[Market-farming] Cotton Burr Composting

BCLuton at aol.com BCLuton at aol.com
Tue Feb 12 10:26:26 EST 2008


In my opinion the best way to turn with a loader is what I'll call the "Up  
and Over Method"  Make the pile of such height and width that you can  position 
the tractor perpendicular to the pile, scoop in at the base and lift  the 
material up and dump it over onto the far side of the pile.  You'd do  this 
repeatedly down the length of the pile.  Your composting area should  take into 
account the fact that you'll need space to maneuver you're loader  forward and 
back and also the pile will move laterally(about its width) each  time you turn. 
 You could turn twice in one direction and then come back to  save space.  On 
the site here we start fresh piles on one end of the  pad and they all 
migrate in one direction across the pad - ultimately being  finished at the far 
side.(this allows us to be constantly creating new piles and  harvesting old piles)
 
Another really nice addition to the loader turning technique is a dedicated  
turning bucket.  You could look for an old bucket and old round  bale spears 
we've welded spears onto the bucket about every 8" - 12" protruding  about 12" 
- 18" off the front of the bucket.  When you dump the  materials out of this 
bucket the protruding spears really help to mix and  aerate the material as it 
dumps.(a rock bucket works pretty well to but  begins to let all the compost 
flow through it when it nears maturity  and the particle size is reduced.)
 
Brian
Zone 5-ish 
Nedrow, NY 
_www.toadhollowfarms.com_ (http://www.toadhollowfarms.com) 
(under construction!)
 
 
 
In a message dated 2/12/2008 9:39:18 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
TxBeeFarmer at HotPop.com writes:

 
Thanks Bill.  I do have a front end  loader.  Figured there must be a way to 
use it to turn the piles,  but not sure how.  Do you have any special 
technique?
 
TxBeeFarmer (Mark)
West Texas Zone  7b


----- Original Message ----- 
From:  _Bill Bradshaw_ (mailto:billbradshaw at hughes.net)  
To: _Market Farming_ (mailto:market-farming at lists.ibiblio.org)  
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 7:56  AM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Cotton  Burr Composting


Mark we have an old manure spreader, tractor pull type. We load it with  a 
front end loader. The loader would also be nice to turn your compost pile.  Bill 
(Texas)

----- Original Message ----- 
From:  _TxBeeFarmer_ (mailto:TxBeeFarmer at HotPop.com)  
To: _Market Farming_ (mailto:market-farming at lists.ibiblio.org)  
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 7:15  AM
Subject: [Market-farming] Cotton Burr  Composting


I'm still trying to figure out how to create  and use compost for my garden.  
Two problems seem to have me  stumped.  Number one - how do you turn the 
piles as the compostable  material breaks down?  I'm guessing it'll take two cubic 
yards of  compostable material to get one of finished compost, 2:1.   Any 
thoughts on that ratio?  If that ratio holds true, to create  enough compost to 
cover one acre 4 inches deep will  take 1,046 cubic yards of compostable 
material.  Number two -  how do you spread the compost over the  garden?  Compost 
for one acre at 4 inches deep is about 538  cubic yards.  How do the rest of you 
do it?
 
TxBeeFarmer (Mark)
West Texas Zone  7b
 
 
 
 
 
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