• Manure project grants help to manage livestock waste.cattle image by Dennis Carrigan from Fotolia.com
  
  Manure project grants are federally funded programs that are designed to promote energy efficiency by developing the appropriate technologies for managing livestock waste. The goal of manure project grants is to reduce the effect of greenhouse gas emissions or the presence of toxic waste in rivers and streams due to the improper disposal of cattle manure. The grants are provided to private and public institutions including cattle farmers, universities, and research centers.
  
  

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality--TCEQ

• The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality awards grants to fund rural communities who are willing to participate in its "composted manure incentive project." The goal of the fund is to use manure from dairy farms for roadside compost. In partnership with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, TCEQ has developed an innovative project that will help to reduce phosphorous levels in rivers and watersheds. The project will provide transportation to remove manure from dairy farms to composting facilities. The grant has been made possible by funding from the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water Act.
  
  Texas Commission on Environmental Quality--TCEQ
  
  P.O. Box 13087
  
  Austin, TX 78711-3087
  
  512-239-1000
  
  tceq.state.tx.us
  
  

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• The STAR grant is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the presence of natural or synthetic hormones in cattle manure that is used for crop fertilizers or in land conservation projects. The grant solicits research proposals that will investigate the quantity of hormone presence at various stages of the manure "pathway," and to determine the areas where the hormones can be identified. The project also investigates whether traces of hormones are absorbed into soil systems. Preliminary studies suggest that hormones will be present in fertilized soil; the grant solicits recommendations from experts on composting strategies that will reduce the release of hormones into the environment. The grant provides funding research and collaborative opportunities with volunteers, scientists and graduate and undergraduate research fellows.
  
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  
  26 West Martin Luther King Drive
  
  Mail Code: 642
  
  Cincinnati, OH 45268
  
  513-569-7076
  
  epa.gov
  
  

Northeast Recycling Council--NERC

• The Northeast Recycling Council is made up of ten states, and provides grants and training to small and hobby farmers. The funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Solid Waste Management. Individuals and communities will receive training and assistance on the proper handling of livestock, and best-management practices for disposing and using livestock manure. The project aims to reduce water pollution by promoting proper waste management techniques. Suggested areas for manure management projects include compost marketing, manure management and anaerobic digestion of food waste.
  
  Northeast Recycling Council--NERC
  
  139 Main Street, Suite 401
  
  Brattleboro, VT 05301
  
  802-254-3636
  
  nerc.org