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| Cornell RAPP Senior Field Coordinator Nate Leonard holds a sidewalk paver made from recycled farm plastics. RAPP will offer a free baler operator training course at the 2014 Empire Farm Days; pre-registration date is July 22. Photo: Brian P. Whattam |
The daily 10am training will put participants a giant step closer to receiving certification to operate a BigFoot independently on their own farms.
Participants in the Empire Farms Day training will receive a free instructional DVD. After watching the DVD and demonstrating competency, attendees will receive a RAPP Baler Operator Certification.
Farmers and business owners interested in the baler operator training course are encouraged to pre-register by contacting RAPP at 607-255-1187 or agplasticsrecycling@cornell.edu.
Manufacturers in New York State, and elsewhere in the U.S., are turning plastics once used on farms into sheets of plastic ‘plywood,’ plastic sidewalk pavers, consumer and industrial-size garbage bags, diesel fuel, and new agricultural plastic containers, films and twine. Virtually all kinds of used plastic, especially bale wrap, bunker covers and greenhouse film, are now being processed into new products.
RAPP will be showcasing new options for collecting plastics for recycling at Empire Farm Days with recycled-plastic products, supplies and equipment for storing and compacting plastic on display.
Operation of one of the six BigFoot plastics balers used by RAPP partners around New York State will be demonstrated daily at 2 pm. The baler can transform a mountain of plastic into a dense, 1000-lb, four-foot cube in about half an hour.
RAPP NYS Field Coordinator Nate Leonard says, ‘The trick to keeping plastic in shape for recycling is to keep it free of grit and gravel, and as clean and dry as is possible under farm conditions. Demonstrations of best management practices will be ongoing at the RAPP exhibit throughout Empire Farm Days, with specific tips on how to handle each type of farm plastic.’
Leonard says recycling plastics can save farm and business owners landfill and dumpster fees of $70 or more per ton.
Empire Farm Days covers 300 acres with exhibits by 600-plus representatives of agricultural institutions and organizations; tractors, farm implements, and test driving opportunities; DairyProfit Seminars and other educational workshops; demonstrations of live horse round pen training, cattle handing, and small livestock care; farm safety and farm family displays; BBQ tents, and more. Find details at empirefarmdays.com.
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