Hello fellow gardeners,

Wonder if anyone has a lead on a source of dairy manure not too far from Chicago. I am willing to pay a little if necessary. Also love rabbit, and alpaca manure.

Gosh - if you're talking "farm fresh", you might have to go south or west. I don't know the western burbs that much but there might be a source as you start heading toward Crete. Have you looked at Craig's List or that "Free (something or other)" listing service? I can't think of the name at the moment.

It is that time of the year = County Fairs. Visit some in your area and you will be overwhelmed with offers. Gene

Gene - good idea! The site I was trying to think of yesterday was Free Cycle.

I was really trying to see if anyone knew someone personally with cow manure. I have a place to get as much free horse manure as I would like, however it has alot of weed seeds in it. I have a rabbit however one can not produce enough manure for a whole large garden. I know a dairy in fairbury il and I am waiting for a response from them. It is a 2 hour drive one way! Just trying to get a lead. Of anyone need horse manure let me know I can tell you a place in Palos IL. Craigslist doesn't have any cow manure last I checked. Freecycle doesn't have anything good mostly. I am a member there. Thanks for your thoughts!

Wish I could help but I don't know anyone personally raising livestock. It's not uncommon around here to see horses or cows grazing but no one really advertises it with a sign near the road.

I'm following this thread. I too am interested in acquiring cow manure for my garden. I live in the O'Hare area.

I keep picturing all of those small farms in the western suburbs. Not many Chicagoland folks post here but you may try dropping a question in the plant swap forum which does seem a little more regional. Here's the link - The thread "Chicagoland garden swap 2016" in Plant and Seed Trading forum
I know it would be off-topic but it might gain some attention. Good luck.

Home Depot sells black kow

Hi and

I just did some research and found this manure share program run by the University of Illinois. Hope this helps.

http://web.extension.illinois....

Thanks I know about that site and all offers are for horse manure. Which is very easy to come by for free. Thanks again for the ideas.I did call the fairgrounds as it is fair season, but was not able to get a definite response. We will be going to the fair grounds next week I'll bring a can and shovel just in case.lol personally I don't really trust most bagged products. They are not really regulated by any one and I just don't want to put something in my garden that I don't know what's in it. A small farm is going to have much safer manure than a bagged product that is prob from a factory farm, and may not even contain manure! Maybe I'm just paranoid but I trust small farmers the most.

Chi, come to think of it, we have Oberweiss.

I found this http://barrington-natural-farm.... Haven't called them yet.

Kilgus farms in fairbury. That's where I am going to get cow manure.it's not free. Everywhere else has horse manure usually free. Or manure that has alot of different animal mixed with horse manure. I guess if you know a dairy farm you are in luck. Horse manure is good but it has a ton of weed seeds in it. I am trying to fill some new raised beds and I want them to be mostly compost and leaves. I don't want weeds.lol

If you are in dupage, the dupage county fairgrounds has the fair starting the 20 th. I was going to try to get by there as well. Maybe they will have manure as one poster suggested. I'll bring my cans. Lol.fresh stuff has to go in the pile though.

Fresh manure? If you can find people who sells composted manure by load or whatever, let me know. If they are not that far from me, I'll have it delivered. Hubby won't help me. I got him to shovel horse manure once in Palatine and he'll never do it again.

Come up to Wisconsin!

If you want horse manure its easy to find. There are places that deliver, but they charge. I know a place in Palos and they deliver not sure where you are. Horse manure is easy to get and most common, however it does contain lots of weed seeds. I hate to import seeds, since I have plenty!

Went to Kilgus farms. Got two 55gal cans of composted cow manure. Its really nice. It's mixed with saw dust and it looks like peat. Wish I had room I would had gotten more. Too far to go back. Maybe next year I can get a truck to go out there.

If you can't locate fresh cow manure, you can go to Lowe's and buy a bag of Scott's top soil with organic soil only. I've used it in my garden.... it's smelly. Lol
http://www.lowes.com/pd/Scotts...

Cow manure will have weed seeds too.