I think more agents are going to have to start writing plans and teaching farmers how to write their own plans. In this part of the state, we need more funding for manure storage facilities. Frame insists that the first step is to get people to see why it is important. We need to teach people to figure out how much manure they are spreading and balance that against the needs of the crop and what they get back in yield. Then we need to set up some kind of exchange so farmers who have too much manure can contract with people who need it.
Frame says proper manure management is cost-effective for farmers.
It s estimated that if all manure were used properly, fertilizer costs would go down by 70 percent. In addition, proper management is critical for protecting water quality. But Frame s study concludes the uniform state regulations simply won t work in his corner of the state.