The University of Illinois Extension Service offers a manure share program and Web site to help gardeners, landscapers and livestock producers connect with nutrient resources to share. The free program’s goal is to remove manure from farms that may not have the acreage to adequately utilize all of the nutrients being produced. Gardeners and landscapers benefit by having a source of non-commercial fertilizer.
The Web site offers simple instructions for farms with manure to share to connect with those who can use the manure. Producers fill out an online form to add their information to the electronic database after being asked to review rules and regulations related to composting manure in Illinois.
Those seeking manure can review the list to find farms that most closely meet their needs for loading assistance, type of manure, etc. Even if customers get fresh manure from producers, the end-users of the manure are asked to make sure manure is fully composted before using it. Learn more about the University of Illinois Manure Share program at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/manureshare/.