Environmental Management Can Pay

LANSING - Mar 11/05 - MFB -- More than 350 farmers from across the state met in East Lansing on Thursday eager to learn how they can protect the environment while remaining economically viable at the same time.

In addition to hearing from experts on how to meet state regulations and benefit from voluntary environmental protection programs, producers attending Agriculture's Conference on the Environment: Managing Today for Tomorrow heard from fellow farmers about the value of strong environmental management and ingenuity on their operations.

Leading off the personal testimonies was guest speaker David Biesenthal, a Canadian beef producer and equine veterinarian who shared how proactive recordkeeping and environmental planning exonerated his farm from liability for an E-coli outbreak that killed half a dozen people and sickened hundreds in Walkerton, Ontario, nearly five years ago.

It was alleged that manure runoff from Biesenthal's farm had seeped into a local well and contaminated the town's water supply. At one time Biesenthal was the target of a $350 million lawsuit filed by the local utility commission and the center of a local controversy that drew national media attention.

"That's how quickly your life can fall apart," recalled Biesenthal of the nearly six-month ordeal.

Although the cause of the outbreak was never discovered, Biesenthal was eventually exonerated of any liability thanks to detailed records and an environmental plan that showed he had followed proper practices for manure spreading and management.

"I'm not an expert. I'm just an ordinary farmer who had a few things in place that helped exonerate me from any liability," Biesenthal told an audience of peers.

Throughout the scandal, Biesenthal said he took comfort in knowing he had an environmental protection plan in place, and perhaps more importantly, that he kept daily records of his farm activities - a practice he picked up from maintaining medical records for his veterinary business.

"I kept a daily log," said Biesenthal. "If I (spread) manure, I'd write down the day I did, how much and on what acres ... I think that helped exonerate us more than anything else ... I just can't emphasize that enough."

In a workshop on value-added opportunities from biomass, Holland poultry farmer Mike Bronkema shared how a unique partnership with the Herman Miller company is turning industrial waste from the Ottawa County-based furniture maker and his Shady Side Farm into an environmentally friendly fertilizer that is economical and marketable.

Through an in-vessel compost system that mixes chicken manure, straw and leftover sawdust from Herman Miller, Bronkema produces compost which effectively fertilizes field crops without the strong odor and messiness of liquid manure.

In addition to adding value to the farm's manure, the in-vessel compost system has allowed Bronkema to discontinue using anhydrous ammonia, a fertilizer that requires special handling and has become a target of thefts by drug makers for the illegal production of methamphetamine.

The partnership has also benefited Herman Miller by reducing the amount of waste sawdust that goes to a landfill. The company generates 14 tons of waste sawdust daily. Prior to the farm partnership, all the sawdust went to a landfill, but now about 5 percent goes to Shady Side Farm. Herman Miller hopes to eventually supply all the waste to other interested farms.

Agriculture's Conference on the Environment: Managing Today for Tomorrow was presented by Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program partners and major sponsors including the Michigan Department of Agriculture, Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies, Michigan Milk Producers Association, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Corn Marketing Program of Michigan, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, Michigan Potato Industry Commission, Michigan Pork Producers Association and Michigan Agricultural Commodities.

Copyright (c) 2005 Michigan Farm Bureau