(File Photo: Caption for Photo: view of a typical Lancaster county farm in Pennsylvania)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) Winter in Pennsylvania brings farmers not only snow and freezing temperatures, but also stricter manure-spreading regulations to minimize water pollution. Putting manure on farm fields is discouraged during winter months or when the ground is snow-covered or frozen at least four inches deep. Robert Meinen of Penn State’s Department of Plant Science says manure can provide essential nutrients to crops and reduce fertilizer costs, but those nutrients have to stay in the fields to maximize their value and not run off into waterways. Meinen says in Pennsylvania, farms fall into different categories, including Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations or CAFOs, which the EPA defines based on animal numbers and manure output. CAFOs face stricter federal oversight, but the state’s winter manure laws apply to all farms.