Released June 4, 2008

The term “small farm” can bring to mind anything from a couple of horses on several acres to a family dairy or feedlot. All small farms share the common challenge to properly manage manure with limited time and money.

Specialists from across the United States will share information in an hour-long seminar on the challenges for small farms, information to help with environmental issues and how to develop a nutrient management plan.. The national Webcast is Friday, June 20 beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Chris Henry is a University of Nebraska Extension engineer. He is the director of the Livestock Producer Environmental Assistance Project which provides technical and financial assistance to small livestock producers interested in protecting water quality.

Mark Rice is a Waste Management Extension Specialist with North Carolina State University. He has worked on the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship Curriculum Small Farms fact sheets.

Michael Westendorf is an Associate Professor of Animal Studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He develops research-based and practical solutions to the problems of farmers and society.

Fred Kelly is a Resource Conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. His responsibilities include nutrient management, erosion control, agronomy and pest management.

The Web meeting room opens 15 minutes before the start time. Go to http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/lpelc/ to view.

Articles about small farm environmental issues are on the national eXtension Web resource at http://www.extension.org/pages/Small_Farm_Environmental_Issues_Articles.

LPE Learning Center The seminar is hosted by the Livestock and Poultry Environmental (LPE) Learning Center, part of eXtension. The center advocates that individuals involved in public policy issues, animal production and delivery of technical services for confined animal systems should have on-demand access to the nation's best science-based resources.

The center will host a second June Webcast on June 27, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Ammonia: the Air-Water Interface is the first seminar in a series about air quality.

The center has a monthly newsletter. You may subscribe online. All information including archived monthly Webcasts from the past year is on http://www.eXtension.org under the resource area animal manure management.

The Webcasts are approved for one continuing education unit (each) as part of the Certified Crop Advisers (CCA) program and for members of the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS). To access CEUs, go to http://www.extension.org/animal+manure+management and click on “Continuing Education”.

eXtension is an educational partnership helping Americans improve their lives with access to timely, objective, research-based information and educational opportunities. eXtension’s interactive Web site, http://www.extension.org, is customized with links to local Cooperative Extension Web sites. Land-grant colleges were founded on the ideals that higher education should be accessible to all, that colleges should teach liberal and practical subjects and share knowledge with people throughout their states.

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Contacts: Contacts: Jill Heemstra, University of Nebraska, (402) 748-3909, jheemstra@unl.edu

Lynette Spicer, Iowa State University, (515) 294-1327, lspicer@iastate.edu