"Getting rid of everything that doesn’t matter allows you to remember who you are. Simplicity doesn’t change who you are, it brings you back to who you are."

Friday, January 28, 2011

The Good Sh*t

If you have a garden you know that sh*t is important.  It makes the green stuff grow real good.

We are lacking in good sh*t around here.

Oh we have plenty of dog sh*t.  And the occasional bull sh*t surfaces from time to time.  But none of that is going to make my garden grow any better.

I'd like to have some chicken sh*t.  But SM has put his foot down...no chickens.

(The other morning SM stands looking outside with a coffee cup in his hand.)

"There's nothing good on the computer and TV is a waste of time." SM

"Cabin fever?" Me

"I guess."  SM
 
(I see my opportunity for my monthly chicken zinger.  You see I have  not given up hope that with a little gentle persuasion SM can be brought around to my way of thinking.)

"Just think...if we had chickens you'd be out there watering and feeding and...."  Me

"No chickens.  No chickens. NO CHICKENS!"  SM

"...fluffing them up and talking to them and looking for eggs and..."  Me

"We don't eat THAT many eggs."  SM

"Well, I wouldn't want just laying hens, I'd want to raise some meat chickens for the freezer and..."  Me

(Looking around I find that I'm talking to myself.  Again.  SM has left the room.)

Lynda at Cortina Creek Farm posted briefly about her worm bins.  I've read about worm composting and worm castings before.  Hmmmm.

Lets see.  They don't cluck.  They don't need fancy housing.  The neighbors won't complain about them.  They're not stinky (SM's opinion not mine...)  The dogs won't eat them.  (Well, maybe they would eat them but I think I can prevent that from happening.)

Is this the way to go?  Can I get my good sh*t from a source that SM will tolerate?

This requires further investigation.  Thoughts anyone?

9 comments:

  1. No nearby farms at all to get some "doo"??
    Worms would be a good choice, I guess, but you're not going to get a LOT from that. I wish I could send you some sh*#. We have LOTS of it in our neighborhood.

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  2. I am with Sue. It is out there. I worked for an Equestrian Therapy program and we had to pay to get the manure taken out. I am sure someone somewhere would be glad to let you have some.

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  3. You have to do the worms...but you need to find some composted manure. Check Craigs List for horse boarding, rabbitry, chicken farms in the farm section...get some good poop...the worms take awhile. My garden beds are 100% mushroom compost and I side dress with worm castings and do compost tea foliar spray at least once a week.

    Don't waste money buying a worm composting bin...they are really ez to make...you just need to GOOGLE DIY worm bins and you'll find great directions. I paid $15 for a pound of worms a couple months ago and I must have about 4-plus pounds now. I feed kitchen and garden scraps and shredded newspaper and cardboard...and I top-dress with the chicken feed the chickens scatter on the ground.

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  4. I want the worm compost too,but probably a long process,I will get a little cow manure in the spring and try that.Good luck with the chickens.Blessings jane

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  5. Horse Sh*t seems to be the "poo" of choice locally and I can get it free if I bring the truck. Question though...I thought you needed to let the "poo" ummm...

    Well you can't put roots in fresh "poo" is what I'm trying to say. If I'm building beds and creating garden space, how long do I need to let the "poo" degrade before it's safe to plant?


    Or am I screwed this year and have to buy the "composted" stuff?

    I definately gonna see about the worms though. Long process, but I'm not going anywhere.

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  6. Tami, I like all manure to compost for a year. At least, only spread manure on the beds in the fall and let it sit until spring. Reasons for composting- E coli is in all manure. You need for it to die completely before you put in on edible vegetable. 2, There can be undigested weed seeds in the poo that will sprout in your garden if not properly composted. Some of those weeds are invasive and very hard to get rid of once started. 3. some manure can be mixed with bedding or urine and will be way to strong for vegetables and may kill your plants with to acidic of an environment. Well that is my two cents.

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  7. We looked into worms last year too, but never got around to it. Look forward to hearing if you do try!

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  8. Thank you so much Jane! That's what I thought. Oh well, we'll suck it up and buy the composted manure for this year. I'll be sure to lay some fresh next fall.

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  9. We're giving worms a shot this year. That reminds me, I need to poke Joseph to make a post about it. My little worms seem to be doing good, but I wouldn't say I've had much to show for it in the last month we've had them. You're definitely not talking about a lot of volume. However, it's better than nothing!

    I'm on the hunt for some free manure compost, but apparently in the Big City everyone thinks they can charge $10 / yard for it. Or even more ridiculous, $10 / bag that you pack yourself. I'm still scrounging for a bargain. =)

    Emma
    City Roots, Country Life

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