Manure spreading

Does Rosendale Dairy spread manure within the Green Lake Watershed?

Rosendale Dairy is a Holstein milking operation located in Fond du Lac County which consists of a complex of free stall barns, and a milking parlor, a feed storage area, and three liquid manure storage facilities. Also referred to as a CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) Rosendale Dairy, when fully populated, will house 8400 milking and dry cows and 450 steers. As part of its approved nutrient management plan, Rosendale Dairy has contracted with area farmers, who need fertilizer to aid in plant growth, to spread 93,162,600 gallons of liquid manure per year on area cropland, some of which is in the Green Lake watershed. 

View a map of Rosendale Dairy manure spreading sites. This map is current as of 2011. These sites are subject to change based on cropland nutrient needs and contracts.

Overview of Rosendale manure spreading

Rosendale dairy uses a method of manure spreading called  immediate incorporation on most of its manure spreading sites in order to reduce the runoff of nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and organic matter. Additionally, because some of the cropland near Big Green Lake contains Surface Water Quality Management Areas  (SWQMA), the WI DNR requires additional precautions which include:

• Maintaining a 100-foot  spreading setback from navigable waters OR
• Implementing practices equal to or better than the required 100-foot setback which includes an option used by Rosendale Dairy to maintain a 25-foot setback from surface water and immediate incorporation of manure in the field.

CAFO's, including Rosendale Dairy, are also:

• Restricted from surface applying manure when precipitation is forecasted within 24 hours
• Prohibited from saturated or shallow bedrock soils
• Prohibited from spreading liquid manure on frozen or snow covered ground
• Prohibited from spreading during February and March when runoff risk is highest. 

Winter spreading of solid manure is allowable on low risk fields except for the February and March time period. Rosendale Dairy will not be spreading any manure during winter months. The smell during spreading can be strong depending on the direction of the wind and number of croplands using manure, but the DNR stated that spreading typically occurs roughly once to twice per year. Read more about NR243, regulations that address water quality impacts related to CAFO’s.

It should be noted that using manure from CAFO's (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) to fertilize cropland is not without controversy. Proponents of using cow manure from CAFO's argue that cow manure from a local CAFO is more natural and less carbon intensive than synthetic chemical fertilizers shipped across the country and/or internationally. Proponents also argue that prior to applying manure from CAFO's, cropland is required to have approved nutrient management plans which clearly specify the amount, source, placement, form and timing of the fertilizer in order to protect the environment. Conversely, opponents of using cow manure from CAFO's to fertilize cropland argue that the amount of nutrients, the quantity of manure used, and the odor from CAFO manure is much more intense and detrimental to the environment than manure from smaller farms or farms with pasture raised cows. Opponents are also concerned about the possibility of increased concentrations of hormones and antibiotic residues in CAFO cow manure. While nutrient management plans outline manure application processes with the goal to reduce nonpoint pollution, opponents also argue that nutrient management plans are not always implemented correctly and that there is a lack of enforcement to ensure compliance with the plans which can lead to possible surface water pollution and ground water contamination.

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