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Dairy Turns Manure Into Pots
For eight years Matt Freund worked on the "recipe" to shape manure into pots that would be durable until planted in the ground. Test marketing started in 2005. Nursery owners and gardeners appreciate the added nutrient value that goes directly to plants when the pot decomposes in the ground. The whole process also appe
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Dairy Turns Manure Into Pots 32-1-7 For eight years Matt Freund worked on the "recipe" to shape manure into pots that would be durable until planted in the ground. Test marketing started in 2005. Nursery owners and gardeners appreciate the added nutrient value that goes directly to plants when the pot decomposes in the ground. The whole process also appeals to people interested in buying "green" products.
Freund explains that he and his brother, Ben, milk 250 dairy cows in East Canaan, Conn. Since 1997, they have run their herd's manure through a digester. The methane gas is collected and used as an energy source. The liquid is spread on the field for fertilizer and the remaining solids composted. Freund uses those solids to make weed-free, odorless CowPots.
Besides adding value, CowPots solve the problem of managing manure.
"We organized the Canaan Valley Agriculture Cooperative to look for environmental solutions that put us ahead of the curve," Freund says. Each producer uses various ways to manage the manure from a total of 2,000 cows in their valley to meet new nutrient management regulations.
CowPots is one solution, and Freund notes that grants have helped with research and development, but that the business has now moved forward without governmental assistance. The Freunds recently set up equipment to mass-produce CowPots.
Currently, the 3 and 4-in. pots retail at 50 to 60 cents apiece, Freund says. CowPots in larger sizes will be offered in the future.
The pots are used like peat pots to start plants, though CowPots hold water better and require less frequent watering. Fertilizer needs to be added as usual to start the plants, since the pot's nutrients only become available to the plant when it is placed in the ground and the pot decomposes.
With the initial excitement about CowPots, Freund says he believes demand will quickly outgrow the local supply of manure.
CowPots are available for purchase through the CowPots website, as well as at retail and garden stores in some states.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Matt Freund, CowPots 324 Norfolk Rd., East Canaan, Conn. 06024 (ph 860 238-7687; info@cowpots.net; www.cowpots.com).
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