By Brittany Cole, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
The annual winter manure spreading ban begins on Friday, December 15 and lastsuntil Monday, April 1 – a full 107 days. This ban on spreading manure or other agricultural waste through the winter months is designed to protect water quality. The Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs) also prohibit manure spreading on saturated, frozen, or snow-covered ground before December 15th and after April 1st.
As we enter the ban season, the Agency is aware that Vermont received unprecedented amounts of rainfall this summer, catastrophic flooding in early July, and then continued rainfall left fields too saturated for equipment to get on. Over the course of two days in the month of July, we experienced rainfall between 3 to 9 inches in some parts of the state. Farmers have already reached out to the Agency to express concern about trying to manage their manure to protect the environment and to meet the pending winter ban requirements. The Agency appreciates this level of engagement and understands the challenges. With the limited weather window and significant workload this fall, we anticipate that many farms will still have storage capacity challenges coming into winter.
While we can all hope for a sunny and dry fall, reality has a way of catching up with us. If you anticipate having an issue before or during the ban, please contact Nate Sands for assistance with manure management options at 802-224-6850. The earlier communication is made, the more time there is to engage in a solution. Solutions often include helping to identify additional storage locations or other alternative options. An emergency exemption from the Secretary of Agriculture for spreading on frozen or snow-covered fields, or during the winter spreading ban can be issued to farms for emergency situations only. This emergency exemption is always a last resort, and the Agency always seeks alternative solutions where possible before issuing an exemption. There are additional requirements as part of the process and under no circumstance can manure or agricultural waste ever make its way to surface water. Please reach out to resolve any manure storage and application concerns before it becomes a major issue.