Animal scientist Deanne Meyer receives more than her share of, shall we say, unusual phone calls. There was the woman complaining about her neighbor's llamas and their quaint habit of establishing a communal dung pile, the dog-kennel owner seeking Meyer's advice on disposing of kennel poop, and always the equipment sales reps pitching solutions for the dairy industry's manure headaches. Waste, manure, dung -- you choose the term -- is what Meyer's job is all about. Seven years ago, UC Davis became the first agricultural college in the nation to hire a Cooperative Extension specialist to help livestock producers manage manure in an environmentally responsible manner. It's been said that Meyer knows more about livestock manure and related problems than anyone in the nation, a reputation that's earned her such colorful monikers as "Buffalo Chip" and even "Dr. Dung." Raised in Santa Rosa, Meyer was introduced to agriculture via the Future Farmers of America. "I was a 'Blue Jacket' kid," she said, referring to the association's trademark corduroy jackets. Although not raised on a farm, she became ag-savvy by raising lambs, participating on livestock judging teams and doing agribusiness projects. She points with pride to the framed American Farmer Degree from the national Future Farmers of America. Relatively few receive the degree, and she treasures that accolade more than her many academic degrees. "It's the one that really means something," she says. After graduating from UC Davis in animal science, Meyer went on to complete master's and doctoral studies on livestock nutrition and agricultural economics at the University of Florida. For her doctoral research she studied dairy-linked environmental problems in Lake Okeechobee. Massive algae blooms had been traced to excess phosphorous from the manure of 45,000 dairy cows upstream from the lake. Meyer's solution -- simply reduce the phosphorous in the cows' diet. "This is not rocket science," she said dryly. "If they don't eat it, they don't excrete it." But manure management involves complex issues, especially in California, where 1.2 million dairy cows make the state the nation's top milk producer. Collectively, those cows produce 30 million tons of liquid and solid manure annually. A question of management "It isn't a matter of having cutting edge technology, it's all a question of management," said Meyer. And that's where she comes in. Meyer designed and presents workshops throughout the state aimed at helping dairy farmers and other livestock producers better manage the manure from their operations. More than 1,100 California dairy producers have attended the workshops, with more than 500 completing the three-class series. The workshops also have attracted more than 100 non-producers, including bankers, lawyers, veterinarians and engineers. Meyer also distilled state and federal regulations down to a simple checklist that livestock producers can use to make sure they are in compliance with the many laws governing manure management. "Most potential polluters are large corporations with teams of lawyers to help them interpret and follow regulatory laws," Meyer noted. "But who's going to help a dairy farmer figure out what the regulations mean for his or her operation?" Dairy manure management doesn't have to be expensive, but it must be well thought out, Meyer said. The producer must not only plan what to do with the solid and liquid manure, but also how to handle the large quantity of water used to wash the cows before each milking and the rain water that runs off the barn roofs and mingles with the manure. "California has a fairly manure-management-friendly climate because it's so arid," Meyer said. "We don't have to worry about snowmelt carrying waste into creeks, and we're able to grow two crops per year, which provides farmland to receive the manure. In addition, we don't have a lot of surface water." Storage ponds needed Both liquid and solid manure can be used as a natural fertilizer for a variety of crops. But dairies must have storage ponds that can hold their liquid manure for 90 to 120 days, in the event that storms saturate the fields and delay manurewater application. Meyer also helps farmers minimize their use of water in the dairy, sometimes by putting a timer on the system used for washing down the cows. And she advises producers on how to deal with regulatory agencies. "Attitude is one of the top 20 problems regulators have with dairy producers," Meyer said. "The best thing I can tell producers about attitude is don't have one." She warns that state regulators have the legal right to inspect dairies and to fine the producer if the operation is not in compliance with state and federal laws. And the consequences for non-compliance aren't trivial. Dairy producers can be fined $27,500 per day or $10 per gallon of milk produced if cited by the Environmental Protection Agency for violating manure-management regulations. A $102,000 fine and jail time Last year the California dairy industry was shocked when one producer was fined $102,000 plus 90 days in jail. In addition to serving time, he paid $20,000 in cash and the balance in upgrades to his dairy. New federal regulations governing livestock manure management were established in March of this year, but Meyer anticipates it will be a year or more before it is clear how those new rules will apply to California. "It's likely that producers will be required to keep a lot more records," she speculated. "Or it may be that the new federal laws won't alter anything, if current state water regulations are sufficient to meet the new federal standards." While the regulatory situation may seem to emphasize an adversarial relationship between dairy producers and government agencies, there are signs of a new spirit of cooperation. Earlier this month, representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state of California, the dairy industry and the university met at UC Davis for the signing of a new joint agreement. The resulting partnership provides federal funding to support the environmental component of the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program, including Meyer's ongoing educational program, development of dairy manure-management plans, and dairy inspections throughout the state. Changing the concept of manure Half the battle in manure management is to get folks on all sides of the issue to change their concept of manure, Meyer is convinced. "People need to treat manure like a resource instead of a waste," she said. "Cows actually make two products -- milk and leftover nutrients. Those leftover nutrients in the manure are fertilizer. The value of manure as a fertilizer depends on the dairy's location," Meyer says. "It's all a function of supply and demand," she explained. "In the southern San Joaquin Valley, liquid manure is a cash crop because there is a lot of farmland to apply it to, whereas in Chino there is virtually no farmland." UC Davis is well acquainted with the manure-management issue, having dealt with manure from its dairy, beef feedlot, equestrian center, Animal Resources Service and the School of Veterinary Medicine. For many years manure and related waste were composted at the campus landfill, then offered free each spring to the general public as compost for home gardens. But as expenses rose, the landfill had to begin recharging its campus customers. A few years ago, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences formed a committee to study the campus' manure problems. Meyer came away from the study convinced that the campus should foot the bill for the composting and realize the benefit of the goodwill generated by giving the public free compost. Processed through a treatment plant Agreement on the proposal was never reached, however, and the various campus entities found separate solutions to their manure challenges. Meyer notes that the campus dairy is the only dairy in the state that processes its manure through a sewage treatment plant, along with waste from the primate center and hog barns. In addition to her educational work, Meyer also maintains an active research program. Currently she's evaluating mechanical manure separators and settling basins for liquid manure. She's also quantifying how much atmospheric ammonia is emitted by the solid and liquid manure from cows. Atmospheric ammonia reacts with the gases produced by car exhaust and forms particulate nitrate. "Those particulates are part of a group of pollutants known as PM 10s, which stay in the air and add to the hazy brown rim around the valley," Meyer explained. "They are one of six groups of compounds we have to be concerned about in valley air pollution." Meyer's job requires that she be fluent in everything from animal nutrition to atmospheric science, soil science and even a bit of chemistry and engineering. She notes that she relies heavily on campus air and soil scientists, irrigation specialists and particularly on the campus air-quality group. Much of her research is done on private commercial dairy farms. Although appreciative that producers allow her access to their dairies, Meyer finds it challenging to work her research activities into the daily operation of the dairy. And meanwhile, back at campus the phone keeps ringing. "Everyone has a solution to the dairy industry's manure-management problems," she said with a sigh. "Most of them don't even know what the problem is but they sure have the cure. "I listen to them all, though, because someday, somebody just may have a solution that is viable and economic."