McMahon’s EZ Acres Farm overview

McMahon’s EZ-Acres Owned by two brothers Located in Central New York Soils are a mix of

Deep well-drained gravel Valley floor Aquifer for over 50,000 people

Shallow, poorly drained, acidic clays DEC protected brown-trout stream flows through all

of valley land 25% of land base in Syracuse water shed

675 cows and typically 545 heifers

Pete

Mike

Edie

MUNICIPAL WELL

North to Skaneateles - City of Syracuse unfiltered water supply–> 2 miles

Houses/Fields/Manure

NYS protected Brown Trout Stream

Balancing Imports and Exports of Nutrients on the Farm

More nutrients (N,P,K) are imported onto the farm than are exported.

In 2006 - For every 100 lbs. of N, P and K coming onto our farm only 28 lbs. of N, 34 lbs. of P and 29 lbs. of K leave the farm in form of milk and animals.

The remainder – 72 lbs. of N, 66 lbs. P and 71 lbs. K are accumulating on the farm or being lost to the environment.

Losses to the environment = air & water quality issues

Sources of Imported Nutrients

Source N P K

Feed 85% 85% 95%

Fertilizer 13% 15% 5%

Purchased Animals

0% 0% 0%

Bedding & other imports

1% 1% 0%

Greatest source of imported nutrients is purchased feeds

One approach – Minimize imports, maximize use of existing nutrients by recycling on the farm

Cow

Manure

SoilField Crop

Stored Harvest

FIELD CROPS Maximize production of

homegrown feed. Match the crop to the soil

resources. Low yield fields rotated to

Intensively Managed Grass

17 tons/acre eased forage inventory concerns

Voracious “sinks” for liquid manure

95% of original IMGs continue high yield

Low level application of up to 8000 gallons/acre

m2006 – New Manure Storage

3.2 Million gallons – approx. 6 months

Why Store Manure?

Maximize use of on-farm nutrients Reduce use of purchased fertilizers Flexibility to time spreading to prevent

potential runoff Can apply when plants have greatest

uptake potential Capturing more N by incorporating into soil

at time of application Potential to reduce air emissions –cover.

Fall cover crop

Proactive approaches: Stored manure for corn crop immediately

incorporated Manure sampling (CAFO requirement) Soil Testing – each field every 3 years PSNT’s and “customized” fertilizers

tailored to crop needs Voluntary well and stream monitoring Clean, well-maintained farmstead

–”pollution is perception”

With enough manure, we can grow grass anywhere!