Illinois Extension Aids in Manure Management

Equisearch

Removing excess manure and bedding from your horse farm is an important step in conserving a clean and healthy environment. The University of Illinois Extension has developed a new project that will provide local horse owners with an alternative to the traditional manure hauling service. The program, Manure Share, will benefit not only horse owners, but also small livestock operations, gardeners, landscapers and the environment.

The U of I Extension received funding for the project from the Great Lakes Regional Water Quality Program to establish pilot routes that will enable garbage haulers to transport horse manure and bedding to compost facilities, rather than landfills. The project, currently available in Lake, McHenry, and northern Cook counties, addresses the environmental issue of landfill dumping, while recycling manure and bedding into valuable resources for composting.

Farm owners who sign up will be provided with contact information for the hauler in their area. If the routes prove financially viable for the compost facility, the hauler and the customers, additional routes in northeast Illinois (with additional haulers and compost facilities) will be added. For more information, click here.

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