1. What is your role at AGPROfessionals?
I am an agricultural engineer, the Reg-CAFO team manager, and Idaho Projects Manager. I have obtained my Professional Engineers (PE) license in Idaho and Colorado focusing a lot of my time on Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) design, drainage and permitting. Over the last year, I have assisted AGPROfessionals in opening the Idaho Branch which I currently call my “home” office.
I am an agricultural engineer, the Reg-CAFO team manager, and Idaho Projects Manager. I have obtained my Professional Engineers (PE) license in Idaho and Colorado focusing a lot of my time on Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) design, drainage and permitting. Over the last year, I have assisted AGPROfessionals in opening the Idaho Branch which I currently call my “home” office.
I started at AGPROfessionals in 2014 as an intern in the Regulatory Department and came on board full time in 2016. After spending a couple years in the Regulatory Department, I transferred to the Engineering Department, assisting with drainage for agricultural facilities, and rural-commercial development. I have also had the opportunity to spend a little time within each department (Planning and Surveying) and began to understand the different aspects and services that AGPROfessionals has to offer. In the last year, the Regulatory Department split into the Regulatory CAFO and Environmental teams. With the split, I had the opportunity to take on the responsibility of managing the Regulatory CAFO team. My time at AGPROfessionals has allowed me to push myself professionally, grow as a leader, and promote and advocate for production animal agriculture.
My goal for 2021 was to move to Idaho full time and continue to expand the high-quality work of AGPROfessionals in the western United States. Now that I am in Idaho, I will be focusing my efforts on assisting Idaho CAFOs with lagoon liner testing, land use permitting, and compliance with local, state, and national regulations. These goals will be achieved with an approach of common sense and problem solving with clients on what works best for their operations.
The biggest challenges our team have experienced have revolved around animal rights activism and legal actions. Unfortunately, we have seen production agriculture win and lose in these cases. While the work itself was challenging, the hardest part was seeing attacks on an industry that is near and dear to us all. Through these projects and challenges, AGPROfessionals worked long hours to fight for the client and production animal agriculture. This work included sorting through years of rainfall data, court filings, and lab results, doing site visits and sampling, and providing engineering calculations, local/state/national permitting, and being expert witnesses for the attorneys.
I have had a lot of opportunities to work on some ambitious projects while at AGPROfessionals and it is hard to choose just one. However, I would say I am proud of working with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) to approve the In-Situ Liner Test to be used on CAFOs in Idaho. AGPROfessionals’ performs this test in other states and provided a trial run on a dairy in Idaho. ISDA reviewed the procedure and test data and approved the test to be used. This liner test gives the existing Idaho CAFOs a liner testing option that does not require the producers to take a lagoon out of operation. It has been rewarding to provide options for existing operations that allow them to continue focusing on their day-to-day operation while working to meet the state requirements.
Below is a synopsis of the liner testing system Valene mentions above.
AGPROfessionals is excited to announce our In-Situ Liner Test to help producers comply with the liner certification requirements for dairy containment and storage governed by Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). The In-Situ Liner Test allows dairies to continue to operate without cleaning the pond or taking the pond out of production while the test is being conducted. AGPROfessionals will install the test with very sensitive equipment and monitor seepage rates on the pond over a three to four-week period. If the pond passes the seepage requirements, AGPROfessionals will issue the operator a professional engineer-stamped liner certification. If the pond does not pass, AGPROfessionals will either conduct a follow up test and/or provide recommendations for the next steps. AGPROfessionals has been conducting these tests in other states for over 10-years. The In-Situ Test has been approved by ISDA and ISDA is excited to have AGPROfessionals offer dairies a feasible option that allow dairymen to continue operating their pond during testing, which is not always possible with other liner tests.
The In-situ Test can be performed on ponds that are existing, navigable by a small floating platform, and have earthen liners. Consistent water levels in the ponds are required during the test. While production water and runoff can continue to flow into the pond and pumping can occur, dramatic changes in the water level will require AGPROfessionals to restart the test. Synthetic or concrete lined ponds or ponds that have been constructed on a hardpan/bedrock unfortunately cannot be tested using this method. AGPROfessionals can provide recommendations and assist with traditional geotechnical liner testing as well.
Call AGPROfessionals at 970-535-9318 and ask for Valene Lickley or e-mail vlickley@agpros.com to request a proposal for the testing.
AGPROfessionals is a national comprehensive agricultural consulting company. Key services include but are not limited to engineering, surveying, permitting, nutrient management, compliance, public relations, and real estate. Our staff and services are tailored exclusively to support and grow agriculture and we have been successfully advocating for our clients for 25 years.