Landis Dairy Gets Comprehenisve Nutrient Management Plan from NRCS     

All dairies face the issue of waste management. New regulations in Georgia required many dairies to complete a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP). Beryl Landis owns and operates a 500-head dairy in Burke County. Landis is very concerned about operating in a manner that protects the environment and meets all regulatory requirements.

A 20-year farmer, he sought the assistance of the Natural Resources Conservation Service for assistance with a nutrient management plan to meet the Georgia regulations. The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service helped Landis develop a conservation plan to help him comply with the regulations and improve the quality of the natural resources in his care.

Conservation practices include: • nutrient management, • crop rotation, • conservation tillage, and • a holding pond for manure. Liquid waste is pumped onto cropland to grow silage through a center pivot. Scraped manure solids are now applied to fields and pasture with a solids spreader. Conservation tillage helps to build the soil.

With silage crops, there is so much organic matter removed, that whatever is left becomes even more important to the soil. The two-stage holding pond separates solids from liquids so they can be pumped out, leaving less volume to haul with a wagon. This saves time and money--a win/win situation!

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