What Black Kow does

Black Kow, operated by Black Gold Compost Company and headquartered in Oxford, Florida, produces and sells bagged composted cow manure and related soil products for the US residential gardening market. Founded in 1969 and operated continuously for over 55 years, the company sources raw material from dairy farms representing over 20,000 cows annually and runs an aerobic composting process in which manure is formed into windrows, turned weekly, and aged for approximately three months at peak temperatures of around 150°F to eliminate weed seeds. The primary product is the signature 'Black Kow Mature Manure,' marketed as containing up to 10x more nutrients than typical garden soil and 4–6x more cow manure than competing brands, with no chemicals added during processing or packaging. The portfolio extends to Mushroom Compost, Black Velvet Planting Soil, Black Top Soil, and an organic sub-line (Organic Potting Mix, Organic Garden Soil Planting Mix, Organic Raised Bed Planting Mix).

The business model is consumer packaged goods (CPG) at retail: products are sold in bags — the 1 cubic foot bag is the most popular size — primarily through major US home improvement warehouse chains (Home Depot, Lowe's) and independent garden centers, with a store-locator tool on the company website. Pricing is not publicly disclosed but follows standard CPG retail shelf pricing. Go-to-market relies on multi-state radio sponsorships of gardening personalities (Teresa Watkins, Robert Vincent Sims, Mike Raley, Howard Garrett), Facebook/Instagram social presence, TV/video content (including Garden Smart TV features), a content-rich website with how-to guides for multiple use cases (lawns, flower beds, vegetable gardens, roses, fruit trees, butterfly gardens), and grassroots community-garden donations. The company targets residential home gardeners and hobby plant enthusiasts as primary customers (improving native soil quality, moisture retention, slow-release organic nutrients), with community gardens and educational nonprofits as a secondary goodwill-driven segment. Leadership is small and stable: Michael Lange serves as President, supported by an Office Manager and a Customer Service Representative. The company is privately held with no public listing or institutional investor presence identified in the source material.

Name

Black Kow

Legal name

Black Gold Compost Company

Website

https://blackkow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Kow, operated by Black Gold Compost Company in Oxford, Florida, produces and sells bagged aerobically composted cow manure and related soil products (Mature Manure, Mushroom Compost, Black Velvet Planting Soil, Black Top Soil, and organic mixes) to US residential home gardeners through home improvement warehouse chains like Home Depot and Lowe's and independent garden centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Garden Soil & Compost

NAICS

Compost Manufacturing (325315)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic & Bio-based Fertilizers (Manure/Compost/Biochar) (IMAEAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compost & Compost Blends (AFABADAE), Organics Collection & Processing (Composting/Anaerobic Digestion) (IMAIAFAF)

Keywords

• Cow manure compost
• Organic soil amendments
• Garden compost products
• Plant soil products
• Composted manure fertilizer

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Composted Cow Manure Product Sales: Black Kow generates revenue through the sale of its primary product — aerobically composted cow manure — packaged in bags (1 cubic foot being the most popular size) sold through home improvement warehouse stores and independent garden centers. The company also sells related soil products including mushroom compost, Black Velvet Planting Soil, and Black Top Soil.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black Kow produces aerobically composted cow manure packaged for home gardeners, including its signature Black Kow Mature Manure product plus complementary soil amendments such as mushroom compost, planting soil, top soil, and organic potting/garden/raised bed mixes. Manufacturing involves a 3-month aerobic composting cycle with weekly windrow turning and peak temperatures of 150°F, sourced from dairy manure. Products are sold in bagged form primarily through home improvement warehouse retailers and independent garden centers in the United States.

Product overview

Black Kow is a line of organic compost and soil products manufactured by Black Gold Compost Company, headquartered in Oxford, Florida. The portfolio is centered on their signature Black Kow Mature Manure product, a composted cow manure that serves as the core offering. The product line extends to complementary soil amendments including Mushroom Compost, Black Velvet Planting Soil, and Black Top Soil, along with a dedicated organics sub-line featuring Organic Potting Mix, Organic Garden Soil Planting Mix, and Organic Raised Bed Planting Mix. Since 1969, the company has sourced manure from dairy farms (employing over 20,000 cows annually) to produce aerobically composted, chemical-free soil products for home gardeners, available through home improvement warehouse stores and independent garden centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mushroom Compost: Soil used to grow mushrooms, then composted and bagged for home gardeners. Perfect for vegetable and flower gardens, hanging baskets, shrubs and trees.
• Black Velvet Planting Soil
• Black Top Soil
• Organic Potting Mix
• Organic Garden Soil Planting Mix
• Organic Raised Bed Planting Mix

Products and services

• Black Kow Mature Manure Signature aerobically composted cow manure product marketed as 'The Mature Manure.' Contains 10x more nutrients than typical garden soil and 4 to 6x more cow manure than competing brands. Provides moisture-holding capacity, aeration, and millions of beneficial bacteria for residential lawn and garden soil improvement.
• Mushroom Compost Composted soil previously used to grow mushrooms, suitable for vegetable and flower gardens, hanging baskets, shrubs, and trees. Sold as a complementary soil amendment under the Black Kow product line.
• Black Velvet Planting Soil General purpose soil for preparing flower beds, vegetable gardens, setting trees and shrubs, and indoor or outdoor planter boxes. Provides long-lasting feeding and moisture retention in a ready-to-use formulation.
• Black Top Soil Naturally occurring blend of organic material sourced from Florida peat deposits. Used for top-dressing lawns, fixing bare spots, and planting trees and shrubs when mixed with Black Kow cow manure compost.
• Organic Potting Mix Organic potting soil enhanced with Black Kow compost, suitable for all indoor and outdoor potted plants. Feeds plants for up to 3 months. Sold in 32 QT (35L) bags under the company's Organics sub-line.
• Organic Garden Soil Planting Mix Organic soil mix enhanced with Black Kow compost, formulated for flower and vegetable gardens.
• Organic Raised Bed Planting Mix Organic planting mix designed for herb and vegetable gardens grown in raised beds.

Quantifiable outcome

• Contains 10x more nutrients than typical garden soil
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• University of Florida / Pasco County Extension OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPasco Community Gardens works with the University of Florida and Pasco County Extension Office to serve low-income families in Dade City. Black Kow donates product to this co-operative program. The Extension Office provides agricultural expertise and program oversight.
• Volunteer WayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer Way, a nonprofit in Pasco County, received a truckload donation of Black Kow compost for use in their hydroponic farm growing fruits and vegetables for hungry families.
• Gardener's Supply CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a recommended resource on Black Kow's Resources page. Gardener's Supply Company offers high-quality gardening supplies and products.
• National Gardening AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a recommended resource on Black Kow's Resources page. The National Gardening Association offers a gardening library, resources, and a community-based Q&A page.
• Gardener's PathminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a recommended resource on Black Kow's Resources page. Gardener's Path is a collection of contributions by serious gardeners with step-by-step planting guides and how-to projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dairy Doo: Dairy Doo is a Michigan-based cow-manure compost brand selling bagged and bulk compost and soil blends. It is the most direct comparable to Black Kow in raw material (dairy manure), process (windrow composting), and retail bagged SKUs for home gardeners.
• Whitney Farms: Whitney Farms is Scotts Miracle-Gro's organic soils and fertilizer sub-brand sold through home improvement retailers. Direct head-to-head with Black Kow's Organics line on the same shelves at the same channels.
• Dr. Earth: Dr. Earth produces organic composts, soil amendments, fertilizers, and potting mixes sold through independent garden centers. Comparable as an organic, premium-positioned soil amendment brand pursuing the same home gardening end-consumer.
• FoxFarm Soil & Fertilizer Company: FoxFarm is a premium bagged soil and fertilizer brand widely stocked at independent garden centers and home improvement retailers. Comparable as a brand-led, bagged-organic-soil company competing for the same gardener wallet share.
• Espoma: Espoma is a long-established US maker of organic fertilizers, potting soils, and compost, sold through independent garden centers and home improvement retailers. Overlapping product positioning and distribution channels make it a direct competitor in the organic soil amendment category.

Broad incumbents

• The Hawthorne Gardening Company: Hawthorne is a specialty subsidiary within the Scotts Miracle-Gro orbit focused on soils, nutrients, and growing media for indoor and home gardening. Comparable as a science-positioned bagged-soils producer selling into the same retail channels as Black Kow.
• Sun Gro Horticulture: Sun Gro is one of North America's largest producers of peat-based and organic growing media sold under brands like Black Gold and Sunshine. Comparable as a large-scale producer of bagged soils and composts serving both consumer and professional gardening channels.
• Scotts Miracle-Gro: Scotts Miracle-Gro is the dominant US lawn and garden consumer brand, with a portfolio (Miracle-Gro, Hyponex, Whitney Farms, Scotts) that sells compost, soils, and organic lines nationwide. Black Kow competes directly against its organic SKUs at the same retailers and is dwarfed by its scale.
• Oldcastle APG / EarthMark: Oldcastle APG is a major manufacturer of bagged landscape, soil, and compost products (EarthMark, Timberline, Mountain View). Comparable as a national bagged-soils producer that competes for shelf space and mass-market gardeners alongside Black Kow.

Emerging players

• Natural Guard / Bonide (soil line): Bonide offers organic gardening soils, fertilizers, and amendments including a Natural Guard line at independent garden centers and mass retail. Comparable as a smaller organic-positioned competitor pursuing shelf space alongside Black Kow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackKowCowManure
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackkowmanure
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Kow