Midwest Manure Summit Happens This Month

The 2021 Midwest Manure Summit is going virtual! This free, online event, hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension’s Dairy Team and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will be held on Feb. 24 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. via Zoom. 

As in previous years, the Midwest Manure Summit will feature leading researchers and industry professionals discussing strategies and technologies to optimize manure management, upgrade biogas production, as well as effectively manage manure-derived nutrients and odor and gas emissions.  

Nationally recognized speakers and presentation topics include: 

  • Addressing Manure Odors at the Source – Dr. Erin Cortus, Associate Professor, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota 
  • Ammonia Capture for the Organic Market – Dr. Robert Levine, Co-Founder and CEO, Digested Organics, LLC 
  • Biochar and Manure Management – Dr. Becky Larson, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, UW-Madison 
  • Biogas Upgrading – Mr. Kevin Dobson, DTE Energy, and Mr. Nick Elger, US EPA AgStar 
  • Feeding Strategies to Reduce Methane – Dr. Michel Wattiaux, Professor, Department of Animal and Dairy Science, UW-Madison 
  • I(AM)ResponsibleTM…and So Are You! Agriculture’s Role in Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance – Dr. Amy Schmidt, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 
  • Pelletizing Manure Solids – Dr. Mahmoud Sharara, Department of Biolocal and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University 
  • Reconnecting the Nutrient Cycle: Capture of Liquid Dairy Manure as Struvite and Its Use for Alfalfa ProductionDr. Joe Harrison, Extension Specialist, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University 
  • The Role of Manure Management to Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Dairy FarmsDr. Horacio Aguirre-Villegas, Assistant Scientist, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, UW-Madison 
  • Systems Modeling and Optimization for Organic Waste ManagementDr. Victor Zavala, Baldovin-DaPra Associate Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, UW-Madison 
  • Wet Gasification for a Dairy Farm – Mr. Peter Wright, Agricultural Engineer, Department of Animal Science, Cornell University 

Pre-registration for this free, online event is required by 5 p.m., Feb. 22, 2021 at http://midwestmanure.org. The first 100 summit registrants will be mailed a free “goodie bag” filled with resources and materials to complement the webinar format and topics. 

Questions regarding the Midwest Manure Summit can directed to Heather Schlesser, Extension Marathon County at [email protected] or 715-261-1230, ext 2. 

The 2021 Midwest Manure Summit is sponsored by UW-Madison Division of Extension and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with financial support provided by: Braun Electric, Inc, BioFirm, Dairy Business Association, Greenstone Farm Credit Services, Hoard’s Dairyman/Journal of Nutrient Management, Oxbo International Corporation, ProfitPro AG, Trident Processes, Inc, Investors Community Bank, L & L Sales and Service, Inc, Progressive Publishing and Reisterer and Schnell.