First off start a compost pile. It's entirely free and a good source of organic matter and worms for your garden. It will take a while but if you keep one going year round and put in lawn clippings and garden waste from non diseased plants it will eventually supply you with a good bit of usable compost.
Find a feed store or co-op and see if they carry 50 lb bags of cottonseed meal. It is a fantastic easy to use and apply organic slow release fertilizer. It can have anywhere from 4 to 7 percent nitrogen and usually around 1 percent P & K. I apply it heavily every spring and fall then work it in the top 3 to 4 inches of my beds. It supplies and nice amount of slow release fertilizer and it attract wrigglers to the beds like crazy.
You can also get large quantities of mushroom compost at some nurseries at a reasonable price and it is much better than the bagged stuff.
I wouldn't use cow manure anymore unless you can get it from an organic dairy because so many pastures have been sprayed with 2-4-D and it will be passed on through the manure and can make growing tomatoes and some other crops nearly impossible for years.
Bill
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