Abstract

An alternative treatment system for cow manure at The Lands at Hillside Farms, a 60 cow dairy farm located in Shavertown, Pennsylvania, was designed. The treatment system was sized for Hillside Farm’s 530,000 kg of annual manure production. The following systems were explored: lagoon, traditional composting, traditional anaerobic digester, anaerobic bag digester, and vermicomposting. The most practical manure treatment system was determined to be a vermicomposting system. The vermicomposting system employs Eisenia Fetida, a type of earth worm, to process the manure. The vermicomposting system consists of 12 units, each with a length and width of 4.6 m, and a depth of 0.3 m. To reduce costs and take advantage of Eisenia Fetida’s rapid reproduction ability, it was decided to initially purchase 5% of the total required worms. Each vermicomposting unit was estimated to cost $1,035, resulting in a total cost of $12,420. The primary concern for the treatment system is in regard to its performance during periods of low temperature. Eisenia Fetida’s manure processing rate declines with temperature. Hillside Farms should investigate the feasibility of installing a greenhouse or similar structure to insulate the vermicomposting units. The research paper herein contains valuable information that may assist other small farms exploring manure treatment options.

Keywords: Manure; Eisenia fetida ; Lagoon; Traditional composting; Traditional anaerobic digester; Anaerobic bag digester; Vermicomposting