Documenting the Status of Dairy Manure Management in New York: Current Practices and Willingness to Participate in Voluntary Programs

Despite intense policy interest in livestock operations and water quality, only anecdotal evidence exists regarding actual manure management practices on dairy farms. This paper discuss the results of a unique mail survey of 470 New York dairy farms that links manure management practices and farmer willingness to participate in voluntary environmental programs. Analysis of this data set indicates a wide divergence between actual and recommended manure management practices on individual dairy farms (high), the apparent ability of farms to divert financial resources to environmental practices (mixed), and the willingness to participate in voluntary programs at various annual costs per cow (low). These findings have policy implications for the USDAIUSEPA National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations and New York's Agricultural Environmental Management program