By Jane Messenger and Greg Vincent, Pork Magazine - Putting a value on hog manure is no easy task. The tough part for you as a pork producer is to think like a crop producer, who values manure by the acre, instead of by the gallon or ton. Then you can start putting numbers to it.

Contracts between pork and crop producers for manure nutrients are becoming more common, especially with new national environmental regulations on the horizon (see sidebar). Some crop producers land-apply the manure themselves, while others hire a custom applicator. The agreements come in various forms of formality as well -- from a handshake to a written contract.

Either way, every agreement is unique, explains Leonard Meador, environmental management specialist, Rossville, Ind. Contracts are often set up under the following criteria: by the acre, phosphorus only, cost of application rebate, trade manure for grain or by the amount of dry compost product.

He explains, 揑f a pork producer doesn抰 have enough land to apply the hog manure from his operation, he may work with a grain producer. Or if he has neighbors that grow grains that he doesn抰, he may be able to sell the manure at its nutrient value.?

That brings us back to the value equation. Let抯 take a look at some producer examples to help you determine hog manure抯 nutrient value.

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