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NERC in the News

On-Farm Compost Production and Sustainable Agricultural Practices Discussed

Country Folks
Lee Publications, Palatine Bridge, New York
Monday, December 1, 2008

SWANZEY, NH — Turning a liability into an asset has an easy appeal for most of us, especially if it allows us to wear the environmental white hat while doing it. At a recent workshop hosted by The Cheshire Horse, several recycling and composting experts advised interested people about the various ways we can transform manure into a valuable compost and benefit our soil and water in the process.

The workshop, sponsored by the New Hampshire Horse Council and the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), was one of several organized by NERC’s Manure Management Project. NERC describes the project as “an educational effort to assist small and hobby farmers and livestock owners in understanding and adopting best management practices for handling and utilizing manure.” The project is funded by the USDA Rural Development Solid Waste Management Grant, and its main goal is to reduce water pollution by showing people how to manage livestock manure more carefully and effectively.

During the workshop, NERC Project Director Athena Lee Bradley explained the need for conscientious management. “Owners of livestock — no matter what the type of animal — face similar challenges when managing manure. Often manure is stockpiled because farmers do not know what to do with it. These piles can seep manure runoff into waterways or wells. Disposal of manure in gullies, ditches and other ‘out of the way’ places also can lead to water contamination.”

Bradley also spelled out the benefits of effective management: “Used on the farm, manure can supply nutrients needed for forage or crop production; used off-farm, manure supplies nutrient resources to crop or organic farmers, gardeners, soil producers and others.”

She discussed several specific management considerations and options, beginning with bedding requirements and housing needs. She pointed out that the more bedding we use up when handling manure, the greater the expense, as well as the greater amount of waste material to manage with the manure. Bradley also discussed the relationship between grazing strategies — particularly rotational grazing — and manure management. She cautioned that farmers should keep livestock away from streams as much as possible, to prevent contamination of water supplies.

Bradley gave the workshop participants some advice about manure storage and went on to consider the many options for managing manure. Because manure contains so many valuable nutrients, manure management should be geared toward recycling these nutrients to produce forage or other crops.

One of the several composting options on the market now is a mechanized, self-rotating, in-vessel composter, made by B W Organics. On hand to describe this method and demonstrate such a composter were Bob Spencer and Bill Paige, of Mass Natural, a recycling outfit in Westminster, MA. 

Spencer began with a slide presentation explaining the benefits of this type of composting system. In addition to keeping contaminants out of streams and groundwater, a mechanized, in-vessel composter can be operated year-round and can accomplish in three to five days what takes most other composting systems several months or years to achieve. At the same time, this method does what any good composting method will do: lock in and stabilize nutrients, kill weed seeds, and get rid of pathogens and parasites. This happens because the composter slowly, but constantly rotates the material inside, drawing in air and thereby accelerating the normal process of aerobic microbial digestion. After this initial, intensive stage of composting, the material can be cured in windrows in another four to six weeks. 

The B W Organics system comes in several sizes, ranging in handling capacity from one to thirty-three cubic yards per day. It can compost manure, food waste, and animal mortalities. Spencer said, “We’re testing food wastes and biodegrading packaging right now for a big paper company. So, we are renting the unit and we have a mix of wood chips and supermarket waste from Hannaford Brothers in this unit. Right now, we’ll load some manure — it’ll be good for our mix, I’m sure.” For optimum performance, the mixture of material in the composter should contain a proper ratio of carbon, nitrogen, water, and air.

Spencer discussed the growing market for compost, especially in areas like New England, with our poor soil and high demand for local produce. “Now, part of the business of composting for farmers these days is they’re starting to take food waste from local restaurants and supermarkets because they can make money on it. Most states have an agricultural exemption for composting food waste on the farm. . . There’s a revenue stream potentially. Also, if you go into business as a composter, you can take in other farms’ manures.”

Following Spencer’s slide presentation, Mass Natural owner Bill Paige led the workshop participants outside for a demonstration of a B W Organics composter. He explained that “the drive unit runs on a one-sixth horsepower motor and runs on less power than a household dryer.”

Hugh Wilkerson, of NorthEast Organics Recycling, was also present at the workshop to answer questions.  His organization advocates sustainable agricultural practices through improved composting methods. To carry out this goal, he works with both non-profit and for-profit companies. “Really, what we’re trying to do is get manure cooperatives and get marketing going with small compost-producing facilities and then find a market with the landscapers and farmers and CSAs and that kind of thing. It’s a coordinated effort.”

Wilkerson is planning to establish some pilot programs to help make the connection between folks with compostable material and those who need the compost to improve their farmland. Wilkerson can also offer interested people help with business plans and marketing strategies, as well as all the needed technical assistance.

Please call Hugh Wilkerson at 603-724-6722 or e-mail him at neorgrec@earthlink.net for more information about the pilot programs. Resources for small and hobby farm manure management are posted on NERC’s website, at www.nerc.org.