STEPHEN VANDERHOFF (in the green shirt) explains the operation of their new waste management system to a group of visitors and a television news crew at the tour of the Vreba Hoff I dairy farm on Dillon Highway last Wednesday.  The system, known as the Agri-Clean System developed by Press Technologies from Springfield, Ohio, was investigated and proposed for installation through a joint agreement reached by Vreba-Hoff and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality in December 2004.  The state-of-the-art, computerized manure treatment system designed to better manage and utilize the benefits of manure. The system simultaneously reduces the amount of phosphorus in liquid wastewater, odors associated with liquid manure storage and the overall volume of manure stored on a dairy farm.

Vreba-Hoff shows off new waste management system

"Things have been rocky at times," the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's Deputy Director Skip Pruss told a crowd of around a hundred officials, media, and other interested parties at a special tour of Vreba-Hoff Dairy LLC's new $1 million manure treatment system last Wednesday. He went on to note that in spite of everything, communications between the operators of the Vreba-Hoff Dairies and the DEQ remained good at the worst of times. Pruss praised the VanderHoff family and partners for their installation of the new, cutting edge system. "We appreciate your being on the leading edge of the technology," he commented. "Large farms will not go away. They are the wave of the future, and we in the DEQ are going to have to learn to deal with them." “After nearly 18 months of engineering, field-testing and fine-tuning, we are very pleased to be operating one of the most advanced systems developed for agriculture and putting it to practical use,” said Cecilia Conway, a partner and representative of Vreba-Hoff. “Not only do we expect it to improve our business, but it also is going to enhance our stewardship of the environment and help keep our commitment to the communities where we operate.” Vreba-Hoff, which operates two units of their farm totaling 6,000 cows, has had waste management issues in the past that drew attention from the DEQ. A 2003 lawsuit over waste management lead to a December 2004 settlement in which the dairy agreed to install the new wastewater treatment system at the Vreba-Hoff 1 facility on Dillon Highway.

The system services both the Vreba-Hoff 1 facility, and the larger Vreba-Hoff II dairy located on US-127. At present, manure is being trucked from the Vreba-Hoff II facility to be processed at the Dillon Highway plant.  The completed system began operating in February and includes:

• A press treatment system, consisting of a press, clarifier, and thickener for the purposes of separating liquids from solids, binding phosphorus in an insoluble form, and otherwise improving the quality of treated wastewater;

• Composting of solids from the press treatment system, bedded pack manure, and waste feed; and

•Aeration of liquids from the press treatment system, wash water from equipment, laundry and milk houses, and runoff contaminated with silage leachate, feed, or manure. The system reduces concerns about the volume and the odors associated with storing cow manure. By separating solids from liquids, the system leaves the farmer with dried solids that can be recycled as cow bedding, and low phosphorus wastewater that can be used to irrigate cropland. Phosphorus builds up in soil with repeated fertilizer applications and can deplete oxygen for aquatic life in lakes, rivers and streams. The system effectively removes 99 percent of the phosphorus in the liquid wastewater, virtually eliminating the chance that a farmer could overload the soil with phosphorus when using the processed liquids to fertilize crops. Effluent from the aerated pond will be discharged to a reduced land area through an advanced irrigation system calibrated such that no unlawful discharge occurs during or after irrigation.  With the treatment system now operational, Vreba-Hoff has agreed to cease all land application of untreated agricultural waste. The system was developed by Press Technology and Manufacturing Inc. of Springfield Ohio. Known as the Agri-Clean system,  it was developed from similar technology used to manage waste from paper manufacturing. According to Vreba-Hoff's Stephen VanderHoff, the computer controlled equipment moves thousands of gallons of liquid manure each day through equipment that squeezes out the water. Solid material is then moved by conveyor to a storage area, where it is composted. The dried and composted manure is a material that can be safely applied to fields as a fertilizer, used for cattle bedding or even burned as fuel. The heat of the composting, VanderHoff said, is hot enough that it sterilizes itself of bad bacteria and is broken down before it reaches the field.

The new unit is only one of four in the country. Among other things, it has a methane digester that neutralizes bacteria and cuts down on emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. VanderHoff commented that the company plans to study using the methane as a fuel as part of continued upgrading of the facility. “Our family and our company work everyday to exceed our own high standards for environmental care,” said Vander Hoff. “This new waste management equipment is going to make a significant positive contribution to the way we operate and we are excited to be one of the first farms in this region to put it into use.”

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