Your partner in community composting
There are four primary monitoring practices that you should employ to one degree or another. These are: pile temperature, pile moisture content, pile odor, and a visual inspection of the site and piles. You'll want to first read “Monitoring Compost Piles”. Then, print out the Composting...
Monitoring compost piles is done for several reasons. Primarily, monitoring is done to provide the composter with insight as to what is happening in the compost pile during composting, such as the microbial activity and other pile conditions that will impact microbial activity. This information can...
When sampling feedstocks you are attempting to obtain a representative sample of a given material. You will eventually secure a one-quart to one-gallon sample (check with your lab for their preference); however the pile you are sampling from could contain 10, 100 or 1000 (or more) yards of material...
The quality of your composting site will have a significant impact on your management efficiency, the ease of pile management and the quality of the compost produced on the site. Most importantly, the space available for composting and moisture management on the site will affect how you compost,...
Recipe development is employed by composters to develop compost recipes that are well-suited for the decomposer microorganisms who will drive the process – approximately 60% moisture, a ratio of 25 -30 parts carbon per part nitrogen, and a bulk density of 1000 pounds per cubic yard or...
This worksheet will help you work through the necessary calculations for determining the size of your composting site. In each step a description of the step is provided, along with an example. Cumulatively, these steps will help you determine the area required for your composting activities...
“The folks at Highfields are alchemists….they’re magicians!” So says 350.org leader and renowned environmentalist Bill McKibben.
What is CSC?How it works: Like a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, you purchase your compost shares up front and receive compost for 5 years.CSC Structure: There are 3 dierent subscription levels to choose from. Your CSC level will depend on how much...
Many of you are aware that Green Mountain Compost (GMC), formerly Intervale Compost, has ceased sales and recalled compost from retail outlets due to the presence of two persistent herbicides in some of this spring’s product. The composting community is extremely concerned by the...
