April Calendar of Events

April 2014 In This Issue Turning the Liabilities Litter into $$$ Deciphering the 'Farm Bill' Pure Michigan GAAMPS - Update Water Usage Report Dear Me...
Author: Eileen Patrick
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April 2014 In This Issue Turning the Liabilities Litter into $$$ Deciphering the 'Farm Bill' Pure Michigan GAAMPS - Update Water Usage Report

Dear Member,

We have recently mailed the 2014 membership renewal invoices. As we have updated the membership fees for 2014, please review your invoice and assure that we have the proper and correct information. We appreciate your attention to this detail.

Calendar of Events MAPI Board Meeting Tuesday, June 24 - 9am - 11 am Moss Ridge Golf Club

MAPI Golf Outing June 24, 2014 - 11:30 Moss Ridge Golf Club

National Poultry Improvement Plan Biennial Conference July 10-12, 2014 Charlotte, NC

2014 Board of Directors

Rob Knecht - Konos President Doug Dreyer - West MI Pullets Vice-President Scott Maust - Active Feed Co Treasurer Dr. Darrin Karcher - MSUE Secretary Jeff Armstrong - Sunrise Acres Mohamed Mousa - Herbrucks Poultry Ranch Ken Punter - Crockery Creek Jeff Smith - Smith Turkey Farms Andy Snider - Snider Farms, LLC Mark Tilbury - Miller Poultry

We are also in the planning stages of developing the MAPI website. If you have ideas or suggestions on items to include, feel free to share those ideas with us. For your planning purposes, the Annual Golf Outing is Tuesday, June 24 at Moss Ridge Golf Course. We hope to see you there. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions, ideas or concerns. I appreciate hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Val Vail-Shirey Executive Director Michigan Allied Poultry Industries, Inc.

Turning the Liabilities of Litter Into $$$ By Dave Prouty, of Heat Transfer International (HTI) and Rick Sietsema, of Sietsema Farms Feeds In 2008 Sietsema Farms Feeds set out on a journey to turn the liabilities of litter into a more beneficial use. The environmental challenges with land application of litter, and it's potential to reach our water ways was becoming well documented. The early signs of environmental issues first showed up in the Chesapeake Bay area, next in North Carolina and now in northern Ohio. The long time utilized asset had turned into a potential liability both environmentally and economically. In addition, to the phosphorus reaching our water ways causing algae growth; there are ammonia odor emissions, methane and NOx emissions from litter storage piles. The goal of the journey was to "find a better way to capture added value from litter" and determine if the challenges could be turned into a money generating asset. After 5 years of R&D the Sietsemas are close to finding that added value in the litter. They have found that the energy component in the litter can be extracted to make steam and electrical power. In addition, they have found ways to concentrate the P & K from the litter so it can be sold as fertilizer base mineral. This allows the P & K to be used at the time of year it truly is needed and not when dictated by full storage facilities or grower barn clean out schedules. In 2008 the Sietsemas hired HTI to build a system to convert the poultry litter from an odorous solid into a combustible gas that could be used for power generation and steam generation. In addition, the process converts litter to the solid residual which has the correct chemical compounds for fertilizer and feed stock applications. The challenge was to do this solid to gas conversion at a temperature such that the P & K were not converted into chemical compounds that would not be usable; at a low enough temperature that the P & K were not volatilized and lost as corrosive air born emission that would create additional environmental challenges. The last challenge given to HTI by the Sietsemas was to build the processing plant as close to "Near Zero" air and water emissions as technically possible with the only acceptable emission being a clean water vapor. These images show the litter processing system that was created by HTI to convert the litter into beneficially usable commodities for Sietsema Farms Feeds.

As we learn more about the processing and handling requirements of litter, both as a gaseous fuel and as a store house of mineral and compounds, Prouty and Sietsema both believe they have only scratched the surface of what can be achieved with litter optimization. With every hour of run time we seem to find more and better ways to turn what was a challenge in capturing full litter value for farming operations into a cash flow opportunity.

Deciphering the Agriculture Act of 2014 - Farm Bill Farmers scramble to learn more about the new Agriculture Act of 2014 or "Farm Bill" before planting season starts. by Dennis Stein, Michigan State University Extension It took a long time to draft the new Farm Bill and the local farm service agency office will not be ready for new enrollments for several months, but there are some things

that farms can do right now. On the short term, farms will need to follow the guidelines and processes that have been in place during the past few years as the new programs will not be in place prior to this seasons planting and annual reporting deadlines. If you are looking for information about the programs and changes in programs that are part of the new farm bill, you can find some helpful resources and quick links that have been posted to the Michigan State University Extension - FIRM workgroup web page. Under the Hot topic and Current Events tabs on this page you will find several links to reports, presentations and YouTube videos that relate to the general farm bill information that is currently available. One resource is a fact sheet which is a summary of the 2014 Farm Bill Summary which USDA Farm Service Agency has published and provides a good overview of the new programs. Farmers may want to use some of the extended winter days to gain some background as the spring planning rush is just around the corner. This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Announcing a new Member Benefit for members of Michigan Allied Poultry Industries! As a member of Michigan Allied Poultry Industries, Inc.you now have access to use the Pure Michigan Agriculture logo on your materials, etc. As you know Pure Michigan is a very successful national campaign and your MAPI Board of Directors have worked for the past year to gain this access for your use. Access to the Pure Michigan logos are part of the Pure Michigan advertising campaign and MAPI and its member have access through membership of the Michigan Ag Council. Of course, there are guidelines that must be followed. Please read through the guidelines and if you are interested in using the logo, contact Val at the MAPI office. Val will assist you in your application. If you have any questions call 517-371-5250 or email [email protected] Logo request form:http://www.michiganbusiness.org/logo-request/ Brand guidelines: http://www.michiganbusiness.org/cm/files/diy_marketing_toolkit/medc-brandguidelines%281%29.pdf http://www.michigan.org/hot-spots/michigan-agriculture/ We should see Michigan Poultry as a hot spot at this site.

MEDC Permission and Use The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (the "MEDC") has some of the most widely recognized marks in the state, having wide exposure through the Pure Michigan campaign. The MEDC is often asked by groups and individuals to use our marks for sponsorship events, promotion, and other programs. The purpose of this site is to allow an organization or individual to request a non-exclusive non-transferable limited license for use of a registered mark. It is the MEDC's sole discretion to provide a license of use. The MEDC has various marks registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The logos that are federally registered require a circle R (®) designation when used. The wordmarks that are federally registered require a TM (™) designation when used. If you are interested in using the logo, contact Val at the MAPI office. Val will assist you in your application. If you have any questions call 517-372-5250 or email [email protected]

Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPS) Update The Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development has recently updated the Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPS), with the exception of the Site Selection. What are GAAMPs? The Michigan Right to Farm Act, P.A. 93, was enacted in 1981 to provide farmers with nuisance protection. This state law authorizes the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop and adopt Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) for farms and farm operations in Michigan. These farm management practices are scientifically based and updated annually to utilize current technology promoting sound environmental stewardship on Michigan farms.

By utilizing GAAMPs, farmers and Michigan residents benefit: through environmental protection of natural resources; sound management of agricultural inputs; and sustaining a strong and stable agricultural industry. While adherence to the GAAMPs does not act as a complete barrier to complaints or lawsuits, it does provide an umbrella of protection from nuisance litigation. In addition to conformance to the GAAMPs, farmers also need to comply with all state and federal environmental and agricultural laws. During the March hearing, the Ag Commissioners heard many testify on the Site Selection GAAMP, and most of the testimony concerned backyard chickens in residentially zoned areas. The Ag Commissioners postponed a vote on this GAAMP and schedule a special meeting for Monday, April 28 to be held at the Michigan Municipal League, 1st Floor Training Room, 208 N. Capitol Ave., Lansing. You can find the draft under consideration at http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1599_1605---,00.html Contact Information: Michigan Commission of Agriculture & Rural Development P.O.Box 30017 Lansing, MI 48909 517-284-5718 (Voice) 517-284-5767 (TTY) [email protected] For more information go to http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1572_2878-8251--,00.html

Indiana and Michigan Water Use Reporting - Meeting the requirement Agricultural water users in both Indiana and Michigan with the capacity to pump 70 gallons per minute or more need to report their water use by April 1. by Lyndon Kelley, Michigan State University Extension

Water use reporting and registration are important parts of water resource management in both Indiana and Michigan. Both States signed onto the Great Lakes Compact in which the federal government acknowledged each Great Lakes State's ability to manage the water resource of the basin, including the ability to deny diversions of water to areas outside the Great Lakes watershed. Indiana uses the term Significant Water Withdrawal Facility (SWWF), where Michigan refers to these as Large Volume Water Uses (LVWU). In either state these terms apply to water use with the capacity to withdraw 100,000 gallons per day (70 gallons per minute). One or more withdrawals at a site having a 100,000 gallons or greater capacity, or combined capacity, per day, also meets the SWWF or LVWU water use definition. Water use reporting is required for all agricultural water uses (irrigation, cooling, animal, watering, etc.) from both surface and ground water withdrawals. The annual report is due by April 1of the following year and includes monthly water use estimates. In Michigan Agricultural (LVWU) reports can only be completed online at Michigan's Water Use Reporting Program. An online tutorial on the use of the new reporting system is also available. Alternate reporting system can only be accepted with the permission from MDARD. If you have no way of using the new online system or have questions about the system contacts Abigail Eaton at [email protected] , or 517284-5612. Online Water Use Reporting will be very important as the management of water increases, allowing producers to build their database within the reporting system. Both states provided online reporting systems for the first time for the 2012 water use year. In Michigan only your 2012 reports are loaded into the new system making it very important for water users to review their record back to 2004 and load all previously unreported registered water withdrawal facilities into the online system. Reporting Large Volume Water Use withdrawals established, but not in the system prior to 2006 will not meet the Michigan Registration requirement. In 2008 Large Volume Water users had a one time opportunity to report 2007 or 2008 water use and also meet the States registration requirement. The only current system available to meet the registration requirement for any new or old withdrawals that were not previously registered or reported is to register it as a new water withdrawal through the Michigan Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool. The required estimated water use can be accomplished by several methods including acre inch record, pump capacity multiplied by run time and flow meter readings. Information on estimating water use for irrigation or livestock, forms, or other large volume water use requirements can be found at the Michigan State University ExtensionSt. Joseph County page or email Lyndon Kelley, Purdue/MSU Extension

irrigation educator, with request for Water Use Reporting and Registration information at [email protected] . Follow the link on irrigation on the right hand side of the screen. Michigan SCD and MEAAP Technicians located at many of the county NRCS offices have been trained to assist producers in completing the Michigan Large Volume Water Use reporting requirement. This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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