Dealing withA custom manure man-agement set-up-includingthe Biolynk system byDaritech·-is more thanexceeding the promisedsolids capture rate on theVolbeda Dairy farm, and IS

allowing the farm toeffectively deal with solidsb.uild-up in its lagoons.

In 1972 John Volbeda, his wife LucyAnn and their two sons moved fromCalifornia to take over an existing400-acre dairy farm in Albany,Oregon.Over the next three decades, the

Volbedas grew the dairy into a substantialoperation. They milk 1,800 cows, raise drystock on a separate 300-acre piece andemploy 40 people. John's son Rob has aHolstein/Jersey dairy near West Salem,Oregon-Volbeda Farms-where he is pro-ducing award-winning cheese under thename "Willamette Valley CheeseCompany" and brother Darren managesVolbeda Dairy with his father.

The only things remaining from theoriginal Volbeda Dairy are the house andhalf a barn. A newer, higher-tech dairyhas expanded around it, including a newparlor, a flush barn that houses approxi-mately 1,000 cows, as well as a year-oldDaritech Biolynk manure system.

As years went by and the farmexpanded, John built four lagoons to

5handle the manure capacity-92 acre feetin total. "We stopped separating about 15years ago," says Darren. "At that point mydad's theory was that we'd just pump itinto the lagoon and then pump it outevery year:'

The solids slowly built up. "We growcorn, but can't pump the thick solids onthe crop and we have a limited time peri-od to get solids out," explains Darren. "Ithad reduced our lagoon capacity. It wastime to do something:'

John and Darren started looking for anew system. And Mike Gamroth, exten-sion dairy specialist at Oregon StateUniversity, worked with them to help finda solution. "We discussed the options,"says Gamroth. "There are various ways toclean a lagoon. John looked at a moretraditional liquid solid separator, but thereis substantial cost associated with all ofthem and he started looking at new tech-nologY:'

"We had tried side hill separators, butthey didn't work well for us," says Darren·

Darren Volbeda Oeft) and Daritech'sSteve Peerce at the Volbeda Dairy in

Albany, Oregon. The dairy has alreadyseen a number of benefits from its newmanure management system, includinga constant, clean supply of fresh water,

says Darren.

"We were continually scrubbing them out.I wanted to try to find something that wasless maintenance and that I didn't haveto worry about:'

At the Oregon Dairy Convention in2003, John and Darren learned about theBiolynk system by Daritech, which thecompany said could capture between 50and 70 percent of their solids. John want-ed that guarantee in writing. Daritechowner Dave DeWaard said the companywas open to that, and a guaranteed 55percent capture rate was written into thecontract.

"I was skeptical," says Gamroth. "But Itold John if the company was willing toput that in writing, what did he have tolose:'

The Biolynk system was constructed

olids build-upand began operation in February 2005.Like all Daritech systems, it was cus-tomer-tailored to the farm. The flush dairyalready had three collection pits (one foreach barn), which they had been pump-ing directly into the lagoons. Taking thatinto account, the Biolynk system beganwith the construction of a main receptionpit, 45 feet across and 12 feet deep, forall pits to be pumped into.

At first sight the system looks com-plex, but it was designed with simplicityin mind, both in infrastructure and opera-tion. It has basically a four-stage process.First, at the main reception pit, a 40horsepower Houle Agri-pump agitatesthe contents and at the same time feedsit up to an Accent IFRS 36 separator, set26 feet in the air. The larger solids areseparated through a 3/16-inch screen.

"To maximize the performance of thisseparator we over-feed it a little bit. Whatthe separator doesn't take out goes backinto the pit to go through again," explainsSteve Peerce, a representative for

Daritech.Next the liquid coming off the separa-

tor is gravity fed into a 26-foot, 220,000-gallon processing tank at the tank's base.

The Biolynksystem not only cap-tured the guaranteed55 percent, but based

on the last tests iscapturing at a 62

percent rate.As the liquid flows in at the bottom, theclean water at the top is gravity fed backinto the barns for flush water.

The processing tank is the mostimportant part of the system, and it's cru-cial that solids have time to settle, result-ing in minimal suspended solids at thetop. "The balance of manure, water andtiming that goes on inside this tank iscritical," explains Peerce. ''The size andshape of this tank are based on a num-ber of criteria. And timers control when ithappens. Someone couldn't just buildone of these without understanding thebalances required. It would take a lot oftrial and error."

The solids at the bottom of the pro-cessing tank are gravity fed into two,26-foot tall alternating thickening tanks-stage three. The alternating thickeningtanks allow time for one tank to becompletely still and settle while the otherempties. When one empties, the topliquid decants to the lagoons and theslurry from the bottom flows into a5,000-galion concrete pit.

"We're using it as bedding. We'vemixed it with paper/pulp -a byproduct ofthe paper mill that we use. It's workedout real well. Next year we're going to doa lot more and hopefully supply beddingyear round:'

But bedding is only the start. Alreadylooking to compost on a large scale, theVolbedas put in a cement slab 100 feet by300 feet next to the tanks when theBiolynk system went in.

They plan to build a roof over it thisspring and that's where Darren intends tostart seriously composting and creating asalable product. "With the volume ofcompost we're going to produce, I needto find some pretty big markets. I'malready talking to people who are inter-ested:'

To assist with the composting, theVolbedas did their research and bought aBrown Bear paddle aerator. "I went with itbecause I can get more compost in asmaller area. For my situation, once wehave a roof up, I want to have as muchunder that roof as possible," says Darren.

Darren has the Brown Bear paddleaerator on a Ford Versatile 9030. "You

A big shock for everyone was the amount of solids coming off the sepa-rators-approximately 100,000 pounds a day. The dairy's managementplans to start composting the material, creating a saleable product.

from page 5

At the pit, a Houle pump takes the contents to the last stage-a Fan PS1780 screw press, which sits 16 feet in the air. More solids are captured there,through a .35 mm screen.

The Biolynk system not only captured the guaranteed 55 percent, butbased on the last tests is capturing at a 62 percent rate: Peerce says thecompany is as pleased with the results as the Volbedas. "This sort of systemis ideal for a flush dairy because it relies on dilution. Even though theVolbedas only flush about 75 percent and scrape the rest, it hasn't been aproblem. And the dairy isn't using any more water than they normally do:'

Darren has already seen a number of benefits. One is a constant, cleansupply of flush water. "We were flushing with a pump from the lagoon. Wealways had to pump our lagoons as low as we can go, and for two monthsout of the year we had no flush at all because I had to drain my lagoons:'

The new system also eliminated issues with Nutria, an invasive rodent thatchewed through power cords and hoses out to the lagoons.

The big shock for everyone was the amount of solids coming off the sepa-rators-approximately 100,000 pounds a day from 2,200 cows (equivalent to20,000+ pounds dry material). 'just to think t~at we were putting that intoour lagoon every day, it sort of wakes you up," says Darren. "No wonderwe're in the condition we are:'

With all those solids, Darren is quickly learning the science behind com-posting. "We just started composting this fall," he says.

At the 5,000-gallon concrete pit, aHoule pump (right) take the solidsfrom the thickening tanks up to the

Fan PS1 780 screw press.

can drive it forward to backward, so itworks great. You just need a really slowgear. When you're doing a big, wet pile,you're just creeping through that thing:'

The Volbedas are also working at get-ting their lagoons back in good shape-two in particular have a substantialamount of solids. Darren expects it willtake three to four years. "We've beenworking the last couple years with ourneighbor-a grass seed farmer. We agi-tate aggressively and try to get as manysolids in what goes onto his fieldbecause he can use the organic matter.The first year we did it he got his highestyield ever:'

The Volbedas would like the lagoonsin good shape because they are lookingto expand in the near future-adding twomore barns and milking close to 3,000."With the Biolynk system and the lagoonscompletely empty, I would never have toworry about capacity. I can get up to

3,000 cows and not worry about it:'Darren says he would recommend

Biolynk to anyone who wanted to removesolids. "I have more than I know what todo with," he says with a smile. "But nowI'm dealing with solid instead of the liquidform. That gives me the opportunity toget it off the place, where the liquid neverdid. And that's my goal-what I don't useas bedding, I want to get off my place:'

Steve Peerce emphasizes that even ifanother farm did purchase this system, itwouldn't necessarily look the same: "Forexample, besides managing flush waterand solids, it can be adapted to feed adigester-offering the dairyman the abilityto manage the dairy the way he chooses.Volbeda's is definitely a custom system:'