Common sense would go a long way

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This is a spring that will be talked about for decades. Rain, rain and more rain. I am writing this on May 6, and I still haven’t planted a kernel of corn! In 1977, I thought it was bad when we finished planting corn on May 12. Oh well, farmers have always had to work with and around the weather, but this is getting serious.

This spring’s calving season started fine with cows dropping calves fast and furious on cold but dry ground. Then the rains and mud came to make the last 25 percent of the calving very rough indeed. Talking to other cow-calf operators let me know that we all faced the same problems. More twins born than anyone could remember before, but also more trampling of calves and being laid on when cows bunched together to stay on dry ground. I’ll take the cold weather every time.

On the national and state levels, cattlemen are still battling PETA and HSUS, but now we are in real danger of having to pay a cow “fart” tax. The U.S. Congress and U.S. EPA are seeking to stem global climate change linked to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Representatives Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) are the sponsors of this bill.

Proposed EPA rules would cover activities that emit more than 100 tons of carbon per year. A dairy cow typically emits the equivalent of roughly four tons per year and operators with more than 25 cows could face permitting fees of at least $45 per ton starting with their 26th animal. Beef, swine and cow-calf operators would also be affected to various degrees.

There are more proposed rules that would impact fuel, fertilizer and energy industries, further driving up a farmer’s cost of production. These increases would then put U.S. farmers at further disadvantages in the international markets. This would not be good as the U.S. Meat Export Federation just reported that total beef exports were up 4 percent in volume and 1 percent in value. Also, beef muscle cuts were up 9 percent. Ag exports are the only positive in the U.S. balance of trade.

We need common sense in this age of uncertainty. Instead of trying to do away with animal agriculture, use it to develop “green” energy.

Professor Paul Walker of Illinois State University has developed a system to separate manure from the university’s swine operation to be utilized as compost and irrigation for the farm. They use a solid-liquid separation system that utilizes technology that has been used by municipal water sanitary districts for 30 years. After three years of using this system, the benefits are: It only takes 40 acres to spread the solid manure instead the 200 acres used previously; odor is down; dust is down in the buildings, and the environmental health is better; plus the fact they have water for irrigation. The solids are also used in their composting rows and then are utilized by the university’s Nursery and Landscaping Department.
Another system in Pennsylvania has been in operation for 31 years. Richard Waybright uses manure from his 2,500 head dairy herd to generate electricity to power his dairy operation and 2,500 acre power needs, including its irrigation system and robotic milkers. GHG emissions from this form of making electricity are drastically reduced compared to making electricity by a coal powered plant. Waybright also sells electricity back to the grid, sells digestor solids for compost and utilizes the resulting nutrient-rich slurry for fertilizer, further cutting back his expenses. Composted manure can also be utilized as bedding material.

As farmers and consumers, we must not let special interest “goofiness” rule the day. Keep our animal industry and utilize it to help make ourselves more energy independent. Don’t tax and regulate us out of business. Agriculture and livestock can be a solution ... not the problem.
Larry Magnuson is a cow-calf producer in southern Bureau County and dues director on the IBA Board.