Soil Solutions Plus

 

Agricultural Specialists in Manure Management and Environmental Planning on the farm

Services:

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Kincardine Cow Holds the line

Our Nutrient Management Planning service is focused on providing the best service required to get the job done quickly:

  • We know the requirements of the Regulation and can quickly help you decide on the most economical and effective way to handle your manure
  • Our advice encompasses not just what you need for now but also takes into account future expansion plans. We also ensure that your decisions today do not adversely affect your potential to receive government grants going forward.
  • We work with building contractors and engineers to ensure that your project is cost effective and will meet your needs

Environmental Farm Plan, is it a Wolf in Sheep's clothing? see our EFP link for more information.

Manure Valuation

  • Many livestock operations look at manure as a fixed expense and fail to see the true value of the Nutrients to the crop. There are many value adding options available, but the majority of the $$$ in manure is maximizing the nutrient value and reducing application cost.
  • An evaluation of your manure use takes into account the volume and strength of the manure on hand and balances the available fertilizer saving opportunities available.
  • As commercial fertilizer costs increase inefficient manure use becomes a larger lost opportunity cost, getting a basic understanding of the value and costs in your operation will pay off over each year.
  • We have experience in preparing Manure Sale Contracts between Livestock Producers and Cash Croppers that realize the full benefit of the manure and work well for both parties every year
  • The process starts with a White Sample Jar and a short interview and results in a summary of the manure value and highlights the best use scenarios for your crop rotation, a yearly test ensures that your plan is still effective and this will give you the base information that you need to make the right decisions with your manure.

Solar Manure Shed

Solar Manure Shed

Probably the only time that a Government Subsidy Program will provide a real innovative and use full solution. Three funding programs came together for this project, a manure pile seeping runoff into a drainage ditch was eliminated and a farmer gained a solid covered manure shed that functions as the base for a Microfit Solar Power Project.

These projects are what we should expect from our government programs, unfortunately changes to the EFP program will eliminate this type of building in the future.

If you are interested in an innovative project along these lines then let me know and I will help you find all of the available funding opportunities that are out there.

Some of the projects that I have worked on have received up to $42,000 in government incentives, some smaller projects have received up to %90 of the costs paid for by incentives.

I have $742,000 and counting in incentive program experience.

Contact

We service all of Southern Ontario

Matt Robillard, P.Ag.

St.George Brant

Email: Matt@Soil-Solutions-Plus.com

PH (905) 297-5328

 


 

Site Map                                  

 

More Information:

Environmental Farm Plan -

Sample Projects - Poultry Manure Storage - Turkey Litter Storage - Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3

Environmental Cost-Share Opportunities for Ontario Farmers

Nutrient Management Plans

Farm Property Real Estate Review

Representation for Municipal Applications (Permits, Severance, Zoning)


Funding Programs

Client Plan Access - Plan List

Agricultural Information Links

Do I need a Nutrient Management Strategy?

All farms in Ontario that are larger than 5 Nutrient Units, when they apply for a building permit for Livestock housing or Manure storage will require a Nutrient Management Strategy.

To determine how many Nutrient Units you have on your farm give us a call or consult the Nutrient Units Table.

What should I consider when sizing my new manure storage?

Manure Tank W

  • How will the storage be used? - The Nutrient Management Act requires that storages be sized for a minimum of 240 days, however this requires the farm to spread manure in both spring and fall. This leaves no room to shift manure use to the hungrier nutrient use crops and increases the amount of manure subject to Nitrogen loss in fall applications. Many farms can justify increasing the days of storage to 365 days by calculating additional fertilier replacement value, reduced manure equipment set up time or reduced custom applicator costs.
  • How much will the manure storage cost? - Basic standards for construction, concrete thickness and strength are prescribed in the Nutrient Management Act. The ability to cut costs with substandard construction is not as likely as in the past. In some cases these additional safeguards including secondary liners and roofed or covered storages are additional costs that make additional storage space costly and prohibitive in most budgets. In all cases it makes sense to look into both "Environmental Farm Plan Cost Share" and "Conservation Healthy Waters" funding programs, if these programs can help reduce the cost of the initial 240 days of storage then applying the cost savings to additional days of storage may pay off in the long run.
  • Will the Farm expand in the future? - Building additional storage with future expansion in mind is costly and on some farms not a good idea. All future expansion scenarios should include calculation of the MDS II separation formulas to ensure that you are not building yourself into a corner. Many farms have built additional storage space only to find that the livestock building can not be built close enough to the old storage to take advantage of it.

What is the MDS II Separation Formula?

MDS Implementation Guidelins CO ver

  • MDS stands for Minimum Distance Separation and was developed my OMAFRA in the 1970's. The basic premise is that Manure Storages and Livestock Facilities should have seperation distances between incompatible land use's such as residential or commercial area's.
  • MDS I is used when a residential use is proposed near a livestock barn and MDS II is used when a Manure Storage or Livestock barn is being constructed.
  • The formula's increase the Seperation distance dependant on the size and type of farm.

Contact

We service all of Southern Ontario

Matt Robillard, P.Ag.

St.George Brant

Email: Matt@Soil-Solutions-Plus.com

PH (905) 297-5328

 


 

Site Map                                  

 

More Information:

Environmental Farm Plan -

Sample Projects - Poultry Manure Storage - Turkey Litter Storage - Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3

Environmental Cost-Share Opportunities for Ontario Farmers

Nutrient Management Plans

Farm Property Real Estate Review

Representation for Municipal Applications (Permits, Severance, Zoning)


Funding Programs

Client Plan Access - Plan List

Agricultural Information Links

 

 

Soil Solutions Plus and SSP are references to Soil Solutions Plus Inc. PO BOX 1003 St. George Brant Ontario, N0E 1N0

Soil Solutions Plus Nutrient Management Environmental Farm Plan Soil Sampling Consulting Farm Property Real Estate Review