Winter Ban on Spreading Manure Begins December 16

ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 4, 2024) – The Maryland Department of Agriculture is reminding farmers that the winter ban on spreading manure and other nutrient sources on cropland—including food processing residuals (FPRs)—begins on December 16, 2024. Farmers may resume spreading these materials on March 1, 2025, in accordance with their nutrient management plan recommendations, provided that fields are not saturated, snow-covered, or hard-frozen. 

Maryland’s nutrient management regulations prohibit the spreading of manure, food processing residuals, and other nutrient sources on fields during the winter due to the increased risk of runoff into local waterways. Farmers are required to store liquid manure generated on their farms in designated structures. The department is authorized to assist livestock farmers in preventing overflows from these storage structures and in minimizing impacts on water quality. In the event of a potential overflow, farmers must contact the Nutrient Management Program for emergency authorization before any spreading occurs. 

Temporary field stockpiling of “stackable” poultry litter and other qualifying organic nutrient sources is permitted if the moisture content is 60% or less. However, farmers are not allowed to apply stackable organic nutrient sources to fields during the winter months under any conditions. Farmers should contact their regional nutrient management specialist if they have storage concerns, questions about the regulations, or need guidance on storage requirements. 

For more information on the winter ban, please visit the department’s Nutrient Management Program website.

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