Sustainable Chesapeake will expand the use of manure
injection technology at dairy farms in Western Maryland. Manure injection uses
special equipment to work the manure below the soil surface while
minimizing soil disturbance. The technology reduces ammonia losses to the
atmosphere, preserves beneficial surface residue and protects local waterways
from runoff.
The $725,267 grant will provide incentives for two custom manure
applicators to inject manure into approximately 2,000 acres of land located on
three farms in Frederick and Carroll counties. Project partners include the
Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, Giant Food and the Alliance
for the Chesapeake Bay.
Funds from this grant will also be used to
provide additional equipment for an anaerobic digester installed at Kilby Farm,
a 400-head dairy cattle operation in Cecil County. The digester converts manure
from the dairy operation into a reliable year-round power supply for the farm. The
new equipment will improve the digester’s ability to generate heat during the
colder months and improve the farm’s management of manure resources.