Long ago I learned about the problems faced by dairy farmers. My grandfather did not have a large herd of dairy cows. He had just a few, and he hated all of them. I didn’t understand this hatred until one time when I was visiting my grandparents. I was a “city boy,” and my grandfather felt I should be educated about country ways. This meant being involved in all the myriad necessary activities on the farm. I learned at first hand about the problem of disposing of cow manure. I discovered this essential task was both arduous and odorous. The experience firmed up my feelings that I didn’t ever want to be a farmer, especially a dairy farmer.

Recently I learned how two Connecticut dairy farmers, Matt and Ben Freund, have discovered an environmentally responsible method of dealing with this age-old problem. I read about the Freund’s successful endeavor in the first garden catalog we have received to date. The Gardener’s Supply Company published it.

Somehow, the Freunds have found a way to capture methane. (According to Wikipedia, the electronic encyclopedia, “cattle belch methane accounts for 16% of the world's annual methane emissions to the atmosphere.”) The Freunds haven’t disclosed how they capture this “belched” methane, but they burn it to provide energy for the farm. They use the methane to dry the manure, which is then composted and mixed with natural fibers. This mixture is then used in an unusual way. It is pressed into pots. These pots are biodegradable and have a most appropriate name. They are Cowpots!

According to the Cowpots ad in the catalog, gardeners love Cowpots because they are odorless and free of of weed seeds. You just transplant the plants right into the ground. There are no plastic pots to throw away or re-cycle, and plants love Cowpots because transplant shock is reduced.

The advertisement for Cowpots did what a good ad is supposed to do. It sold me, the reader, on the product. I used the Web site address and placed an order for a set of 12 in the 4 inch size. Now, while I am waiting for them to be delivered, I will spend some time deciding on what I should plant in them. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Footnote: I am sure the word “belch” used in Wickipedia’s description of methane is an euphemism for a four letter word that is never used in polite conversation, Scrabble, crossword puzzles, or Rambling Prose columns.

And read more of his stories at USADEEPSOUTH!
Spoonerisms
Once a Yankee, Always a Yankee
Kudzu ~ The Alien Invader
Barefoot, Red-faced in the Cornfield

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