For the last two years, we’ve been conducting an experiment – Maria’s idea – every spring, there is a huge pile of manure out by the feeder. We used to call friends with gardens, and they would come and take the manure away.

Last year, we decided to skip any chemical fertilizer (we have never used chemicals on the farm knowingly) and spread the manure over our three pastures.

We do one wheelbarrow load at a time, one or two a day. We noticed the pastures have thrived, stronger and earlier than before. This is an essential innovation if it works out as well as it has so far.

Donkey manure is natural and a notoriously rich and successful fertilizer. The pile goes down quickly; Maria does the hauling and scattering. Over the winter, the manure is absorbed into the soil. The grass is the best we can recall ever having.

We save hundreds of dollars in fertilizer costs and find good reuse for the donkey manure on the farm. There are only two donkeys. There isn’t all that much of it. But the grass is very happy, and our animals are healthy and content.

As a photographer, I don’t miss the large manure pile. It messed up one of my great sight lines. And I use donkey manure in my raised garden beds.