On Thursday, South Dakota State University will be hosting a Zoom meeting on its above-ground burial project. The session will begin at 8 a.m. (Central) and is limited to 300 people.

Gary Flory, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, will discuss the development of the process and his research at large swine units in the southern United States. After Flory's discussion, SDSU faculty members John McMaine, assistant professor and Extension water management engineer, and Bob Thaler, professor and Extension swine specialist, will share the results of their trials that started in June and December 2019 in Brookings.

Thaler's research team began the project to address how to effectively dispose of carcasses infected with a foreign animal disease from a commercial swine production unit without contaminating the environment and further spreading the disease. The process involves digging a two-foot deep trench, laying down 20 to 24 inches of organic matter, such as corn stalks, and then placing the animal mortality on top of that and filling the trench with dirt. Thaler says this may be an option now for producers who need to depopulate and dispose due to plant closures from COVID-19.

Since this a limited audience, SDSU asks that only pork producers and allied industry partners join. To participate in the Zoom meeting, producers can follow this link. It will also be recorded so industry members can contact Thaler to get a copy afterwards.