1/20/98

Contacts:
Tom Glanville, Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, 515/294-0463
Susan Thompson, Agriculture Information, 515/294-0705

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION STUDY SERIES OFFERED

AMES, Iowa -- An Iowa State University home-study series that deals with the environmental issues surrounding livestock production is available on the World Wide Web.

The series targets livestock producers, educators, students and others who want to gain a better understanding of the potential air and water quality impacts of animal agriculture, and management practices that can minimize those impacts.

The Environmental Issues in Livestock Production series was developed through an ISU Extension grant and is part of the Livestock Industry Facilities and Environment (LIFE) project in the ISU agricultural and biosystems engineering (ABE) department.

"We know livestock producers want to do the right thing," says Tom Glanville, an ABE associate professor and coordinator of the project. "This series offers some solutions to protect the environment, plus details on the scientific fundamentals behind those solutions."

Besides producers, Glanville says the home study series should interest elected officials, environmentalists and the general public. He hopes educators in high schools and community colleges will find the series useful in their classroom work.

There are five modules. Topics covered are odor assessment and control, manure application, livestock environmental regulations, open feedlot runoff and manure treatment. The modules include general information, charts, diagrams, photos, study problems, quiz questions and lists of additional resources.

Each module stands alone, Glanville says, so people can choose only the modules that interest them the most. "Not everyone will want to do all five modules. You don't have to do the first module in order to do the next one," he says.

Glanville says some modules take about two hours to complete, while others can be done in less time. "This is more than just an extension bulletin," says Glanville. "There is some work involved here so producers can relate what they learn to their own operations."

An evaluation form at the end of each module will give people a chance to provide feedback, and to request a certificate of completion. "We want to hear what people think of the series and what additional information they want us to provide," Glanville says.

The complete series is 70 pages. It was authored by Mark Hanna, Jay Harmon and Jeffery Lorimor, all in the ABE department.

The modules are free to people who download them from the Web. Those who do not have access to the Internet can contact their county extension office to get print-outs of the modules at a cost of $2 each, or $10 for the entire package.

Supplemental teaching materials also are available on the Web for educators interested in using the modules in their classroom.

The home study series can be found at <http://www.ae.iastate.edu/>, the ABE home page.

News Releases Agriculture in Action Ag Online Communications Skills Home