amount to each field – not too much, not too little – and protects water quality in our area.
Timing is key. We wait until most crops are harvested and the soil is in good condition to absorb nutrients. If the soil is too wet, we risk compaction or runoff, so we closely watch weather forecasts before starting.It’s a big job – with agitators, pumps, tractors, and tankers running nearly nonstop for several days – but it’s one of the most sustainable things we do. By recycling manure back into our fields, we reduce the need for commercial fertilizers, build healthy soil, and prepare for next year’s crops.
So next time you drive by and see big equipment in the fields, know that we’re not just spreading manure – we’re using technology and science to close the loop, feed the soil, and set ourselves up for another successful year of feeding our cows.