For those interested in the scientist's perspective on poo...
Pasture
Maintenance and Surface Runoff. Our pasture is situated on the side of a mountain and receives significant surface runoff
from rainfall. In order to minimize the mobilization of fecal bacteria (coliforms) and other pathogens from manure in surface
runoff waters, we have diverted most of the incoming runoff to one side of the pasture where it is eventually received by
a pond.
We compost all of our manure--as opposed to just letting it pile up--so that it
decomposes to produce a rich, organic fertilizer that can replace chemical fertilizers that could be potentially harmful to
the environment.
Daily removal of manure from the pasture and the subsequent composting
process are part of the strategy to keep fecal coliforms out of surface runoff and ground water.
We compost our manure for as long as two years to ensure that the manure will go through a "hot" phase
where thermophyllic bateria will kill parasites and unwanted seeds and a "curing" phase where animal and insect
shredders will further decompose and digest the manure into particle size.
When collecting
manure from the pasture we make a point of layering it in the compost pile with plenty of waste hay, the hardwood pellets
used to absorb liquids, and fallen leaves from surrounding hardwood trees (in the fall).
We keep
the piles "houseplant moist" and turn them a couple of times a year. Fully composted manure can result in
just a few months. Gardeners love it and our reward is fresh locally grown produce! One of our compost customers says, "There's
compost; then there's ROY'S compost." There are some very nice local restaurants who buy vegetables grown with
the help of our compost.
