Let’s Keep this Christmas (and our Farm Fields) White

It’s official: we’ve had our first big snowfall of the year. The trees were gorgeous and everything looked pristine and new - even if there was plenty of pesky mud lurking beneath the snow-covered pastures and fields.

I can never decide which season is my favorite. I love the blooms and renewal of spring, the hot lazy days of summer and of course, the vibrant colors of fall - but is there anything more peacefully beautiful and serene than a fresh, white snow?

It’s the time of year we since about dreaming of a white Christmas, but in our soil and water conservation office, we don’t just dream about a white Christmas. We dream about keeping those farm fields white all winter long by helping farmers plan ahead for winter manure applications.

Our post-harvest window seems to get smaller and smaller, but I guarantee we still have several days left this year before the ground freezes and becomes covered with snow that farmers can still work on emptying their manure storage for the winter.

If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us, it's that we can't predict what's around the bend. None of us knows when the last “good” day to spread manure in 2020 will be, so you need to be prepared to grab one when you can.

Manure can provide vital nutrients to farm fields and it the ultimate recycler. But when you apply manure to your fields, you want those nutrients to stay in place and on your fields, and for that to happen, those applications need to take place when the ground is not frozen and when it’s not covered in snow.

Frozen ground just won’t let the nutrients from your manure application into the soil. They just lie on top, like rain beading on an umbrella. You may think that those nutrients will be in place to soak in as the soil thaws, but that thaw is often accompanied by melting snow and spring rains that wash that manure and its nutrients right off your field.

Not only is that loss of nutrients bad for your bottom line (you’re literally flashing nutrients downstream), but it's also bad for the environment and the health of our waterways. Manure in waterways is one of the most common impairments in Ashland County, and it can result in algal blooms, unhealthy waters and even fish kills.

So this winter, let’s remember to plan ahead for manure applications. Take advantage of these last remaining good weather days of 2020 and empty manure storage so you won't be tempted to spread manure this winter on frozen and snow-covered ground.

For help tracking your manure applications, contact Ashland SWCD Jerome Fork Watershed Coordinator Erica White for a free manure application tracking calendar. More tech-savvy farmers are encouraged to track manure application with the free OnMrk app. All Ashland County producers can receive a free manure analysis from Ashland SWCD each year by demonstrating current manure application records.