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  • From: SaladG AT aol.com
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Making your own compost
  • Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:33:50 EDT

Try again.  Good alfalfa seed can cost some money but in the long run it can be well  worth the money.  A lot of the cheaper  seed out there has a lot of weed seed in it.  So start with good quality seed.  We have been using alfalfa hay for our compost for a while now.  I  started by using moldy hay that the feedlots couldn't use in their feed mix then that pretty much dried up for a source so started growing my own.  We put most of our hay up in big round bales because if it gets rained on for a week before it gets baled it takes less time for it to compost.  We flip the bales in end, take the twine or net wrap off and us a chainsaw and cut it in pie pieces and use the loader and tear it up and pile it in a large winrow, then turn it about every 6 weeks until it is all cooked.  It takes longer to compost hay than it does manure, but I feel it is a lot safer for use in growing food products.  I usually spread and till in when ever the area is ready to be worked up.  Having the fresh mulch on hand all the time is really great, if I pull plastic on an area that I have been growing on and I will take some more compost that I have  made and spread out before I till and lay new plastic mulch and really don't have to worry  about any manure properties for contamination. We use it on about 7 to 11 acres we are using under rotation for our gardens.
 
Phil 


  • [Market-farming] Making your own compost, SaladG, 06/24/2010

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