Free calendar helps farmers track their poo
t’s a perfect tool for farmers who really know their “crap.” Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District has developed a calendar designed to help farmers track and manage their manure applications, and they’re offering those calendars to Ashland County farmers at no cost.
The calendars were developed and produced through a mini educational grant from the Ohio EPA to Ashland SWCD to help promote best management practices for handling manure on the farm.
“It sounds funny, and in the office we call them our ‘poop calendars,’ but in reality, they can be a really valuable tool,” said Erica White, Jerome Fork watershed coordinator at Ashland SWCD. “The calendars have guidance for making on-farm manure applications and tips on ranking fields for applications. Plus, each month has a simple chart where farmers can record when they applied manure, what fields it was applied to, and how many loads were applied.”
In Ohio, certified fertilizer applicators are required to keep records on fertilizer applications - including manure applications. And while there are high-tech (yet surprisingly simple) apps for that, some farmers like to keep their records a little more “old school” with pen and paper.
“We designed these calendars to hang in the milk house or barn,” White said. Farmers can just grab a pen and make notes on their application in moments, which helps them stay compliant with application rules and keep track of manure application and rates on their farm.”
The calendar also offers tips and reminders for other conservation practices throughout the year - including application deadlines for cost-share programs like Ashland SWCD’s cover crop programs, tips on exclusion fencing, reminders about tree sale deadlines, Ashland SWCD board meetings and more.
“As a bonus, our Ashland SWCD board also offers one free manure nutrient analysis per calendar year for farmers who can demonstrate their manure application records are up to date,” White says. “It’s just one way our SWCD board wants to help our farmers know the true nutrient value of what’s going on their fields. You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and this is one tool that can help in that management.”
Calendars can be picked up during normal business hours at the Ashland SWCD office. Calendars will also be available at the Ohio Theater in Loudonville on December 15 during the Conservation Chat: Keep It Together. The chat will feature Jason Mauck from Constant Canopy, named one of Successful Farming’s up and comers to watch. The event is free, but pre-registration is required by calling 419-281-7645.
In addition to the paper calendars, White says the Ashland SWCD office also provides support and can help answer questions for high-tech record-keeping tools like the free On-Mrk (Ohio Nutrient Management Record Keeping) app. For more information, contact White at 419-281-7645 or by e-mail at ewhite@ashlandcounty.org