MSU Extension Animal Agriculture

2024 Introduction

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March 4, 2024

Welcome to the 2024 Michigan Manure Management Summit. My name is Tess Van Gorder, you may have gotten emails from me. I work at Michigan Farm Bureau as a conservation and regulatory relations specialist. So, glad you're here today to learn about manure management, to further your skills. We have a great lineup of speakers and most of them are here, so feel free to chat with them after their presentations. I'm here to kick us off, and then also share a little bit about the Manure Hauler Certification Program. First off, if you see these folks, this is our leadership team for the Michigan Manure Hauler Certification Program, which is made up of myself, Charles Gould, who is standing over here, and then you met Laura and Sarah at registration, and I believe Erica Rogers is also at registration. So those are the folks who are planned today and also working on the certification program. So if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to them throughout the day. If you are on the advisory committee, if you could stand up. So if your name's on the screen, please stand up. I know who you are, so if you don't stand up, I'll see it. So these are the folks that help keep us relevant and help provide good advice for the summit and the certification program. So feel free if you have thoughts, please feel free to talk to them, you guys can sit down, thank you. And then, yeah, let's. And then, let's also give a round of applause for our sponsors, so we have Farm Bureau Insurance, John Deere, and Hutson Inc, Michigan Valley Irrigation, Marloo Equipment, Blue Wing Consulting, Artex, and Dairy Farmers of America, so let's give them a round of applause. So you all should have sat down and you had a survey there, please fill out your survey, and at the end of the day, you'll be entered to win a door prize. So there should be pens throughout the area, so please fill out your survey as you go. This year's door prize is a Carhartt cooler that also has a Carhartt beanie, a Marloo hat, and a pair of Carhartt work gloves. So great prizes, we have three to give out. And I think if folks haven't found the bathrooms, they're out through that right door and to your left. Lunch is on the agenda, please feel free to help yourself to coffee and then donuts, I think there are still some left outside. With that, I think that's all I had for sort of those housekeeping items. And now I'm going to provide a brief overview of the Michigan Manure Hauler Certification Program. So, if you folks are new or haven't been here before, this summit is put on by the Michigan Manure Hauler Certification Program. It is a voluntary program that couples education and also equipment review, so voluntary. And then, we have multiple levels and those incentives to help really push forward manure management in Michigan in that voluntary way to help the industry without regulation. So the goals of the program are to prevent manure application problems, increase nutrient management plan implementation, demonstrate responsible manure application, increase that base knowledge, which is hence how the summit came to be, and then improve that professionalism. So nuts and bolts of the program, there's three levels, and you start at Level 1, and then you do as many as you want. So some folks may say, "Okay, Level 2, is that for me," or, "I want to go up to Level 3." And there's two components of each level. So there's always the education component, and then there's always an onsite equipment review that is done by myself or Steve Traub who is in the back, if Steve wants to wave, from the Farm Bureau Family of Companies, this is a collaborative process, our checklist is online, what we're going to look for, you can come walk with us if you want, you can set us loose if you want. Really, it's meant to be a collaborative process to get you that certification. So really try, and so if you have any questions, I'm always, you know, happy to help and have those conversations beforehand to really help get you to where you need to be to be certified. So Level 1, MSU Online Course. So this is kind of that basic manure management level. So that really just goes through general things, everything from safety, pre-application checks and things like that, and that base level of equipment review. So that's your kind of starting tier and starting levels. Level 2, so for the farmers in the room, we've tried to, some of you are going to be like, "There's a lot of volunteer programs, like, I just want to like simplify my life a little bit," so for Level 2, if you're a farmer, we will accept a verification in the MAEAP Livestock System. And if you are not MAEAP verified or can't become MAEAP verified for whatever reason, also doing continuing education credits. So these can be things like the Summit, for example, counts as continuing education, the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center, we have some of their courses that they've done some great content on manure management that will also count towards continuing education. So really try and make that flexible so we can meet folks where they're at. Also that equipment review. And then, Level 3 is your sort of highest tier, which is the Environmental Management Systems Plan or EMS plan, and then that highest tier equipment review. So that'll have the most qualifications to meet for getting that certification. So coupled with that, those are the levels. Also, incentives. So we have the 5% discount on liability and farm personal property sections. Talk to your Farm Bureau insurance agent, because I work for Michigan Farm Bureau, I don't sell insurance, they're great people, so please go talk to them because I can only say the words on this slide. And then, Level 2 is also still a 5% discount with some additional bundles of benefits, so we've done things like the Michigan Farmers Transportation Guidebook and other bumper stickers, similar to those MAEAP signs, that says, you know, "Vehicle certified by the Michigan Manure Hauler Certification Program." Level 3 is that 10% discount. And then, we are also working on new and improved online recognition. So folks could say, okay, you know, this is a program, who's certified in this program? And so, seeing that as a selling point for your company to say, "Hey, I've done the work, and look, I'm being recognized as a good operator." So some of you folks who aren't maybe certified and you may be saying, "Hey, this sounds great, what do I do from here?" So if you're not new to this, not new to this summit, the first step is have everyone who hauls and applies manure for your operation taking the online course, so that online Level 1 course. If the answer is yes, either find me today, give me a call and we'll get you your equipment review set up, and then we'll get you certified. If the answer is no, guess what? You get to start that online course for free 'cause you attended and registered for the summit. So get that rolling, and then we'll set up an equipment review and then we'll get you certified. So that's sort of the very basic way. Again, if you Google Michigan Manure Hauler Certification Program, you'll find me on the internet somewhere or find Charles on the internet somewhere. So if you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach out. So that's our website, so the tiny URL, you also have it on your brochure in front of you. So, again, all of the information is on the website, it's a voluntary program. We really want to work with you to get that certification done. And so, if you need any help or have any questions, Charles, Erica, myself, Laura or Sarah are around all day and we're happy to help. So with that, any questions about today, the Manure Hauler Certification Program, anything else before I introduce our next speaker? (bright music)