Turning Farm Challenges into Gardening Gold: Embracing the Benefits of Animal Waste

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Written By Blue & Gold NLR Team

 

 

Living on a farm inevitably means dealing with animal waste. Whether it’s called excrement, dung, or even slops, it’s a constant when you have livestock.

A few years ago, my wife challenged me to add farm animals if I wanted to keep calling our place a farm. Eager for the adventure, we set out to make it happen. After fencing our land, we brought home three Nigerian dwarf goats. On the journey back, they promptly turned the SUV into a mobile goat barn—complete with the expected byproduct.

Thankfully, I’d thought ahead and placed a tarp under their kennels. Goats were new to me; I’d grown up with horses, chickens, dogs, cats, and the occasional pig, but never goats. Cleaning their shed for the first time reminded me of mucking out horse stalls in my childhood, a nostalgic experience akin to scenes from “All Creatures Great and Small.”

Adding ducks and geese to our farm elevated the dung quotient to a “pooapalooza.” While building the “Quack Shack” and runs for our new fowl, I imagined idyllic scenes of them roaming the farm. Reality, however, was more of a muddy reality check than a picturesque farm dream.

Despite the challenges, farm waste—guano—is a treasure trove for farmers and gardeners. I remembered how the manure from my childhood fueled a bountiful vegetable garden. This year, my backyard tomatoes thrived thanks to composted manure from a local garden center.

Inspired, my friend Dan and I repurposed our landscaping rock bin into a compost heap. With contributions from our goats, ducks, and geese, along with grass clippings, veggie scraps, coffee grounds, and eggshells, we’re creating nutrient-rich compost right at home.

Research revealed that goat droppings, rich in nitrogen, excel as fertilizer compared to other types of manure. It’s a reminder that what might seem like waste can be transformed into gardening gold.

As the saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” So, armed with rake, shovel, and pitchfork, we’re turning farm challenges into opportunities, always finding the silver lining in our outdoor adventures.

Until next time, here’s to making the most out of every situation that comes our way and enjoying the beauty of our great outdoors.

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