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  • From: "Judy & Ernie Duckworth" <jeduck AT midwest.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Re: Compost
  • Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2003 21:31:09 -0500

Neal
Thank you for this information. I'm getting ready to set things in motion to compost enough to apply to an acre with about 20 to 30 cu. yd. of compost for an alternative strawberry production on compost instead of methyl bromide. I pulled off the net about such an experiment done in N. C. We got a small patch out this fall by using the cow manure from last winter. Not much science used this year. The berries are looking very good right now and the weed pressure isn't to great. We sowed annual ryegrass in the center and it is really growing, have to mow it off almost twice a week.
Ernie
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 7:21 AM
Subject: [Market-farming] Re: Compost

Ernie,

Composted materials can be expected to have a 30% to 40% reduction in volume.  If you are vermicomposting (worms) you can expect about 50% reduction in volume.

Composting is an aerobic chemical and bacteriological process requiring a certain range of carbon and nitrogen with about 50% moisture.   If you are using kitchen scraps, for example, you might add leaves, sawdust or other carbon sources to the nitrogen material from the kitchen.

If properly assembled, a compost pile will not attract vermin and will not have an offensive odor.  The easiest way to fight vermin and odor is again with an application of sawdust or other carbon material on the top of the pile.  Be sure to keep your moisture up enough to allow the process to do its work.  Too much moisture will exclude oxygen which will cause the pile to go anaerobic.  This will tend to create odors since the bacteria which you will be encouraging are very different from what you intended.

Neal Van Milligen
Kentucky Enrichment Inc.
cavm AT aol.com
 


    I am wondering how much raw material it would take to make a cubic yard of finished compost. I am getting ready to apply compost on strawberries next year before planting on plastic. I've seen a study where this has given better results than the chemicals being used, which I do not use.

Thank You
Ernie



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