The Maryland Department of Agriculture issued a Request for Proposals for demonstration projects with proven and innovative technologies that manage agricultural manure and on-farm generated waste in a manner that improves its utility as a fertilizer, changes its form or function for alternative uses, or produces energy or other marketable products. The overall outcome of the technology will result in reduction of nitrogen and/or phosphorus movement to surface waters associated with animal manure produced on farms in Maryland.
GMT proposed two individual projects for in-vessel composting: The first is an In-Vessel Earth Flow System at a horse rescue facility in Howard County where nutrients and by-products will be reduced by 50 percent. The second project is a larger Site-Built Earth Flow System that will be implemented on a dairy farm in Frederick County that also will process the offal from its turkey production and processing facility.
The funding comes from the Animal Waste Technology Fund that was revitalized by Gov. Martin O’Malley to provide incentives to companies that demonstrate new farm technologies and develop alternative strategies for managing manure.
