Yeah, if I had a city lot, I wouldn't do it.
But I've got an acre and the back area is just fine for storing a huge pile of manure. Oddly enough, it doesn't smell very long. Only a few days. Probably because it's so dry here. When it dries, it's rather light. It eventually turns into this nice peaty light stuff with just an earthy smell.
Now goat manure is waaaayyy too stinky. I won't do that again.
I'm so glad I'm not the one shoveling it. I have way too many physical problems, but my husband and daughter are good at it. Plus the neighbors help since they'd have to pay to have it hauled away if we didn't take it. One set of neighbors are these nice twenty-somethings that are quite good at shoveling.
So, each year I plant my tomatoes and peppers in raised beds filled with pure manure. Sometimes I remember to put in some calcium to prevent blossom end rot, but I forgot this year and the tomatoes are fine. The general veggie bed gets a huge layer of aged manure tilled in every year. You should see my broccoli!
