“‘The Fragrant Cow’ is an extension of my own interest,” said John-Scott Port, a partner in the family farm. “I like to garden and I like better tasting food. I started making my own compost and once I started it kind of dragged me into it. I fell into it backwards. I didn’t intend to make compost. It was a means to a different end.”
The compost is new way to creatively and beneficially dispose of three waste products wood chips, cow manure and distilled grains.
“Fragrant Cow” is in high demand. The specially-blended compost is being sold not only at Clarion Farms but also in Pittsburgh. It all started with wood chips.
The second ingredient is manure.
“The manure is a by-product from our farm. I have access to a large amount of raw material,” Port quipped.
The third ingredient is grain.
“We deliver beef to the Mechanistic Brewing Company and Clarion River Brewing Company in Clarion,” said Port. “They use a lot of grains in their brewing process and they were desperate to get rid of the grains. I thought that would really make great compost. I learned later that if you mix the grains with the manure it has anti-fungal properties. Some crops are susceptible to fungus and this mixture helps prevent that problem.”
The wood chips are the carbon base of the compost.
“It is what your fertility sticks to. If you just have raw manure there is good fertility but it is also volatile. It can get into the atmosphere and ground water,” said Port. “If you attach that to carbon it won’t leach out. It makes it really stable.”
The compost is kept in piles. Port uses a tractor to “fold” the compost.
The result is loose, aerated topsoil packing a mineral punch and backed by real, lasting fertility.
“It’s completely non-toxic, which makes it safe for children and pets,” Port said.
Currently Port has about five tons in his pile.
“I never really weighed it,” he said.
The “Fragrant Cow” has wandered as far as Pittsburgh.
“I take a lot of it to Pittsburgh and sell it at the Strip District,” said Port. “When we go down to sell our beef I take down some compost. I have sold a ton of it there. I sell it in 50-pound bags and in bulk to home gardeners around here.”
This is the busy season for the “Fragrant Cow.”
“I expect there will be a rush for the compost this spring. I have a pile ready. I just have to sift it and it will be ready to go. I have another pile that should be ready in the late spring or early fall,” said Port. “The money is nice, especially with rising feed cost, but I do it mainly because I like to.”
The bags are $10 each and are available at the Beef Barn, 82 Port Farm Lane, Clarion. Port suggests calling ahead for availability at (814 -221-0219.