That would be organic. Organic in the sense it's used for gardening (not chemistry) usually means that it comes from something that was alive. There are some exceptions to this for labeling and so forth (certain mined minerals can be used by someone who is certified organic, for example).

You might want to look up lasagna gardening for using a 50/50 manure mulch combo. It is a different method of composting to build good soil. Usually manure is dug into soil, or watered in via deep watering. Mulch is used as a top dressing to help the soil retain moisture and to help prevent weeds from sprouting.

Usually compost is made up of yard and kitchen waste. Some people also add paper products, such as newspaper, cardboard and junk mail. Weeds, prunings, grass clippings and spent plants go into the compost bin, as well as kitchen scraps such as banana peels, egg shells, potato peelings, etc. The "recipe" is 1/3 green materials, such as mentioned above, to 2/3s brown materials which would be dead plants and dry leaves. Approximate measure is good--doesn't have to be exact.

If you are going to make sure your compost gets hot in temperature by creating the proper mix of green and brown, you can put plants which contain seed pods into the compost bin. High temperatures will kill the seeds, which is what you want. Otherwise, you don't want to put seed pods in the compost because they will germinate everywhere you spread your finished compost.

Compost should be kept moist to speed decomposition. Most of us have found out over time that turning compost frequently isn't actually necessary. It is good to stir it up once in awhile. Take care not to breathe in dust, etc. which may rise from the compost as you aerate. There can be mold spores, which you do not want to inhale.

Leftover black or green tea can be used as a kick starter to help compost decompose more quickly. It has enzymes which are beneficial. If you cut large things into 12" increments, that also helps speed up decomposition.

Do not put diseased or bug infested plants into your compost. I have some trimmings from squash bug infested squash plants, which I will burn rather than add to my compost bin.

Lorna

It's really hard to tell if it is 100% organic or not and no one could tell just by looking at it. You could ask him where he got all his ingredience but he probably doesn't know and if he did he wouldn't know what was used on it before hand. If you want to be sure it's as close to 100% as you can get I would find a farmer with cows and find out if he treats them with any hormones or what else and use the manure from there this fall and till it into the soil and also use some in your compost. Chances are most farmers will have treated the cows with some sort of antibiotics so it's up to you on how strict you want to be.

Unfortunatly they only way you know for sure if something is 100% organic is if you produce it yourself.

While that would be organic that would not be a very good foundation for a garden, although it would be a very good foundation for a compost pile, providing the "mulch" was not the recycled shredded tires that are being foisted upon unknowing people as mulch today.

If the cow manure was well-aged/composted, the mix sounds like a great beginning towards improving the existing soil. There is no reason why it can't be worked into the existing beds if you like or used to create new ones in an abbreviated lasagne method.

As I've yet to see suppliers incorporate inorganic mulches with organic products and sell them as a mulch-compost mix, it is most likely the mix is organic in that it was derived from naturally occuring materials. That does not guarantee the non-existance of any manmade chemicals, but their impact, if any, would be minimal and really only of concern if you wish to be certified organic yourself.

To be strictly organic the manure would need to come from organically raised cows and the mulch from a known uncomtaminated source. The sure and safe way is only to compost material from your own yard: leaves, brush, weeds, crop residues and so on. But I have been in your situation and took short cuts; the strict doctrine needs to be tempered with practicality and reasonable risks. Regards, Peter.

It's easy enough to get started by using lawn clippings, leaves, and adding manure, etc. Check out this article, it supplies a basic "recipe" and how-to for starting a compost heap. Hope it helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: Composting 101

Be careful when you generalize !
smokensqueal stated " Chances are most farmers will have treated the cows with some sort of antibiotics so it's up to you "
I must disagree with this .
I am a cattle rancher .
The cattle ranchers I know in Florida do NOT use antibiotics on their cattle .
I know exactly what goes into and comes out of my cows . I raise my own hay and cultivate my own pastures . They get salt sometimes supplemented with minerals and in the winter get molasses as a treat .
Antibiotics are extremely expensive and would only be used if a cow were dying from a terrible infection - a rare event . Maybe big feed lots use hormones or other additives - not us . Maybe some of the very large cattle operations in other states use antibiotics but not us .
I am lucky enough to be able to add organic manure to my compost piles and garden beds .
We don't make any money as ranchers but we have beautiful gardens !

gatormomx2, unfortunately it is a common practice for many large scale cattle farms to routinely use anitbiotics not only to prevent diseases but help those cattle put on weight. That you could be an exception is commendable, but you are not the rule, unfortunately.

Landscaping supply = "commercially bagged mulch"? = OK

Who cares if the food the cows ate was US certified organic? or if the vegetation going into the compost is certified organic. Those are waste products so by purchasing them you are not supporting inorganic farming (nobody raises cows for manure production), and in no way are they going to contaminate your garden food products with "chemicals". That being said, if you are planning on getting "raw" waste products from a local landscaping company the grass clippings might be treated with herbicides [weed and feed] that will kill your plants.