People are going mad for manure, says farmer

Richard Freeman says he cannot believe how much demand there had been for deliveries of manure this year

The leader of a farming organisation said this year he has seen much higher demand for the manure his group sells for charity.

Richard Freeman, 32, from Little Downham, Cambridgeshire, is the president of the Soham Young Farmers (SYF), which currently has about 20 members and since 2018 has hosted an annual "muck haul".

Local farmers from villages around Ely donate manure they would normally be using on their own crops and the SYF then sells and delivers it to buyers.

Mr Freeman described being left stunned this year by the unprecedented demand, adding: "We normally only deliver a few loads, but this year it has been 25 trailers full already and we have had to extend our run."

The young farmers have been working into the evening to bag up the manure

The group sells a 20kg (44lbs) bag of manure for £3 and a trailer full for £50, with the money raised donated to Farming Community Network and The Brain Tumour Charity.

"I wondered if some gardening programme or item on telly mentioned the virtues of fresh manure," Mr Freeman said.

He added it was thanks to the generosity of local farmers that the group could do its annual muck haul.

"There is an allotment in Isleham, near Newmarket, that has [bought] five trailers of muck this year, they can't seem to get enough of it," he said.

The delivery of manure normally happens over a few days, but this year it could be over a few weeks due to demand

Mr Freeman said that keen gardeners and allotment holders had been queuing up to get their hands on some rich, fertile manure.

"We are collecting mainly horse and cow manure, and we have got an anaerobic digester in nearby Stretham that give us a nice little supply of digestate which I use on my own fields, which gives very good yields," he said.

"We have raised over £1,500 already for our chosen charities and hope to hit the £2,000 mark," said Mr Freeman.

The National Allotment Society praised the quality of the manure and said there was no better soil conditioner.

It added that well-rotted manure improved soil structure, added valuable nutrients, and helped retain moisture - which was especially important after a dry year.

The society added manure revitalises tired soils, supports strong root growth and helps set up plots for a productive season ahead.

"Manure is one of the best ways to give soil a second wind," said Mike Farrell, the chairman of the National Allotment Society.

"After such a dry year, [manure is] invaluable for restoring fertility and resilience - and it's great to see local groups like the Soham Young Farmers supporting that cycle while raising money for good causes," he said.