The Virginia Poultry Federation and the Shenandoah Resource Conservation and Development Council have launched a poultry litter hot line and marketing program.
The hotline number is 800-418-0768 and is available to poultry growers with available litter, litter brokers haulers and farmers seeking litter.
The council’s market maker, Becky Barlow, will help buyers, sellers and haulers to connect.
“This program will help spread the word that poultry litter is a valuable organic source of nutrients that can improve soil quality and productivity,” VPF president Hobey Bauhan, added in a news release. “Ms. Barlow will market litter to farmers with soils containing moderate to low phosphorus levels and avoid fields with excessive phosphorus levels. I encourage poultry growers with litter available to call Becky Barlow.”
Barlow’s position was created through a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant awarded to Virginia Tech and designed to address the concentration of nutrients from animal agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley.
“Through educational and marketing efforts, my goal is to have more people regard poultry litter as a resource rather than a waste,” she said.
VPF’s previous poultry litter hot line and marketing program, in operation since 1999, has been incorporated into the new program. VPF will provide financial and in-kind support for the new, enhanced program.
