Equine centre manure recycled as compost
By Maurice Garvey
HORSE manure from Cherry Orchard Equine Centre is being turned into compost by a local community garden and will go on sale to the public in spring.
Cherry Orchard Community Garden, which is located beside the Equine Centre, hope to cultivate approximately 260 tonnes of manure a year, saving the centre manure removal costs in the process.
Garden manager Peadar Lynch with volunteers Gerry Fitzgerald and Fiona Dowling
Garden manager Peadar Lynch, from Ballyfermot Chapelizod Partnership, was put in place last April on a short-term contract to make the garden viable and sustainable.
Mr Lynch took The Echo on a tour of the vast 2-acre site on Tuesday, explaining the manure project and showcasing numerous other projects they have on the go, including salad gardens, allotments, and a busy beehive.
“Basically, we are a social enterprise, rather than shareholders, any profit we make goes back into the community,” said Mr Lynch.
“The equine centre produces a lot of manure. There are approximately 260 tonnes a year. We got funding from Dublin City council to turn it into compost. They are conducting a feasibility study, that will include training staff in the process (manure to compost cultivation), packaging and bagging.”
Lynch is fond of the ‘circular economy’ – a format designed to benefit businesses, society and the environment – an approach he is putting to use in the garden.
“The equine centre used to have to pay to take the manure away. We have been selling compost at a local level, but will be doing a launch next year,” he said.
At the community garden, Peadar points out 12 equine centre bays that are used to store manure, and another one in the community garden.
Peadar at the manure
He explains how the manure has to be carefully mixed, from one bay to the next, to break down the heat, ultimately producing compost that is high in quality and odourless.
“The compost would not be enough to work as a standalone venture, but it could bring in something over €5,000,” he said.
The community garden “relies on volunteers” according to Peadar, with a supporting Tús programme providing people who bring their own ideas and labour to the table.
People with disabilities from Ballyfermot Access Group also use the amenity, which is equipped with accessible beds and newly installed footpaths, so they can care for plants and vegetables in a wheelchair.
Touring the site, Peadar’s enthusiasm and horticulture knowledge is evident from the scale of projects on the go, including a beehive with potential for 60,000 bees next Summer.
“My father kept bees and he taught me,” said Peadar, who is originally from Laois and shepherds us away from the bee sentries on patrol outside the hive.
“The hive is full of honey. We hope to sell Cherry Orchard honey.”
Along the way, we meet a couple of long-term volunteers Fiona Dowling and Gerry Fitzgerald, who have been with the garden since it first started 10 years ago.
“I can’t offer you anything now I’m afraid, you can’t rush it, it has to be right,” Gerry said, as he looks over the onions and garlic which will be ready in spring.
Another big section of the garden is devoted to broccoli, beetroot, lettuce and three different types of kale.
“We supply St Vincent De Paul, and do a market every Thursday, but this year is about making foundations. You have to plan months ahead of time.
“We are putting in four polytunnels for typical spring bedding. The old-fashioned way was to pick a head of lettuce, but we are picking a leaf off the head, and planting that.”
Manure, kale and bees, are just some of the ingredients that have the potential to see this garden grow.
TAGS news
