Design manure handling into compost and biogas
Manure is a resource for soil and energy, but it pollutes wells and streams if handled badly. Plan where it goes before animals arrive.
How
- Mark a manure store or compost bay on your site plan, on level ground, away from wells and watercourses.
- Example guidance (Rhode Island, USA): keep livestock at least 100 ft (30 m) from any wellhead. Use your local rule if stricter.
- Route poultry litter and stable bedding into the waste module's compost system; it is rich in nitrogen and pairs with carbon materials like straw and leaves.
- If you plan a biogas digester, size it with the waste module using your actual manure volumes.
- Do not spread manure near water bodies, on steep slopes or before heavy rain (Wisconsin Extension advice for goat keepers is a good general rule).
Do these first
Sources
- Healthy Farms, Healthy Watershed Fact Sheet 3: Best management practices for small acreage livestock farms. Northern Rhode Island Conservation District, accessed 2026-11
- Guide to Raising Healthy Goats (A3858-05). University of Wisconsin Extension, accessed 2026-11