Basic on-farm composting manual

Co-Composter Model. A user-friendly spreadsheet model and instructions for planning composting systems. Compost Mixture Calculation Spreadsheets. Determining Volatile Solids and Moisture Losses. Estimating Carbon Content. Moisture Content. Techniques for Detailed Study of Compost Microorganisms. How to calculate dry weight, Article published in Northeast DairyBusiness 8 3 , A user-friendly spreadsheet model and instructions for planning composting systems, Compost Bulking Materials.

Compost Fact Sheet Series 5. Compost Case Studies. Links to case studies of food scrap composting, Compost Equipment. Compost Fact Sheet Series 7.

Compost Pads. Compost Fact Sheet Series 6. Compost Turner Suited To You. Article published in Northeast DairyBusiness 46 5 , Composting Liquids. Compost Fact Sheet Series 8. Cornell Farm Services Compost Facility.

Excessive Pile Size. Factors Leading to Anaerobic Conditions. YouTube , Food Scrap Composting Project, case studies, Glossary of Composting Terms.

Horse Manure Composting: Facilities and Methods. Article published in BioCycle 52 3 Monitoring Compost pH. Monitoring Compost Moisture. Monitoring Compost Temperature.

Odor Management. Odor Treatment - Biofiltration. On-Farm Composting Handbook. Purchase the p book on how to produce and market compost, PDF available here. Water Quality Protection.

Will Composting Pay on Your Dairy? Article published in Northeast DairyBusiness 3 12 ,41, Yard Waste Composting.

Compost Facility Maps and Database. Maps and database of NYS compost facilities including home compost demo sites that can be searched by location and compost feedstocks, updated Click here to add or updated your facility.

Compost Use Guidelines and Specifications. Information on specifications for compost quality for different uses from several organizations, Compost Markets: Are They There? Article published in Northeast DairyBusiness, 4 40 , Improving and Maintaining Compost Quality. Compost Fact Sheet Series 3. Acta Hort. ISHS , Collaborative Composting in NYS. Marketing Composts and Meeting Consumer Needs. Compost Fact Sheet Series 1. Report and data on 25 NYS manure-based composts and on compost label and guideline options, Regulation and Certification of Composts.

Compost Fact Sheet Series 2. Sections of NYS Dept. Testing Composts. Compost Fact Sheet Series 4. Using Manure-Based Composts.

Consider wearing a mask or other face covering for dry, dusty conditions and if you have asthma, other respiratory issues, or cystic fibrosis N95 masks are recommended, but any face covering is better than none.

Masks protect against airborne bioaerosols such as aspergillus fumigatus , a species of fungus that lives in soil, decaying leaves, and compost, and that can produce airborne spores.

When your compost pile no longer heats up after mixing and there are no more visible food scraps, allow it to cure, or finish, for at least 4 weeks before using the compost. You will either want to remove the oldest compost from your composting system to a separate curing pile, or just stop adding to your composting system altogether so that your entire compost pile can cure. At the end of the curing process, the materials you added to your composting system will have shrunk to about one-third of their original volume and the compost should be mature and ready to use.

Characteristics of mature compost include:. Mix compost into a garden bed prior to seeding or transplanting. Add a 2- to 4-inch layer to the surface of the soil and mix into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil. The compost should be fully mature.

Adding a layer of compost as mulch incorporates nutrients more slowly, but is still beneficial. This is a use for compost that is not fully mature. Mixing unfinished compost into soil removes nitrogen and starves plants. Pull up sod around desired plants and loosen the top 2 to 3 inches of soil. Add mulch in a 3-inch layer on the soil surface, 2 to 3 inches away from plant stems or tree trunks. Search for:. Donate Today! Build Local Power!

Home Composting Basics. Locate your composting bin. You want a spot that has good drainage, is convenient to the kitchen, and provides you 3 feet of clearance around the system. Do not put right up against a fence! Rodents, for instance, love clutter and hiding spaces. Best to place your bin in an open area. A shady location with easy access to a water supply is ideal. Set up a storage system for browns near your composting bin. This makes it easy to mix in browns with food scraps when adding to your system.

Unlike food scraps, browns can be stored outside. Have your tools accessible. Helpful tools include a pitch fork, a watering can or hose, buckets for mixing, a backyard compost thermometer if you want to track temperatures , and a scale if you want to measure your impact!

Create a 4- to 6-inch base of bulky browns, such as twigs or wood chips, in the bottom of the composting bin. This layer of browns will help absorb extra liquids and keep air circulating. Build a pile. Remember, you want at least two to three times the volume of browns to greens. If needed, add water as you add materials to your pile. Aerate and mix as needed e. I started my business in after growing a large amount of red worms to fill my garden with worm castings. I love to garden and I bought some worms out of the back of a classified ad in a magazine.

I grew those worms by feeding them our food scraps and the manure from our bunnies. I was soon inundated with worms, so I created more worm bins and expanded my garden. At one point, I had so many worm bins and beds that it was almost uncontrollable.

There has to be more people like you out there. Sell the excess worms. In fact, it was a 3 page site. The main page listed what I wanted it to say and the other two pages were for contact info and biographical information.

No shopping cart, no Facebook links, no social media at all because it did not exist yet. The last 22 years have been a roller coaster. Scroll down for more. Learn the basics of vermicomposting with this ebook.