A USDA Farm Tract Number is more than just a formality—it's your key to unlocking a range of critical benefits and resources for your farm. Whether you're starting a small-scale operation or expanding an established farm, this number is essential to access various federal programs, grants, and loans specifically designed to support farmers and ranchers.

If you’ve got animals on your homestead, you’ve got a hidden treasure – manure! Animal waste is full of nutrients that can enrich soil, and gardeners and plant lovers pay good money for it. Whether it’s by the bucket, bag, or cup, here’s how to turn your homestead's "crap" into cash.

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Why Manure Matters
Animal manure is a natural fertilizer rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium – essential nutrients for plant growth. People buy it to boost their garden soil, enrich houseplants, and make compost tea. Even if your homestead animals aren’t cash cows, their byproducts can bring in a steady income.

What You Can Sell
1. **Compost Manure** – In solid form, manure can be sold as a soil amendment, perfect for gardens and farms.
2. **Compost Tea** – A liquid version that makes it easy to apply nutrients directly to plants, providing a quick boost.
3. **Worm Castings** – These "black gold" droppings from composting worms are a premium fertilizer and can also be used to brew compost tea.

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How to Make Compost Manure

**1. Gather Your Crap:** Collect manure from your animals. Chicken, cow, rabbit, goat, and horse manure are popular choices. Make sure to avoid cat and dog poop, as they can contain pathogens not ideal for plants.

**2. Build the Pile:** Set up a compost pile with layers of manure and carbon-rich materials like straw, dried leaves, or wood chips. Aim for a balanced mix of green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) materials.

**3. Turn Regularly:** Keep your compost aerated by turning it every 1–2 weeks. This helps speed up the decomposition process and reduces odors.

**4. Monitor and Wait:** Keep the pile moist but not soaking wet. Your compost will be ready when it's dark, crumbly, and has an earthy smell, typically after 3–6 months.

**5. Package and Sell:** Bag up the compost in different sizes – small bags, buckets, or even larger bins for serious gardeners.

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 Brewing Compost Tea

**1. Fill a Bucket with Manure:** Place a shovelful of compost or manure in a burlap sack or mesh bag and put it into a 5-gallon bucket filled with water.

**2. Let it Steep:** Let the manure sit and steep in the water for 24–48 hours. Stir occasionally to help mix the nutrients into the water.

**3. Strain and Bottle:** After steeping, remove the sack and strain any remaining solids. Pour the tea into bottles or jars, ready for sale as an organic liquid fertilizer.

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Worm Castings: Premium Crap!

Worm castings are fantastic for plant growth. If you have a worm compost bin, the castings can be collected and sold as-is or used to brew another version of compost tea. Here’s a quick overview:

1. **Collect Worm Castings:** Harvest castings from your worm compost bin, avoiding any leftover food or bedding.

2. **Bag or Brew into Tea:** Sell the castings directly in small bags, or follow the compost tea method above to create worm tea – an even more concentrated nutrient boost.

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Marketing Your Manure

1. **Name Your Crap Creatively:** Give each product a catchy name that makes people chuckle. “Golden Goat Soil,” “Rabbit Rocket Fuel,” or “Tea Time Manure” are memorable and will draw customers’ interest.

2. **Sell Locally:** Farmers markets, gardening groups, and local nurseries are great places to advertise. You can also market on social media or gardening websites.

3. **Package Smartly:** Offer your manure in different sizes, from small cups for houseplant lovers to larger buckets for vegetable gardeners.

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Wrapping It Up
When life gives you crap, sell it! With these basics, you can transform animal manure into a sustainable income stream and share the magic of natural fertilizers with your community.

Bye Bye for Now

Officially Fran