SBDC Launches New Online Resource to Recycle Farm Waste PHILADELPHIA -- What can you do with
4.4 million tons of manure? Plenty, according to the Pennsylvania Small
Business Development Centers. Responding to recent concerns prompted by new
regulations for manure, the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission
tapped the SBDC for a solution to repurpose the tons of animal waste
produced annually.
Pennsylvania Act 38 and resulting regulations dictate that excess
manure can no longer be used where it is produced, creating a serious
problem affecting many of the 55,000 farms in Pennsylvania, according to
the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. With only 24 percent of the
state's eligible cropland currently utilized for manure application, the
commission needed to facilitate distribution of manure to the remaining
available cropland and to find alternative uses for the additional tons of
manure produced annually.
A committee tasked with furthering these alternatives discovered a
model solution in the SBDC's Pennsylvania Material Trader
http://www.materialtrader.org, a website promoting the exchange of waste
materials. The Commission worked with the Pennsylvania SBDC, partnering
with its Environmental Management Assistance Program, to replicate the
functionality of the Material Trader site. The result: Pennsylvania Manure
Trader http://www.manuretrader.org.
Like the Material Trader website, Manure Trader is designed to turn one
individual's trash into another's treasure. Despite its classification as
"waste," manure actually has a number of uses. Manure Trader creates
opportunities for traditional farmer-to-farmer exchanges for crop
fertilization as well as opportunities to encourage innovative manure uses
as varied as soil reclamation, algae production, and even building
materials. Manure listings may also serve to further alternative energy
research: manure- to-methanol, anaerobic digestion, and co-firing are a few
of the processes currently being considered.
Visitors to the site can browse available and wanted listings or log in
to create a confidential listing. Manure Trader allows users to sort
listings by type, price, quantity, and date listed. Registered users can
sign up to be alerted when new listings in a desired category are posted.
The site also includes broker and hauler directories.
"The Commission is devoted to assisting the Pennsylvania agricultural
community in finding alternatives to on-site land application of manure,"
said Karl Brown, Executive Secretary of the State Conservation Commission.
"The Manure Trader website will give our farmers quick access to needed
manure and will help facilitate the movement of manure throughout the
state."
Pennsylvania SBDC State Director Gregory L. Higgins, Jr. Higgins
praised the collaborative effort with the Commission saying, "This is
another example of the SBDCs reaching out to the small business community
to provide the help and services they need to maintain their successful
businesses. We are pleased to be able to assist Pennsylvania's farmers and
believe that Manure Trader will provide new opportunities, particularly
through the expanding alternative energy market, that will ultimately help
farmers be protective of the environment while turning their waste manure
into a potential revenue stream."
The Pennsylvania Manure Trader is a free service designed to help
farmers comply with manure disposal regulations and assist others in
exploring manure's many uses. For more information, visit
http://www.ManureTrader.org.
Since its inception in 1980, the Pennsylvania Small Business
Development Centers (SBDC) has evolved into a network of 18 centers and
more than 90 outreach locations, operating under the guidance of the State
Director located at the University of Pennsylvania. The SBDCs play a unique
and vital role in the Commonwealth's economic development initiatives as
the only organization that, in utilizing the expertise and resources of
some of the best colleges and universities in the state, assists
entrepreneurs in all stages of business and all industry sectors. Funding
support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Small Business
Administration and the SBDC host institutions enables consulting services
to be provided at no charge to the client. For more information on the
Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers' services and impact, visit
http://www.pasbdc.org.
