You've probably heard that old saying, "Ain't Much
New Under the Sun." And you'll probably agree
that when it comes to innovation in the horse
business, the expression fits like a collar on a draft
horse.
The daily chores in the horse barn are: feed, water,
muck and bed on every day year round. If you're like
me, you don't mind the feed and water part too much,
but that manure management is just plain old
work.
Spreading manure on a daily basis is a good solution
to the problem of where to park all of the byproduct,
but it's not always practical. That's because it takes
time, isn't always an option in wet and freezing
weather and requires a gutsy tractor and a functional
spreader.
Because horse manure is a lot like
paperwork, it just keeps piling up. And up and
up and up. . . . I visited a farm not long ago where
you could see three states from the top of their
Manure Mountain.
On a quest for solutions to the manure management
problem, I talked with Peter Moon, President of
O2
Compost . Peter has invested
considerable
time studying and advising horsemen about the
benefits of composting manure.
Now, hold on to your pitchfork. Before you interrupt to
tell me composting is a cumbersome and slow
process, keep reading to find out what you can do to
speed up the decomposition. And even better, how
you can SELL that compost instead of paying
to have manure hauled away.
Peter told me in simple terms (he's very good at
explaining things in spite of being a professional
engineer) that the problem with slow composting
rates is a lack of oxygen and a lack of the proper
temperature (heat) to accelerate decomposition (rot).
After thorough research, he has made a business
of designing and selling
composting systems in North America for use in all
climates.
Moon told me that by using PVC pipe, small blowers,
timers and a thermometer, he can help his clients
convert manure, with a properly designed composting
system, from an expense to a profit item.
You won't retire early on the profit, but you will enjoy
reducing manure handling expenses, reducing fly
populations, having a neater looking facility and
controlling
contaminated water runoff while putting a few bucks in
your side pocket from the sale of the rich compost.
How much is the compost worth? Peter tells me that
his clients have sold compost for $5.00 a burlap bag
to as much as $80.00 per cubic yard. To define its
worth, it can be lab analyzed to help determine the
nutrient value. Moon told me that he especially enjoys
helping his clients with the marketing of the compost
they make and helping them determine a fair sale
price.
If you'd like to know more visit his website by clicking here It's filled with information and
photos of
composting systems.
Composting may be the right solution for your
operation.
One more thing. I asked Peter
about all of
the horse manure jokes. He reports that he
has
heard most of them and singles out this groaner,
"fecal matters" as one of his industry favorites.
