Some Wisconsin dairy farmers have been asked by their processors to withhold delivery of milk, resulting in the need for milk or milk/manure mixtures to be applied to cropland. To help farmers who are—or may soon be—facing this situation, UW–Madison Division of Extension and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, along with partner agencies are providing resources to assist farmers in making decisions.

Consideration of Landspreading of Milk webinar  and presentation slides. The webinar was hosted on April 7 and the topics covered are:

• Where are we now, and why we are here?, Mark Stephenson, UW–Madison Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Center for Dairy Profitability, and Division of Extension
• Nutrient availability, agronomics, and water quality issues associated with landspreading milk, Carrie Laboski, UW–Madison Department of Soil Science, and Division of Extension
• Applicable DATCP and DNR rules/regulations for landspreading milk, Aaron O’Rourke, Wisconsin DNR
• Managing milk in manure storage, handling, and treatment systems, Becky Larson, UW–Madison Department of Biological Systems Engineering, and Division of Extension

Educational Resources

• Considerations when landspreading milk or manure/milk mixtures (fact sheet)
• Nutrient Application Guidelines for Field, Vegetable and Fruit Crops in Wisconsin
• Reducing Risks from Manure Storage
• Feeding Unpasteurized Milk to the Dairy Herd
• Milk Nutrient Calculator

Additional Resources

• SnapPlus is Wisconsin’s nutrient management planning software. The program helps farmers make the best use of their on-farm nutrients, as well as make informed and justified commercial fertilizer purchases.
• Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast – The Wisconsin RRAF map displays the runoff risk not just for the current day, but 72 hours into the future based on precipitation model forecasts.

Resources from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

• COVID-19: Environmental Compliance Process https://dnr.wi.gov/emergency/COVID19Compliance.html
• DNR CAFO Specialist Contacts  (Permitted Farms) https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/AgBusiness/CAFO/contacts.html
• Nonpoint Source Coordinator Contacts (Non-permitted Farms) https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Nonpoint/NPScontacts.html

Resources from Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP)

• Nutrient Management https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/NutrientManagement.aspx