Drivers in some Ohio counties are coming nose to nose with the aroma of manure wafting through the air.
Mechanicsburg dairy farmer Bonnie Ayars says this is the time of year farmers dig into the pack of droppings that builds up during the winter and spread it on the fields. She calls it recycling and returning nutrients to the soil.
Ayars says few people complain about the smell. Nonetheless, the Ohio Dairy Producers Association is running newspaper ads this week to alert the unsuspecting. The ad features a closeup of the face of a Holstein and the line: "Spring is in the Air."
Ayars says it's important to let people know what's going on down on the farm.
Mechanicsburg dairy farmer Bonnie Ayars mentioned the challenges of milking everyday. Then there's the feeding. The average cow weighs 1400 pounds and eats 50 pounds of hay, grass and/or grain every day.