The Scoop on Poop

For as long as there have been dairy cows, people have been using their manure as a versatile and natural garden fertilizer. And why not – the list of benefits is impressive:

Cow manure is high in organic matter. Organic matter will increase your soil’s water and nutrient holding capacity while reducing soil compaction. It helps soil naturally decompose into humus, resulting in rich, fertile soil.

Cow manure improves soil structure. The organic matter in manure is a great tool for breaking up hard, clay soils, improving drainage. In loose, sandy soils it improves texture and aids in water retention.

Cow manure is rich in nutrients. Manure is a natural source of the Nitrogen, Phosphoric Acid and Potash (N-P-K) that is needed by most plants.

Cow manure offers disease resistance. Farmers have long suspected that the use of compost has helped their crops reduce a variety of diseases. This belief was further substantiated by researchers from the University of Wisconsin Madison who found that the use of compost could reduce certain diseases while also boosting yield.

As beneficial as raw manure is, using it in this form also poses some issues. Fresh manure has elevated levels of ammonia that can burn plants. It also contains pathogens that can be dangerous, especially if used on vegetable gardens.

Happy Holstein’s accelerated composting process addresses all of these issues. Composting releases the dangerous levels of ammonia gas and by heating our manure to 154 degrees, we are able to eliminate pathogens and weed seeds. The end result is a product that is safe for all gardening uses in unlimited quantities.