Pennsylvania’s ACT 38 requires Nutrient Management Plans for concentrated animal operations and concentrated animal feeding operations, it also encourages the development of Nutrient Management plans for all operations. The Nutrient Management program includes help with soil tests, manure spreader calibration, determining the need for a Nutrient Management Plan, and answering any questions that you may have.
A Nutrient Management plan utilizes information about the nutrients applied to and taken from the land supporting the operation.  This information includes data obtained from soil testing, soil type, acreage in use, slope of the land, average rainfall, crops being harvested, amount of manure applied, etc.  The knowledge of nutrient flow into and out of the land can be useful in getting the most value from the land while reducing water pollution from excess nutrient loss into streams, ponds, or by leaching into the water table.  A Nutrient Management Plan can also be useful in making land use decisions such as manure spreader calibration, fertilizer calculations, and Best Management Practices to reduce nutrient run-off to streams and ponds.   Together we can put practices in place to reduce nutrient run-off to rivers, ponds, lakes, and streams