US manure shortage affects cow chip throw

SAUK CITY // The US drought is causing an unusual problem for one southern Wisconsin festival - a shortage of cow chips.

The Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw and Festival in Prairie du Sac uses hundreds of the flattened and dried cow manure pieces for their annual competition that starts tomorrow.

Organisers discovered in July the numbers and quality of manure were poor because of the heat and dry weather, so they had to dip into reserves.

One of the organisers, Marietta Reuter, says she's never experienced such a shortage in her 24 years at the festival.

The grounds chair, Russ Ballweg, says they plan to go out more often next year so they don't have the same problem and can replenish their reserves.