[ WP ] Write about something that is disgusting or ugly in such a way that it becomes something beautiful -- without using the 'beautiful inside ' cliche .

Spreading manure has always been the least glamorous job on the farm. It really doesn ’ t even need an explanation; you spend your entire day loading, hauling, and slinging good old poop. This job is a necessary evil for every livestock producer, however. You can ignore it all you want, but that doesn ’ t change the constant need to keep your animal lots clean. Many people say that there are only two guarantees in this world, that being death and taxes. I disagree; shoveling manure should be considered a third. 
 
 We start in the skid steer, scraping one bucket-load at a time from the pens and pads. This is piled up at the back of the barn, where the tractor and spreader are parker. When a considerably sized mountain of fecal matter is constructed, one will start loading the spreader. Here is where things can get monotonous. 
 
 When you haul the first load, you make an estimate of how many you will have total. No matter how many times you have done this job, that guess is always WAY too low. You might think there are 20 loads in that pile; sorry bud, it ends up being 55. Every one of those trips entails a bouncy ride across the field while a heavy coating of mud-manure mixture covers every inch of the spreader. 
 
 Also, we can ’ t forget the smell. Yes, that wonderful stench that permeates through every tractor cab window and firmly plants itself for all to experience. Any clothing worn during this task can be permanently labeled as “ manure duty ” as they will reek of cow poop forever beyond. Even your skin will carry this mark of a cattleman, especially your hands. Gloves do nothing to prevent this, so one learns to avoid finger foods during manure time. 
 
 But there is something magical in that “ black gold. ” Mother nature does not make mistakes when it comes to her soil, and that includes our natural fertilizer. No man-made mixture can outsmart what has existed since the first animals walked upon the dry ground. We think we have farming down to a science of numbers and minerals, but few understand just how little we actually know. Somebody can analyze a sample of manure and apply the same materials in synthetic fertilizer form, but you will never get the same results. 
 
 My pocketbook likes it too. Some cattleman look at manure as a problem. Rather, I see it as a gift. The hay and grain I borrow from the soil is returned in a different form, with the cattle taking a little bite along the way. The dollars saved by completing this ancient cycle make my farm successful to boot.
