Laura Ball, a Research Assistant at Garvey Resources, Inc., is shown here with Dr. Douglas Beegle at a PA Nutrient Management Training Course.

Dr. Douglas Beegle and Laura Ball

Dr. Beegle is a Distinguished Professor of Agronomy at Penn State University.  The two-day training program on Manure Management is one of five required classes that must be taken before a candidate is allowed to take the PA Nutrient Management Certification Test.  Dr. Beegle is widely known for his research and recommendations on phosphorus in crops and soils.  Laura Ball is a graduate of Delaware Valley College and has been working for Garvey Resources for two years.

As a certified Nutrient Management Specialist, Laura will be able to help farmers plan the safest and best use of biosolids, manure, and fertilizer.  This is important because, when a farmer is using manure, he must have a manure management plan, and if the farmer wants to use biosolids, the plan must show that there is not a surplus of nitrogen or phosphorus for the fields that are owned or rented.