SALEM, Ore., March 23 -- The Oregon Department of Agriculture issued the following news release:
The state agency that regulates Oregon’s $473 million dairy industry has given kudos this month to three dairy operations that have gone above and beyond the call of duty in protecting water quality.
The special awards handed out during this month’s Oregon Dairy Farmers Association annual meeting recognizes operators who are being held up as good examples for others to follow when it comes to sound management practices. The awards also demonstrate to the general public that agriculture cares about protecting Oregon’s natural resources.
“These awards tell the rest of the industry that you can achieve environmental compliance,” says Wym Matthews, manager of the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Confined Animal Feeding Operations Program (CAFO). “Different dairy operators employ different ways to achieve compliance- many times creatively- and there is often actual financial value in being good stewards.”
Dairy cows produce more than just milk. They produce manure that can lead to water quality problems if not managed properly. The CAFO Environmental Stewardship Award is handed out each year by the ODA inspectors responsible for ensuring that dairies are properly handling animal waste. The award winners are the best of the best when it comes to being good managers.
“I think the award gives hope to people who are faced with multiple regulations and mandated responsibilities, that if they hear about this, they may recognize that somebody was innovative in how they achieve compliance and actually got an award for it,” says Matthews.
This year’s CAFO Environmental Stewardship Award winners include:
* Norman Bennett of Valley Venture Dairy in Tillamook
* Mike Miranda of Mike Miranda Dairy in Coquille
* Dave and Phillip Herinckx of DannyDave Dairy, LLC in Banks
All three have done more than just meet the minimum standards for operating a dairy. They have implemented unique practices and, as a result, give all Oregon dairies a good role model to emulate while showing the public that they do care about the environment.
While each dairy has unique aspects that distinguishes them from others, all share the most basic of criteria for the award. All facilities have approved animal waste management plans. Each follows a nutrient management plan that includes periodic soil and manure analysis, pasture seeding, and irrigation management. Each also meets the requirements of federal and state water quality laws and rules.
“These operators are making manure management a daily responsibility and look at that aspect as an important part of their operation- just as important as the nutrition of their animals,” says Matthews.
In some cases, capital expenditures have been necessary. In other cases, the investment has come in the form of human capital- making daily management changes that have great improved the dairy’s impact on the surrounding area.
The two coastal dairies- operated by Bennett in Tillamook and Miranda in Coquille- have updated an old way to handle manure with a new twist. Implementing what is called a “deep compost bedded pack system” in their barn, these dairies have found a great management tool that works well. The posts and stalls are removed from the middle of the barn, creating a big open area. Sawdust and straw are placed on the ground, creating a comfortable bedding for the cows and provides an effective way to handle their manure. The material is stirred up from time to time and new bedding is mixed in. The bedding pack grows taller and taller throughout the year and it heats up as the composting process continues.
“The cows really like it, it’s just like a heated waterbed for them,” says Matthews. “It changes the manure system from a liquid and solid mix to mainly solid because of the absorbents being used- the sawdust and the straw. In coastal climates, that really helps. There is less liquid manure to handle or store. The operators don’t need to clean out the barn in the winter when it is cold and wet, and manure application is a higher risk activity. They can clean it out in the summer when the weather is nice.”
Manure piles in barns have been around as long as animals have been in barns. But with the management strategy adopted by the two coastal dairies, the animal waste is better handled, the cow’s health is protected, and the milk production remains high.
The third award winner- the Danny Dave Dairy in Washington County- has demonstrated an overall strong conservation ethic and attention to detail. ODA inspectors marvel at the dairy’s cleanliness.
“As they put it, you could almost eat off the floors, it’s so clean,” says Matthews. “This family takes extreme pride in how they operate the facility. They have been able to incorporate all the environmental requirements of their CAFO permit while implementing great farming practices. The operators take annual soil and manure tests because it provides constant management feedback, even though their permit does not require the tests that often. The dairy also invests in wildlife enhancement. They did not ask for cost share money, they just felt creating wildlife areas on their property was the right thing to do.”
All three award winning dairies are being good neighbors as well. To ODA’s CAFO inspectors, it’s satisfying for them to hand out the awards.
“Our folks and the dairy industry in general enjoy patting good operators on the back,” says Matthews. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com
