Every now and then someone will come up with a great idea or product that meets a specific need.
     And invariably I ask, "Why didn't I think of that?"   
       Here's an example of what I mean.
     For centuries gardeners have known that animal wastes (manures) are an excellent source of nutrients for plants.
      And, for just about as long, gardeners have known that certain legumes (particularly alfalfa) also are an excellent source of nutrients when they are tilled or spaded into the soil.
     Finally, a rancher from Shattuck asked the obvious.  Why not combine both of these great soil-building, nutrient-rich products (animal manure and alfalfa) into one super product for lawn and garden use?
     In 1986 the rancher did just that.  And with wit and humor, he called his new organic compost-fertilizer "Man-alfa."
    Like any new product, there were bugs to be worked out.
     The original Man-alfa was mostly raw feeder-lot cattle manure and ground alfalfa.     

And occasionally, there were problems with odor and consistency from bag to bag.
   Eight years of research, however, has enabled the small, Western Oklahoma company to greatly refine its product.
     In fact, the new product is so superior to the old that the company felt a name change was in order.
   "Humalfa" is the name the company has given its new and much improved humus-rich compost and fertilizer.
   Unlike the original product, the cattle manure used in Humalfa is fully composted in windrows to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
   The objectionable odor and all weed seeds are eliminated by the heat of the composting process.  Humalfa has a sweet earthy smell and an even consistency from

bag to bag.
     The Humalfa company places a high premium on quality.  When Humalfa was tested by a leading chemical analysis company, no trace of the 56 chemical compounds (herbicides-pesticides) on the EPA Drinking Water Chemical List was found.
     This means that Humalfa is safe to use as a fertilizer-soil amender in vegetable gardens as well as around flowers, woody ornamentals and lawns.
   Humalfa may be purchased in 40-pound retail boxes, 40-pound plastic bags and in bulk for large quantity use.
     A liquid humus plus alfalfa concentrate also is available in quart containers.  This product should be diluted with water and used as a foliar spray or fro root feeding.
     Our gardening success is in direct proportion to the health and vitality of our soil.  And, working generous amounts of organic compost (homemade or a commercial product like Humalfa) into the soil is the ideal way to improve its productivity.
     _____________________________
Barry Fugatt is landscaping-horticulturist at the OSU Extension Center.