fritz gottschalk: veteran compost carbon_sequestration

1Make Compost. Hire Veterans.

Veteran Compost

Restoring Ecosystems to Reverse Global Warming


Agenda• Veteran Compost Snapshot• Quick Company History• Carbon Sequestration and Compost


Veteran Compost Snapshot• Built first compost pile in July 2010• Started with 1 person, shovel, no experience• Now 7 full-time, 9 part-time employees• Three branches: Main Production and Sales,

Veteran Compost Residential, Special Events• Products:

– Compost (Bulk and Bagged)– Worm Castings (Bulk and Bagged)– Soil Mixes (Bagged Seed Starter, Potting Mix)– Compost Tea Bags


Our Main Facility• Located in Aberdeen, MD• 30 Acre Farm• Zoned B-3 with Ag Use• Use Positive ASP• Wood Chips/Food Scraps• Approved for Organic Ops• Commercial Worm Castings• Only Permit in MD• 10,000 cu. yd. / year target

Second Facility• Located in Centerville, VA• Part of the 220 acre Whitehall Farm• Use Positive ASP• Wood Chips/Food Scraps• Approved for on farm composting


What Veteran Compost Does• Collection Service – residential and commercial• Material Drop-Off• Special Events• Product Sales – Bulk and bagged via retail, internet,

wholesale and direct to consumer• Consulting

• Hires Veterans


Why is Veteran Compost Different?

• Private, for profit company; no municipal support• Complete composting system and operation• Organic, no yard waste or chemicals• Certified organic, licensed and permitted for

compost operations


Heart of the Business

Cure Compost

Screen Finished Compost

Windrow/Pile Formation

Mix with Carbon Source

Collect Food scraps

Market Finished Product


Compost and Carbon Sequestration

http://www.marincarbonproject.org/about




• Marin Carbon Project– 7 year study (started in 2013)– 1 x application of compost to grasslands– Substantial increase in the amount of

atmospheric carbon captured by rangeland and sequestered in soil

– Improved plant growth and water retention– GHG/Carbon credits for farmers



• Potential: Apply protocol to 5% of California rangeland, reduce CO2 emissions by 28 million metric tons per year

• Benefits of compost: – Avoids emission of CH4 from anaerobic decomposition– Stimulates forage growth (50% increase in production over 3

yrs)– Improves soil quality in rangeland (provides N and other nutrients)

• Carbon buildup in soil (40-70% carbon storage increase)– Directly from the carbon in the compost– Indirectly through enhanced plant growth and deposition of plant

biomass



Questions?

Promoting the power of nature to remove excess carbon from the atmosphere where it does untold damage, and restore it to the soils where it supports abundant life and helps reverse global warming.


Carbon Farming

fritz gottschalk: veteran compost carbon_sequestration

Environment