Protecting and Improving the Environment
Farmers were among the first, and still some of the best, conservationists, according to James Lamb, a pig farmer who grew up on a 75-acre tract of land in Sampson County, North Carolina, farmed by his father and grandfather before him.
Drying manure makes it easier to combust, creating a source of energy that can be used on the farm or sold back to the power grid for others to use in the region. Efforts are also underway to determine if the manure could be economically broken into its various components, such as nitrogen, copper and zinc, which could then be offered to other industries. For instance, copper is used in making smartphones, Lamb said.
The goal is to protect the environment both now and for the long-run.
“The environment around our farms is where our children breathe the air, drink the water and play on the land,” Lamb said. “It’s where we hunt and fish. It’s critically important to us because we’re as close to the environment as anyone.”