Idaho dairies turn manure into plastic, water and profit New farm tech promises cleaner fields and better returns25 August 2025 25 August 2025 5 minute read 5 minute read By: By: Global Ag Media North AmericaIn southern Idaho’s dairy country, cow manure has long been both a costly challenge for farmers and a growing environmental concern. The Idaho Sustainable Agriculture Initiative for Dairy, or ISAID, has spent five years developing and testing systems that capture nutrients and byproducts from manure and wastewater. But with that growth has come increasing pressure to manage the large volumes of liquid and solid manure generated by dairy farms. The project’s goal is to promote technologies that turn dairy manure into commercial fertilizers and value-added bioproducts, while improving soil quality, supporting farm productivity, cutting emissions, and creating new income and job opportunities. “Clean water, better fertilizer and maybe even plastic — it’s like turning waste into gold.”At nearby Sunnyside Dairy, co-owner Jason Nunes agreed.