permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

>
> I wondered if anyone had experience or ideas on how to best use spent
> grains from a distillery. I'd like to compost them because I could obtain a
> fairly steady supply. I don't have any equipment for turning the compost
> but would be ok with making a pile and letting it mellow for awhile. I have
> access to steer manure and wood chips as well. I'd love any thoughts or
> others' experiences.


That is an interesting challenge. The first thing that comes to mind is
cold composting using a biodynamic method, especially if you need to
compost a lot of material and do not have a loader to pile/mix/turn it.
Manually you could layer the components of the pile on high ground that is
well drained and has no wet areas. Start with cut brush, twigs, branches,
heavier material that forms the first layer in contact with the ground.
Place a grid of straight branches with offshoots removed onto this first
layer. Apply the wood chips next, then another layer of straight branches,
then the spent grains and another straight branch grid then the steer
manure. Each layer should be thin so that you repeat the layering sequence
many times before topping out the pile. Dimensions of the pile should be
smaller than the lengths of the branches used in the grid. After the pile
has well developed fungal mycelia and has firmed up considerably you can
remove the branch grids leaving behind aeration tunnels. Leave the pile
undisturbed until it has matured to the point that it can be transferred to
gardens or fields, incorporated with soil and some applied as mulch. The
advantage to this method is that it is easy to build by hand using shovels
and manure forks and requires no turning thanks to the network of aeration
holes left behind when branches are removed. I knew some biodynamic
gardeners near Pittsboro who used this method to create compost and
fertilizer for their vegetable garden. If you Google "cold composting" or
biodynbamic cold composting" or "biodynamic composting" you will find out
much more about this useful gardening technique.
Here is one from the wonderful Journey To Forever,
http://journeytoforever.org/compost_make.html
and one other url:
http://blog.humboldtseeds.net/en/the-art-of-building-super-soil/

Here is a great website on composting though they do not mention using
layered sticks to create aeration channels

https://sites.google.com/site/organiclearningsite/biodynamic-composting
Biodynamic Composting

*FARM SCALE COMPOST MAKING      *

*And another that does mention creating aeration channels:*

*Biodynamic Compost*
*http://biodynamics.net.au/resources/biodynamic-compost/
<http://biodynamics.net.au/resources/biodynamic-compost/>*

*Air: *An adequate – but not excessive – supply is essential to encourage
the right kind of bacteria (aerobic bacteria). Too loose a heap, with too
much air will work vigorously for a short time, release ammonia and then
become dry and inactive. Too firm a heap, with insufficient air will smell
putrid and sour – like the bottom of a swamp. An inverted V shaped tunnel
from layers of a hay bale, or tied bundles of twigs running the length of
the heap will help bring in sufficient air. Some use agricultural pipes
with holes in long heaps.

Peter Proctor suggests making the first layer of hay or straw, not too firm
or compressed and limited in thickness to maintain the air but keep a
balance of minimising a layer where essential micro-organisms and worms may
have limited entry.



-- 
Lawrence F. London
lfljvenaura@gmail.com
https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared/
https://ello.co/lflondon