Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Ryan Albinger" <ryalbinger@earthlink.net>]

I forgot to add this.  I did some calculations.  I seem to hear that 1 inch
of compost applied per year to food growing areas as being a norm, so that
is a number I used.
If 1 inch of compost were added to 1 acre of land it would take 3630 cu ft
of compost (43560 sq feet, 1/12 of foot of compost) or 134 cubic yards
(3630cu ft / 27 cuft/cu yd).  At a price of $40 per cubic yard of compost,
that would cost $5360 per acre.  Does this seem correct?
Ryan


> [Original Message]
> From: Ryan Albinger <ryalbinger@earthlink.net>
> Quality compost contains humus.  There are techniques and material
> formulation that increase the amount of humus compost contains. 
> Inncoulation with key microbes also has been shown to increase the use
> value of "humified" compost.
> Compost is not cheap judging by nutrient value or biological content.  But
> together it offers value.  You need different equipment to handle it
> compared to rock powders and fertilizers.  It takes time, equipment, fuel
> to handle the quanity of material to apply.  It takes time building
> windrows, turning windrows, evaluating when to turn windrows, and managing
> the pile.  It takes money and time to source and buy materials to balance
> the pile and complete the desired nutrient profile of finished product. 
> Compost is lower cost than the value it provides, but it is expensive.  My
> estimate for myself is around $105 per ton applied of a nutrient enhanced
> compost material.  That will provide value to replace other inputs of
maybe
> $200.  That may sound expensive to some.
> Ryan