TT#1

DAIRY HOUSING TOUR

Saturday, June 16, 2007

12:00 Noon - 9:00PM

The 2007 Dairy Tour will visit Northern Plains Dairy, southwest of St. Peter, MN. This 3,000 Jersey cow dairy, built in 2002 and stocked in June of 2003, has a 64 stall rotary milking parlor. The dairy uses a plug-flow anaerobic digester to minimize odors from the manure storages and maximize fertilizer, power and bedding resources from the manure. Biogas produced in the anaerobic digester powers two engine/generator sets with a combined generating capacity of 260 kW that also provide hot water to maintain the temperature of the anaerobic digesters. After digestion a solid-liquid separator removes solids that are used for bedding or fertilizer. The liquid manure is stored in a 9-acre, 39 million gallon clay-lined earthen basin.

The tour will visit two compost dairy barns. Compost dairy barns are a new alternative loose housing system for milking, dry and special needs cows developed in Minnesota. The barns have a concrete feed alley, a bedded pack resting area that is stirred two times a day and a 4-ft high wall surrounding the pack. The barns are bedded with dry sawdust. Pack management is critical and these farms represent the best. One stop will be at the site of the first compost dairy barn built in 2001 near Sleepy Eye, MN. This dairy has two compost dairy barns for 160 milk cows. The second compost dairy barn stop has 100 milk cows, 30-day mini-pit manure storage, a remodeled stall barn with a parabone swing parlor, and a lime flocculator for treating milk house wastewater.

For biosecurity tour participants are required to wear clean clothing for the tour and not visit a livestock farm for five days prior to the tour. Disposable plastic boots will be provided.

COST: $84.00

Includes transportation, guide, dinner