AG Summit: Nutrient Solutions and Opportunities for Farming Operations

The Nutrient Solutions and Opportunities for Farming Operations brings together nationally known experts who will share their work and experience about digester operations that are on the landcape, under construction, or in the planning phase for Lancaster County.  The program will also focus on practical solutions that will help reduce the failure rate of digesters by addressing some of the infrastructure issues around connecting to the power grid and managing the wastewater.

REGISTRATION is required.  $25 for first person and $10 for additional people.  Send payment and names to Lancaster Co Agriculture Council, c/o Lancaster Co Workforce Investment Board, 313 W. Liberty St., Suite 114, Lancaster, PA 17603.  Fax: 717-735-0335 or email Joyce Lenox at jlenox@lancastercountywib.com

AGENDA:

• Welcome, Michael Peachey, Vice-Chair Lancaster Co Agricultural Council
• Setting the Stage - Senator Mike Brubaker
• Framing the Topic:  Panel to include Successes and Failures (Jeff Porter, USDA NRCS), What is Happening Today (Bob Monley, Farm Pilot Project Coordination Inc), Making it Work Financially (Bob Graves and Jim Dunn, Penn State Cooperative Extension)
• Case Studies with Expert Panel on Anaerobic Digester (dairy), Anaerobic Digester (dairy and other waste), Composting, Poultry Litter Burner, Other Nutrient Options with Infrastructure Challenges/Opportunities.
• A Process for Evaluating the Claims of Technology (Expert Panel)
• Funding Sources (Don McNutt, District Manager, Lancaster Co Conservation District)
• Take-Home Lessons (Leon Ressler, District Director, Penn State Extension)

NOTE:  4.5 Nutrient Management Continuing Education Credits will be available for eligible participants.

Keeping Lancaster County agriculture competitive in the global marketplace has been the goal of the Lancaster County Agriculture Council and its partners since its inception. The legacy of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Agriculture looms large as we think together about how to increase the scale of agriculture and still be responsible with our environmental responsibilities.

Ultimately, we seek to improve the competitiveness of agriculture in the region, the quality of life in the County, and the return on investment to the farmer, the technology provider, and the community. We do this with an eye to practical solutions that will help us improve the failure rate of digesters by solving some of the infrastructure issues around connecting to the power grid and dealing with wastewater.