Commercial compost

[budman72]

Anyone have experience with LARGE compost piles! The stable where my daughter rides has a couple huge piles of horse manure that keep getting bigger by the day. I plan to get some to add to the dirt around my house once construction is complete, but the stable operator and I are wondering if there might be a commercial opportunity in this? /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

 

[Will_C]

I don't know about horse manure, but there is a 600 cow dairy farm here in upstate NY that is selling compost at around $12 a yard. Maybe a organic gardener could comment on the value of horse manure.

 

[Wil]

If I'm not full of manure, my understanding is Horse manure must truly get composted to kill any seeds that may have passed undigested through the horses digestive track. Just piling it up and leaving it set doesn't truly compost it.

 

[rancar]

<font color=blue>Anyone have experience with LARGE compost piles!.... the stable operator and I are wondering if there might be a commercial opportunity in this?</font color=blue>

Yes, most definitely there is. My wife and I buy at least a couple of pick-up trucks full of horse manure/compost from the Saratoga Harness Track in Saratoga Springs, NY. They produce mountains of the stuff. What's great, besides it being great compost, is it only costs $15 per pick up truck or $5 per garbage barrel. We always go big and get the pick-up truck. This is a market worth exploring if you have an unlimited and free resource and you're on friendly terms with the stable operator. All it takes is setting up the business and advertising in your local papers and you should see those pick-ups rolling up every morning. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Regards,
Bob Ancar
Cambridge, NY

 

[gws]

Horse manue is bad because it contains LOTS of seeds. Usually takes over a year before its usable. To get compost your going to need to mix things up once in a while. A pile of crap is just that unless you turn it.

 

[rancar]

Wil,

<font color=blue>"...my understanding is Horse manure must truly get composted to kill any seeds that may have passed undigested through the horses digestive track. Just piling it up and leaving it set doesn't truly compost it."</font color=blue>

I'm not sure how long the horse manure that we purchase has been composting, but when we purchase it and dump the load next to our garden that pile sits there all summer and nothing sprouts up. That's why we love the stuff and consider it one of the best kept secrets for those living near the Saratoga race track.

Bob

 

[njrqs]

Over here we buy composted manure.

I understand it is cow manure but not 100% on that.

It is well rotted and has been turned and spreadout and allowed to dry.

Doesn't smell as it is so well rotted.

Any fresh manure is no good for the gardens.

Cheers

 

[JerryG]

budman72,
Try this site <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/442-037/442-037.html#L3>http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/442-037/442-037.html#L3</A> to learn about building and operating a large composter. It pertains to poultry but it would be similar. It does work and if done right your weed seed will be dead when the compost is ready to spread.

 

[Turfman]

There have been several here. One, in the neighborhood, was a large dairy operation and had the local Ag University set them up with a grant for composting machinery. They had a piece of equipment that went on a large tractor. It ran out the rear on the right side. It scooped the compost and turned it to the right, so the compost now was in the space previously left for travel. The process took several months with a turning a couple of times per month. If you were able to get it when it was completely finished and not a little green, it was very nice stuff. Had a very earthy, clean smell and feel to it. Not sure what it tasted like, as I usually spit it out quickly.

Cow compost is usually cleaner than horse, I think this is due to the cow's two part stomach. The horse compost will bring in a lot more weeds. Both need to have a hot compost, where the pile will aerobically heat itself to about 140 degrees F.

Hope you can make an economic success of the project.

Kevin

 

[Worksmart]

Budman - Here's a link to the people I deal with. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tuthillfarms.com>http://www.tuthillfarms.com</A>
You'll probably find some useful info. C