Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS) is taking their Manure Link program to horse owners Oct. 20 to 22.
Funded by the Investment Agriculture Foundation, supported by Agriculture Canada’s Youth Green Jobs Initiative, and a project of LEPS’ Horse Manure Composting program, this B.C.-wide project encourages horse owners to compost their manure, by connecting gardeners and landscapers with a free source of organic fertilizer, and providing local farmers and horse-owners with an outlet for excess composted manure.
Visit www.manurelink.com.
Proper manure management is important to maintaining healthy ecosystems, as it reduces the risk of runoff from raw manure that can contaminate streams and well water.
“Manure tends to be the dirty secret of the horse world,” says Ava Reeve, agriculture program coordinator with LEPS. “Our program aims to deal with the problem of manure by turning it into a valuable resource.”
A major feature of the program is online educational resources, available to help horse owners understand manure management and the manure composting process.
The website offers a thorough guide to starting and maintaining a composting system, plus troubleshooting tips to refine current systems.
It also has space for horse-owners to advertise their composted manure to gardeners.
In September, the program attended the CanWest Horticulture Expo, eliciting interest from landscapers and gardeners from across B.C.
“We heard that the need for properly composted manure is there,” Reeve said.
“Landscapers in particular want compost, often in large volumes and throughout the year. We’re ready for horse owners to post their ads.”
Equine owners and boarders with composted manure can create a posting on the website free of charge.
From Oct. 20 to 22, the Manure Link program will be attending Canada’s largest horse expo, the Mane Event in Chilliwack.
“You can find us with the Horse Council of BC,” says Reeve.
“They have been amazing partners in this project, as strong supporters of ecological manure management.”
LEPS is using this opportunity to raise awareness of manure management issues, and to provide solutions through the Manure Link program.
For more information visit www.manurelink.com or contact Ava Reeve at agriculture@leps.bc.ca.
