PTO vs Engine-Driven Manure Pumps: How to Size One
For most farms running their own manure with existing tractors in the 200 to 300+ horsepower range, Hoover Ag’s PTO pump covers the job.
FPR regulations in Pennsylvania are actively changing. Senate Bill 146, signed into law in July 2026, moved on-farm FPR management under the State Conservation Commission and created a new certification program for haulers and brokers. Some of what’s described here will be refined as SCC promulgates the new regulations. This piece is educational, and any farm making a real FPR decision should work with a certified nutrient management planner, PA DEP, or the SCC for current specifics.
Food processing residuals are the byproducts of processing agricultural commodities for human or animal consumption. PA DEP’s definition covers a wide range of materials: process wastewater from cleaning slaughter areas, rinsing carcasses, or conveying food materials; wastewater treatment sludges; blood; bone; fruit and vegetable peels; seeds; shells; pits; cheese whey; off-specification food products; hides; hair; and feathers.
If it comes out of a food processing facility as an incidental byproduct rather than a finished product, and it has nutrient or organic matter value, it’s probably FPR under Pennsylvania’s definition.
More than 900 food processing facilities in Pennsylvania generate FPR. That includes meat processors, dairy processors, breweries, bakeries, vegetable canneries, and produce processors. The material has to go somewhere. For a long time, land application on farms has been one of the accepted routes.
Farms that accept FPR typically do so for one or more of three reasons.
Nutrients. FPR is generally nitrogen-rich, and some categories are also high in phosphorus and organic matter. A dairy or crop operation that would otherwise buy fertilizer can offset some of that cost by using FPR as a nutrient source.
Organic matter. Beyond the immediate nutrient value, the organic matter in FPR contributes to soil structure, water retention, and long-term soil health. This is one of the reasons some organic and regenerative operations use FPR alongside animal manure.
Cash-flow or contract arrangements. The processor generating the FPR has to manage it somehow, and land application is usually less expensive than landfill or incineration. In some cases, the farm receives payment or reduced-cost delivery in exchange for accepting the material.
The economics depend on the specific FPR, the farm’s nutrient needs, transportation distance, and the terms of the arrangement. Some FPR relationships have run for decades and work well for both sides. Others have created problems, which is part of what drove the 2026 legislative changes.
FPR sits in an unusual regulatory position because it’s technically waste but is being used as a soil amendment. Two frameworks apply.
The Solid Waste Management Act (SWMA) and residual waste regulations (25 Pa. Code Chapter 287). These are the underlying rules that allow FPR to be used as a soil amendment or nutrient source in the course of normal farming operations. PA DEP has historically been the primary regulator.
Pennsylvania Food Processing Residual Management Manual. PA DEP’s guidance document that describes best practices for FPR storage, application, and record-keeping. Important note: this is guidance, not regulation itself.
Nutrient Management Plans. Farms that accept FPR generally need to have and follow a Nutrient Management Plan that includes the FPR as a nutrient source. Detailed records of application maps, setbacks, quantities, and crops are required.
Senate Bill 146 (2026). The most significant recent change. SB 146 put the State Conservation Commission in charge of on-farm FPR management, established a certification program for haulers and brokers of FPR, and preempted local governments from enacting FPR ordinances. Regulations under SB 146 are being developed.
The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, PennAg Industries, and other industry groups supported SB 146. The push came from a combination of factors: some high-profile incidents in specific communities, growing public interest, and industry recognition that clearer rules would benefit everyone.
If your operation is considering accepting FPR, or if you’re already accepting it and want to make sure you’re on solid ground, a few things need to be in place.
A Nutrient Management Plan. FPR has to be accounted for as a nutrient source in the plan. This means characterization of the material (what’s in it), rates that balance to crop need, and application timing that fits your soils and crops.
Setback and application records. Detailed records of application maps identifying setback areas, application quantities, timing, and the crops grown on the receiving fields. These records are what compliance rests on.
Soil testing. Periodic soil sampling on receiving fields to verify that the FPR is being assimilated, that pollutants aren’t building up, and that the nutrient balance is holding.
Storage that meets standards. If FPR is being stored on the farm rather than direct-applied, storage has to prevent runoff and comply with the standards in the PA DEP FPR Management Manual and any facility-specific requirements.
Working relationship with a qualified planner. FPR isn’t the kind of material an operator should manage without professional planning support. A certified nutrient management specialist can integrate FPR into a plan that meets the regulatory requirements and makes agronomic sense.
Awareness of the new hauler certification. Under SB 146, commercial haulers and brokers of FPR need to be certified. When you contract for FPR delivery, ask about the hauler’s certification status under the new program as it rolls out.
No. Biosolids are treated sewage sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants and are regulated under a separate federal and state framework. FPR comes from food processing facilities and is regulated under Pennsylvania’s residual waste rules and the new SB 146 framework. Some of the same equipment can apply both, but they’re different materials and different regulatory categories.
Any current guide to FPR or biosolids has to address PFAS. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a family of synthetic chemicals that have been detected in a wide range of environmental media, including some land-applied materials. Research is ongoing, some states have taken action, and the topic is politically active.
The honest state of things as of this writing: EPA and state regulators are studying PFAS in land-applied materials. Pennsylvania has not banned or heavily restricted FPR or biosolids land application on PFAS grounds, but the regulatory situation continues to evolve. Some processors and haulers now include PFAS characterization in their material testing. Some don’t.
If PFAS is a concern for your operation, either because of the material you’re being offered or because of the crops you’re growing, this is worth a conversation with the generator, your planner, and PA DEP. It’s not a question this guide can answer for a specific operation.
FPR can be applied with the same equipment used for liquid or semi-solid manure. Dragline systems with pumps, hose reels, and application implements like dribble bars or injectors work for liquid FPR. Tanker spreaders work for smaller volumes or drier material. Solid FPR uses conventional spreader equipment.
Injection is often preferred for FPR for the same reasons it’s preferred for manure. Placing the material below the surface reduces odor, cuts runoff risk, and preserves more nitrogen. For farms dealing with FPR near non-farm neighbors, or on fields under nutrient management plan scrutiny, injection is worth considering as the default rather than the exception.
Pennsylvania’s FPR regulatory framework is in transition. The best current sources:
If you want to talk through application equipment for FPR, call Hoover Ag at (610) 468-9666 or get in touch. Take a look at the manure equipment lineup for what we build for liquid application.
Sources cited in this guide:
For most farms running their own manure with existing tractors in the 200 to 300+ horsepower range, Hoover Ag’s PTO pump covers the job.
If you haul or broker manure commercially in Pennsylvania, you need a certification, you need to maintain it with continuing education, and you need to keep records that prove you’re doing the work within the rules.
Biosolids are the nutrient-rich organic material produced when wastewater treatment plants treat sewage sludge to meet federal and state standards for beneficial use.