The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is partnering with pork and dairy producers, USDA, and environmental and scientific experts to host a competition to find technologies that can recycle nutrients from livestock waste and create valuable products.

EPA agricultural counselor Ron Carleton was at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting last week to announce the Nutrient Recycling challenge. “To try to deal with this issue that livestock producers have to manage over a billion tons of manure every year and we think it can be managed in a way that is more economically viable and beneficial for producers, as well as for the environment,” said Carleton.

The challenge has four phases. “Phase one is request for concepts from innovators, phase two will be design, phase three will be proof of the concepts and some prototypes and phase four will be testing some of these pilot projects on the farm,” Carleton explained.

The win also includes monetary awards with a total of up to $20,000 in cash prizes to be awarded. More information about the competition can be found on the website NutrientRecyclingChallenge.org.

In this interview from NAFB, Carelton also talks about the current state of EPA’s Clean Water Rule (WOTUS) and how they want to work with agricultural producers. Interview with Ron Carleton, EPA

View and download photos from the event here: NAFB Convention Photo Album