Horse Poop 'Icing On The Cake' For Gwinnett Sheriff's Office

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — The Gwinnett Sheriff's Office sent out a big thank you to a local business last week for a donation of horse poop for the county's inmate garden.

"We're guessing that we're the only agency in the state posting pictures of horse poop, but we're thrilled to have it," reads the Facebook post from the sheriff's office. "A huge thanks to Big Sky Farm for donating a truckload of aged manure for our jail garden. Anyone who gardens knows that this stuff is like gold. Seriously. Thank you, Big Sky Farm!"

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office has started a garden for the inmates at their correctional facility. Inmates have begun planting seeds and officials hope the skills learned will be useful to the ladies once they are released. The idea sprung up after the county couldn’t afford to keep its recycling bank open which had previously helped to occupy their time. Volunteers will teach inmates the science and skills behind gardening. The produce will be donated to local shelters.

"Sheriff Butch Conway brought the garden to our county jail in 2016 after the closure of the Recycling Bank of Gwinnett, where our female inmates performed their work detail," said Deputy Shannon Volkodav, public information officer. "Those inmates now work in our jail garden, which produced approximately 6,000 pounds of produce last year alone. That fresh produce is used in our kitchen and helps offset the cost of produce.

"We greatly appreciate the support of UGA Cooperative Extension, who provides valuable education to the inmates by teaching them the science behind gardening," she said. "Many of the inmates report that they plan to pursue an agriculture or landscaping career when they’re released from custody so that they can utilize the education they received at our jail."

Help from the community is key, according to Volkodav.

"Our organic jail garden was created using recycled and donated materials," she said. "Local businesses like Home Depot, Brownlee’s General Store and Grower’s Outlet regularly provide seeds and plants while UGA Cooperative Extension provides the education. Big Sky Farm's recent donation a truckload of aged horse manure, which was the proverbial icing on the cake.

"We appreciate the opportunity to equip these inmates with real life skills to help them meet with success when they’re no longer in custody because we don’t want to see them return," said Volkodav. "The jail garden program is a win for the sheriff’s office, the taxpayers and the inmates."

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Photos courtesy Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office