2009 Year in Review

Illinois Manure Share Website

A program that benefits horse owners, small livestock operations, gardeners, landscapers, and the environment is now available online, courtesy of University of Illinois Extension.

"Illinois Manure Share" is free, said Randy Fonner, a U of I Extension certified livestock manager program specialist.

"It is a manure exchange program that brings gardeners and landscapers searching for organic materials to use in composting or field applications in contact with livestock owners who have excess manure," he explained.

"The program's goal is to remove the manure from farms that do not have the acreage to adequately utilize its nutrients on their fields or pastures."

Fonner noted that this exchange benefits water quality by removing excess nutrients from farms and by lowering the amount of commercial fertilizer used by gardeners and others.

The website includes registration forms for both livestock producers wishing to dispose of manure and for gardeners and landscapers seeking the product. There are also links to federal and state rules and regulations affecting the process.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
March 27, 2009