HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-03-19, Page 28PAGE A-8. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1997.
Agriculture '97
Nutrient management plans vary with product, site
Direct application
The injection system for liquid manure puts the nutrients directly into the soil, but is not a
popular application choice for areas such as Huron County with pockets of hard, rocky soil.
(Photo courtesy LH Resource.)
Continued from A-7
involved in case of a spill and
where to obtain help. Sadler
Richards stressed that each NMP is
very site specific and is not some
thing that can just be “pulled off
the shelf.” It is derived through co
operation with the producer.
Implementation
Locally, Grey Twp. is in the
midst of creating policies for nutri
ent management. A letter was sent
to farmers in the municipalities
who have recently constructed rela
tively large livestock bams, notify
ing them of two draft bylaws to
amend a zoning bylaw which refer
to distance separations and another,
which is a manure storage bylaw.
Manure Storage
Under the provisions of the
Municipal Act, Grey Twp. council
proposes to replace the existing
bylaw which was adopted by coun
cil in 1985.
This decision was made to
address concerns from the public
about the size and intensification of
larger livestock facilities, says the
Grey Twp. letter.
Specific consideration will be
given to the handling of liquid
manure.
After consultation with local staff
and building officials, who felt the
present system needed updating, a
committee put forth recommenda
tions, with assistance from the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs. The com
mittee consisted of building offi
cials who represented McKillop,
Grey, Morris, Tumberry, Howick
and East Wawanosh Twps., Grey
Twp. Clerk Brad Knight and
OMAFRA personnel Bob
Humphries and Richards as well as
Wayne Caldwell and Brian Treble
of the Huron County Planning and
Development Department.
Aside from recalculating separa
tion distances and storage volumes
to reflect improved feeding and
watering methods, the bylaw would
require a nutrient management plan
(NMP) for all new operations over
150 livestock units or where an
intensive operation (150 units) is
expanded by more than 20 per cent.
One hundred and fifty livestock
units are equivalent to 600 feeder
hogs or 750 sows.
It is estimated an NMP would
cost between $800 and $ 1,500.
Distance separations
Though Grey Twp had previous
ly adopted distance separation prac
tices from the 1976 model, the
HURON FEEDING SYSTEMS
invites you to
CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY
Friday, April 11, 1997
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Complimentary Lunch 12 noon - 2 p.m.
GRAIN STORAGE & STIR DRYING SEMINAR
April 10, 1997, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at our shop in
Brussels. Please call Debbie at 887-6289
to make lunch reservations.
updated version will bring changes
to current procedures.
The changes will recognize the
differences which have occurred in
livestock operations in the last 20
years, particularly in the swine
industry with three stage produc
tion.
In adapting to improvements in
production, the new bylaw will
base separation disfances on the
barn capacity as opposed to the
number of animal units produced
per year.
A consideration not included in
the 1976 Code of Practices, Plan
ning Act, was a distance separation
for manure storage facilities. This
will be part of the new bylaw.
The Planning Act, 1990, also sets
out a sideyard setback. However,
Grey council is considering not
adopting this measure which they
consider too restrictive, but main
tain the present 30-metre lot line
distance, with consideration given
Continued on A-10
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