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- 1. Master Composter Class 1: July 20, 2015
- 2. Instructors Neil Kaufman Walt Draker Coordinator Amy Kirwin City of San Marcos- SolidWaste Program Coordinator Collects volunteer hours
- 3. What about you? What is your name? What is your day job? How did you hear about this course? How much experience do you have with composting? What are your goals for this course?
- 4. STAR State ofTexas Alliance for Recycling Provides resources, technical assistance, and networking Mission of STAR:To increase recycling rates to the highest level afforded by balanced economic and sustainability principles for the benefit ofTexas Sara Nichols (Program Director) Snichols@recyclingstar.org Master Composter Community-based program of citizen education and volunteer development Launched in February 2014 with Teach theTeacher instructors course 2 programs in 2014 (SM and Houston) 43 candidates
- 5. Course Overview Whats in it for you? Books on composting Hands-on experience with large-scale composting In-depth, technical education Refined gardening intuition Networking between university and local communities Certification (resume gold) Compost confidence!
- 6. Course Overview Course Requirements 20 hours of classroom time ~5 hours of field time Make-up classes available 20 hours of volunteer work Must be completed within 6 months of classroom time Many opportunities available $20 fee Pays for your books and snacks Volunteer Opportunities Report to Amy Kirwin Must be compost related Create your own opportunities How-to videos Farmers market outreach School visits
- 7. Course Overview Class 1, July 20 Introduction Overview of course Overview of content History of composting Class 2, July 22 General compost types Backyard techniques Indoor techniques Class 3, July 25 Class trip to compost pile Troubleshooting Application of compost Landscaping inTX Class 4, July 27 Plant science Soil science Microbiodiversity Class 5, July 29 Environmental issues Guest speaker,TDS Class 6, August 1 TDS Compost facility visit Schedule
- 8. Compost WHY DO YOU COMPOST? Summary Reasons to compost To make compost for gardening To reduce food waste Zen/Therapy Experimentation/Science Any others? It matters why you compost Determine your goals before starting What you want out of your compost changes the way you manage your pile from beginning to end
- 9. Compost Summary developing an intuition So, what is this course ultimately about?
- 10. History of Composting the dirtiest kind of history
- 11. History of Composting com揃post k辰mpst/ noun 1. decayed organic material used as a plant fertilizer. Compost is a completely natural process Humans began utilizing this natural biochemistry more than 10,000 years ago. Archeological evidence suggests that one of the first deliberate uses of compost was in the Akkadian Empire with the consolidation, curing, and re-application of livestock manure
- 12. History of Composting Ancient Civilizations Romans Greeks Tribes of Israel Egyptians Prehistoric British Chinese NativeAmericans Ancient Texts The Bible Talmud Kitab al Falahah
- 13. History of Composting Jean-Baptiste Boussingault, 1802-1887 French chemist Discovered: That plant growth is proportional to the amount of available assimilatory nitrogen The importance of crop rotation Legume soil N-fixation Plants obtain dissolved nutrients in solution, not humus. Justus von Liebig corroborated the improved theory on humus
- 14. History of Composting Rudolph Steiner, 1861-1925 Austrian philosopher Pioneer of biodynamic agriculture Advocated for chemical-free farming Believed in a connection between astrology and soil fertility/crop production GeorgeWashington Carver, 1864- 1943 American botanist and inventor Advocated farmers to make their own fertilizer utilizing farm animals Sir Albert Howard, 1873-1947 British agronomist considered father of organic agriculture Experimented with C:N ratios Devised the Indore method of composting
- 15. History of Composting J. I. Rodale, 1898-1971 Pioneer of the organic method in the US Monthly publication, Organic Farming and Gardening Contributed many innovations for composting Lady Eve Balfour, 1898-1990 British soil scientist Published empirical support for composting EstablishedThe SoilAssociation
- 16. The Basics of Compost
- 17. Compost What is compost? Introduction com揃post, k辰mpst/ 1. decayed organic material used as a plant fertilizer. Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment Compost is the biological reduction of organic wastes to humus Wikipedia MerriamWebster Rodale
- 18. Compost Compost requires 3 abiotic ingredients Water Carbon/Nitrogen feedstock Oxygen (for aerobic decomposition) Introduction Breakdown of the Carbon/Nitrogen Feedstock should be from high-carbon sources and high-nitrogen sources The ratio between the two feedstocks is approximately 3:1 This is also known as the brown:green
- 19. Compost The C:N is important! If C:N is too high (too much carbon), then decomp. will slow down and dry up If C:N is too low (too much nitrogen), then pile can go anaerobic, the pile will smell really bad, and compost will be unhealthy Which is a better problem to have? Introduction Optimum decomposition occurs when starting mix is 30:1
- 20. Compost Rules for compost ingredients No meat No dairy No fatty/oily foods or liquids (e.g. salad dressing) No fireplace or coal ash Be mindful of pesticide residue on fruit rinds/peels Cut up big food scraps for easier decomposition Grind up egg shells Avoid too many acidic fruits Take off produce stickers Introduction
- 21. Compost Introduction Step 1: Find a spot to set up your pile Avoid direct sunlight Avoid floodable areas Bare soil base is ideal Be mindful of large critters Snakes, mice, raccoons Should be accessible Should be within reach of hose
- 22. Compost Introduction Step 2: Determine your method of composting Choose method based on: Budget Space Effort Feedstock Intent
- 23. Compost Introduction Step 3: Layer your pile Place a layer of sticks at the bottom for drainage and air Add browns Add greens Cover greens with browns Water Cover pile with lid to keep in moisture and heat
- 24. Compost Introduction Step 4: Harvest your compost Harvest method depends on composting method Compost is ready when there is no more ammonia smell Squeeze test to determine moisture Avoid gardening with premature compost Low pH can burn plants Screen compost if using for seedlings
- 25. Compost Introduction Step 5: Garden!
- 27. Neil Kaufman Email: Neil.Kaufman1@gmail.com Phone: (210)995-8483 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.