Environmental Stewardship

Publish Date: October 15, 2020

There is no best way to dispose of swine mortality carcasses. While some methods may work well for managing routine mortalities, the ability to scale them up to handle large numbers can be difficult. These methods may not adapt to times when catastrophic mortalities occur. The optimum system for any particular farm location is based on a number of criteria, including the current state of the protein/oil market, the biosecurity required, the distance to processing sites, the local public's perception, the government regulations that apply to that location, the environmental conditions, and the ability of the farm to carry out the different procedures. The death losses at a farm can be classified broadly as one of two types, routine or catastrophic. Routine mortalities represent a small proportion of herd and occur throughout the course of normal production. Catastrophic mortality events involve high death losses within a distinct period of time. These methods can also be used for catastrophic loses but the larger scale in a shorter time frame often increases process intensity. Additionally if losses are due to disease, they have a higher biosecurity risk.

Publish Date: November 1, 2019

Economies of scale and the greater need for efficiency have resulted in the vast majority of pigs being raised indoors. These artificial environments have a great impact on production performance and the health status of both the pig and the worker. With the pork industry becoming more integrated, uniform-style barns are built in multiples, and an error in design can be multiplied many times over. This situation highlights the continued need for adhering to basic design principles in ventilation and environmental control.

Publish Date: June 20, 2018

The closure of aged livestock lagoons and earthen manure storage basins needs to be conducted in a manner that controls potential environmental risk and makes economical use of accumulated nutrients in the biosolids. In this video, learn how to prepare for the closure of a lagoon by estimating the volume and nutrient content of liquid effluent and accumulated sludge, sampling effluent and sludge, quantifying the value of these products based upon fertilizer nutrient availability and prospective soil fertility impacts, and planning land application activities to utilize these nutrients in crop production systems.

Publish Date: June 20, 2018

This video demonstrates the technology advances over the last several decades that has allowed the pork industry to produce a consistently, safe, wholesome food product.

Publish Date: June 20, 2018

This video will address the impact of animal feeding operations on nearby residential and land values.

Publish Date: June 20, 2018

This video presents the science behind antibiotics given to animals and their impact on humans.

Publish Date: June 20, 2018

This video is intended to address the concerns of antibiotic resistance development and antibiotic residues related to animal feeding operations.

Publish Date: March 27, 2018

The closure of aged livestock lagoons and earthen manure storage basins needs to be conducted in a manner that controls potential environmental risk and makes economical use of accumulated nutrients in the sludge. In this video, learn how to utilize effluent and sludge from a lagoon, deconstruct a lagoon liner, berm, and conveyance pipes, and return the land area occupied by the lagoon to production.

Publish Date: October 20, 2014

Properly designed and operated manure management systems prevent manure from overflowing or discharging from a facility, and allow for timely nutrient application for vegetative growth. Whether the manure is stored in a lagoon, earthen structure, tank or deep pit, similar principles exist to maintaining a sound manure storage structure. Frequent evaluation of the system and preventative maintenance reduce the risk of costly structural and/or environmental issues down the road.

Publish Date: October 20, 2014

Agricultural air quality is a hot topic around the country. Increasing interest in air quality regulation of farms is the result of many changes, including the trend toward larger farms having greater concentrations of animals, and increased knowledge and awareness of air emissions from livestock sources. This document provides background on current air quality regulations, why they were implemented, what swine operations are affected, and how to comply, when necessary. Indoor air quality will not be directly discussed here, but readers should understand that indoor air quality and outdoor air quality are related, and the level of indoor air quality is not necessarily indicative of emission levels.