Ohio farms have too much manure after wet fall

COLUMBUS (AP) — A rainy fall has left Ohio farms stockpiled with a smelly commodity: manure.

State officials are concerned about how they might dispose of it.

Rainfall that broke records around the state last fall kept farmers from spreading manure on their fields as fertilizer. State agriculture officials fear that farms running out storage space may spread manure on snow-covered, frozen fields this winter.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that would pose a risk of pollution if manure is washed off by a quick thaw or a rainstorm.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency reports there were four manure spills into Ohio streams last winter.

Ohio State University Extension urges farmers to keep manure at least 200 feet from stream banks and spread it on limited acreage if the ground is frozen.