The decision process dairy managers use regarding manure handling systems in Utah

As animal production units get larger and the human population extends into rural America, more attention is focused upon managing the manure produced by those operations. Agriculture waste management decisions are important to the environmental sustainability of each animal feeding operation in the US. Understanding the decision process animal feeding operators use for management decisions will benefit those who assist producers in complying with federal and state environmental regulations. Interviews with operators of three relatively large dairies in Utah were conducted to identify the most important decisions and the decision process that these operators use to adopt waste management practices. Sources of information on waste management and the practices implemented or structures built that helped or hindered them to be better managers were analyzed.;The most important factors in the decision process were the ability of the system to meet state and federal regulations and the affordability of the practice or structure. The three managers are 'early-majority' adopters. They prefer to see technologies work on other dairy operations before they use it on their operation. These operators read trade magazines and look to agency personnel and professionals that work in the waste management field for technical recommendations.