Waste not, want not

Waste usually means something of little or no value, something to be discarded.

Livestock generates a lot of waste, but the traditional sense of the word does not apply in the case of Rick Jarrett’s proposed confined animal feeding operation (CAFO).

According to documents prepared for Jarrett by JBS United, the manure generated by the 4,000-hog operation is worth around $148 per acre when applied to crops.

“I want you to look at how valuable this product is,” said Kari Keller-Steele of JBS United, while addressing the Madison County Board of Zoning Appeals in May. “It’s $148 per acre, per application. It’s applied by injection and it adds organic matter and improves till to the soil.”

Jarrett expects his 4,000-head confined CAFO to generate around 1.6 million gallons of manure every year. For many people, that number must seem astronomical, but every ounce of it is accounted for. In keeping with Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) regulations, Jarrett has devised a comprehensive manure management plan.

Jarrett plans to use it to fertilize over 500 acres of farmland. He has contracts with two family members to spread the manure on their nearby fields.

“I’ve been approached by people who are interested in it,” Jarrett said. “They say ‘If you don’t have any place to put it, we’ll take it.’ But we use all of it. The more of our own fertilizer we use, the less we have to buy.”

Livestock manure is rich in crop nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Combining waste material with only small amounts of additives will mean a windfall for Jarrett.

“A building like this will save us $50,000 to $60,000,” Jarrett said. “People don’t realize that the fertilizer attaches to the soil, it doesn’t run-off. We have an agronomist to help keep our Ph levels right.”

Waste generated by the hogs falls through a grated floor into a pit 8 1/2 feet deep. The pit can store an entire year’s worth of waste and when it’s full, the manure is pumped out.

Samples are then submitted to a laboratory in Fort Wayne to test the nutrient levels. While the manure contains many materials valuable for crops, it may not contain the perfect balance necessary to grow Jarrett’s corn, soy beans and wheat.

Greg Bohlander, field representative for Indiana Farm Bureau Inc., uses the image of a barrel to represent the elements needed for a successful yield: water, sunlight, air and nutrients.

“The crop only yields as much as the lowest element level will produce,” Bohlander said. “Adding fertilizer, whether it’s commercial fertilizer or natural fertilizer in the form of manure can make those nutrients more level so the yield will be higher. Any more would be a waste of money because it would flow out of the barrel.”

The manure is applied to the soil through a process called injection, sometimes referred to as “knifing.” A manure applicator equipped with a 5,000-gallon tank, uses six to eight blades or “knives” to cut 10 or 12 inches into the soil, allowing a hose to inject the liquefied manure into the soil.

Some neighbors, however, don’t believe IDEM does enough to ensure water quality and that all that manure must have something to do recent incidents of contamination.

“We know there are many complaints by people who live near CAFO’s in Madison County and other parts of the state,” said Carolyn Trimble in a letter to the Herald Bulletin. “We know that the County Soil and Water Conservation annual report says that Duck Creek and Little Duck Creek have e-coli and other bacteria and there are signs to that effect on creek banks in Elwood.”

Trimble and others have called for a moratorium to prevent future CAFOs until more stringent regulations have been put in place and public hearings held.

And while manure will always be apart of the livestock business, Jarrett said technology is playing a part in making it less offensive.

“They’re making feed additives now that use natural enzymes that will digest the protein in the manure to stop odor,” Jarrett said. “That’s where the technology is going. Odor is a factor for people and they’re working on it all the time.”