It can sound like a small stampede as the cattle move through the Washakie Feeders, a feedlot located just east of Worland, Wyoming. The Agar family have been expanding their operations and with that expansion, comes the headache of dealing with more manure.
“Manure management is a huge part of the feedlot operation,” owner Bruce Agar said. “It really wasn't a problem before because we had a couple farmers that were taking everything that we were producing. But since we expanded the yard so we could feed more cattle, we have more waste product than they could use.”
This is where a new partnership with Dirt Works comes in. Caitlin Youngquist is a soil scientist with a passion for compost and growing healthy gardens.
“Our focus is to help people grow food in Wyoming,” she said. “It's kind of a tough soil and climate here. People can be really challenged by that.”
Through her company, Youngquist provides soil products, expertise, and fertilizers. She said it is especially important to help grow local food as prices continue to increase and there are limited options for groceries.
Compost is vital to her mission of improving the soil in the Big Horn Basin and she is excited to expand their dirt business by using the manure from the local feedlot.
“When you have a feed yard, that's one of the biggest problems is trying to get rid of waste,” Agar said. “We were doing some composting on a very small scale. What we're doing up here at the feedlot, it's a new deal.”
Organic fertilizers and the Dirt Works mascot, Pepper (Courtesy: DirtWorks) 
Compost delivery in Worland (left), Worland community garden (right) (Courtesy) 
Screened compost (left), community garden (right) (Courtesy: Dirt Works)
It’s A Dirty Business
Youngquist had spent nine years working with the University of Wyoming Extension in Washakie County with her degrees in soil science and a specialty in compost. During that time, she spent a lot of time looking at people's gardens and soil. She soon became experienced in the specific challenges found in Wyoming and, seeing a need, started her company with her husband, Tom. While she handles the biology, he is in charge of their equipment and deliveries.
“I took a required soils 101 class and just really enjoyed it. It was fascinating,” she said. “It's a little bit of everything: chemistry, biology, microbiology, physics, agronomy, and plant science.”
Healthy soil, according to Youngquist, is very relevant in order to keep ourselves healthy.
The couple began Dirt Works on a small scale a few years ago with a few truckloads in the spring and cleaning up a few corrals. This past year, they decided to scale up and that was when they partnered with Washakie Feeders.
Beauty Of Manure
The Agars have spread out 4,000 tons of manure in one of their fields and bought a compost turner. The Youngquists are helping them supplement the future compost with wood chips and other organic material.
“When the manure comes out of the pens, it goes in rows,” Agar said. “It’s like a recipe for gardeners because you can mix other things in with.”
The Youngquists turn and aerate the compost and let it get up to temperature during the composting process. The manure needs to decompose and process in a microbial process for good compost that does not burn crops.
The couple ensure that the rows of manure receive the air, water and food for healthy microbes. By aerating it and letting it sit over time, temperature increases quickly kill any weed seeds and any pathogens that might be in the manure. After several months, they will have a higher quality product than just the manure itself.
The next step is to deliver it to the gardeners, farmers, and landscapers.
Part of the agreement is that the Agars will also receive the healthier compost for their own farm and fields.
Bountiful Harvest
“It's really challenging to take care of your soil,” Youngquist admitted. “The goal is to create a hospitable environment for plants.”
Depending on the soil type, you may need to just layer the compost on the top or even use raised beds. Sometimes, the soil just needs a little boost to keep it healthy.
“When the soil is really tough you can get creative and still have a garden,” Youngquist said.
With her passion to help others, Youngquist hosts classes and workshops through the local conservation districts. To help educate those she can’t see in person, Younquist has a newsletter on her website. She also sells organic and liquid fertilizers and will continue to bring in more products as she identifies the needs of those in the Big Horn Basin.
She encourages aspiring gardeners to ignore all the cute gardens on social media. She has seen too many people get overwhelmed trying to create their own versions and quitting after the first year.
“It's really sad to me,” Youngquist said. “I really would like to help people just start one step at a time. You can start by understanding some of the basic biology at play here through the water, soil, plants, and good seeds.”
To have a garden, she said, keep it simple and remember you don't have to spend a lot of money on buying all the cutest garden accessories. Just get some good compost and go from there.
Water Your Landscape This Winter
As old man winter continues to blow, there are things that local gardeners and landscapers can do to help keep their plants healthy.
“When we have these little bits of warm weather in the winter, you can run the hose out and do some winter watering on your landscape,” she suggested. “Our winters are not only cold, but they're really dry. This just keeps the biology working.”
To Youngquist, the soil is where it all comes together and where the plants live. It is also her passion to make sure the Wyoming soil is healthy.
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
