A Northeast dairy producer posed this question to American Agriculturist's Profit Planner panel: Soil fertility levels on our dairy are high to very high in phosphorus and potassium. This year's crop yields won't affect it much. I'm thinking about not spreading any manure and exporting it to farms that might need it. Any advice on how to pull it off?

Here's how they responded:

Mike Evanish, business services manager of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's Members' Service Corp: Sorry, I have no advice on exporting manure. While I couldn't be certain whether you're soil testing, I'd never suggest skipping a year of fertilizer without first doing so in every field – and potentially low-testing areas.

VALUABLE RESOURCE: Manure is a valuable fertilizer product containing micronutrients and organic matter. Don't waste it.

Soil test and run a test of your manure. You'll need to know what's in it, anyway, to export any amount."

Perhaps most importantly, order a printout of what's needed to ensure a bumper crop in each field. My advice might sound pretty academic; it really isn't. It's totally financial!

Soil tests cost very little and are a management practice every farmer should use on an on-going basis, not just in this type of circumstance. They cost very little. A wrong guess could result in a much more expensive crop loss.

George Mueller, dairy farmer from Clifton Springs, N.Y.: I used to think mastitis was our biggest challenge. Today, manure handling has moved into first place

You're not alone in being concerned about heavy P loads we're getting by spreading all our cow manure on a limited acreage. Many farmers are renting or purchasing additional land to raise grain on – and to put surplus manure to good use.

The expense of getting manure back on the land is huge. Willow Bend has a fleet of manure tankers, a fleet of large "V" spreaders, and a manure hose system or pumping manure three miles to a drag hose behind an eight-wheel tractor that injects it. The capital and maintenance expenses are astronomical. 

Spreading manure on neighbors' farms is tricky business. If you have large tankers or spreaders, the neighbor won't be happy with compaction of his land. Spread patterns are hard to apply evenly, and every square yard of ground needs to get its share.

Delivering manure to distant location is very expensive. If we can get the cost of spreading in return for our manure when we export to neighbors, we're satisfied. Manure is free; spreading is expensive.

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During manure hauling season, we take weekly samples and send them to a lab to be analyzed for the N. P. and K. per ton, or 1,000 gallons. A neighbor paying for expensive spreading wants to be sure that brown water (manure) is a bargain and has lots of nutrients in it.

Organic crop growers are a new dairy manure export market. An organic grower close by could be a good option for you. The organic fad isn't fading the way I thought it would.

If you export much manure, be sure to use some starter fertilizer with sulfur to get your crop off to a good start. Also since nitrogen leaches rapidly out of the soil profile, be sure to sidedress N for your non-legume crops. Good luck!

Glenn Rogers, University of Vermont Extension professor emeritus and ag consultant: Evaluate the needs of your whole farm, including pastures, before exporting. You can't afford an "Oh, darn" after thought.

As Evanish said, manure sampling is just as important as soil sampling, as it's highly variable in nutrient value. It varies with the feed, water and other items added, and whether it's fully agitated or not.

Manure's nutrients are valuable, as is the organic matter some soils need. When pricing manure, I recommend looking at the equivalent price of commercial fertilizer nutrients to reach those N, P and K values.  I also look at the cost of loading, transporting and spreading the manure, the availability or competition of the product nearby and how you'll get paid.
Don't sell yourself short. Remember, cash is king. Fortunately, various universities have posted manure value calculation worksheets on the Web for you to use. Try them.

Then look at what others in your area are charging for manure delivered to neighborhood farms. This isn't "a one size fits all" program. Also look at your own work schedule, hauling distances, the traffic, the environmental issues and other problems you may encounter when exporting.
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