SMALL SCALE COMPOSTING ON 1 ACRE OR LESS

Mike Nevin

Composting Animator at Foodshare Toronto

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MIKE...

MIKE’S FOOD SHARE TITLE IS COMPOST FACILITATOR WHICH MEANS HE IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE SURE THE COMPOSTING OF FOOD SCRAPS HAPPENS. MANY ARE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THE "P" IN HIS NAME STANDS FOR "ANYONE-CAN-LEARN-TO-COMPOST". AS HE USED TO SAY IN CRIMINOLOGY CLASS; "IT IS NOT RACKET SCIENCE." HE IS HAPPY TO TEACH ANYONE HOW.

AS LONG AS HE REMEMBERS, HE WAS INTERESTED IN WASTE REDUCTION AND WASTE ISSUES SO GETTING INTO COMPOSTING WAS NO STRETCH. LIVING AT BAIN CO-OP, HE WAS ABLE TO RUN SEVERAL THREE-BIN COMPOSTERS AND, HENCE, LEARN HOW TO PROBLEM SOLVE WITH COMPOST. HE HAS BEEN COMPOSTING AT BAIN FOR 20+ YEARS.

HE IS ALWAYS LEARNING AS MUCH AS HE CAN ABOUT SOILS AND SUSTAINABLE GARDENING. AT FOOD SHARE, MIKE AND VOLUNTEERS COMPOST UPWARDS OF TWO TONS PER MONTH OF FOOD SCRAPS AND FEED FS GARDENS AS WELL AS OTHER GARDENS WITH THE FINISHED COMPOST.

BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND ... COMPOST YOUR WASTE > BUILD YOUR SOIL WITH

ORGANIC MATTER > INCREASE PRODUCTION OF HEALTHY FOOD

HEALTHY SOIL > HARNESSES THE (FREE) ENERGY OF THE SUN

HEALTHY PLANTS > CAN TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES HEALTHY PEOPLE > GOOD NUTRITION IS THE BASIS OF GOOD HEALTH

THE 5 FACTORSTHE 5 FACTORS

1. FEEDSTOCK AND INPUTS2. BULKING AGENTS3. AIR4. MOISTURE5. TIME & LABOUR

FACTOR 1: FEEDSTOCK FACTOR 1: FEEDSTOCK AND INPUTSAND INPUTS

1. DEFINITION OF INPUTS

2. “CHOP, MIX AND BURY”

PLASTICS 101 PLASTICS 101 THE “BIODRADEABLE VS. COMPOSTABLE” DEBATE

FACTOR 2: BULKING AGENTSFACTOR 2: BULKING AGENTS

WHY DO YOU NEED BULKING AGENTS? 1.ADDS CARBON2.SOAKS UP MOISTURE3.IMPROVES AREATION

PROS & CONS FOR DIFFERENT MATERIALS(WOOD SHAVING, WOOD CHIPS, SAWDUST, CORROGATED CARDBOARD, NEWSPAPER, OFFICE PAPER, EGG CARTONS, PAPER BAGS, PAPER TOWELS, LEAVES, TREE BARK, ETC)

C:N RATIOSC:N RATIOSFOR HOT COMPOSTING TO WORK WELL, FOR HOT COMPOSTING TO WORK WELL,

YOU NEED A BALANCE OF YOU NEED A BALANCE OF GREENSGREENS (NITROGEN) & (NITROGEN) & BROWNSBROWNS (CARBON) (CARBON)

Photo credit: How to Make and Use Compost: The Ultimate Guide

A C:N BALANCED, A C:N BALANCED, FRESHLY-LOADED BINFRESHLY-LOADED BIN

FACTOR 3: AIR FACTOR 3: AIR • AEROBIC VS ANAEROBIC COMPOSTING

• COMPOSTING IS LIKE SLOW COMBUSTION

• BIN SIZE INFLUENCES HEAT RETENTIONIF BIN IS TOO BIG, YOU NEED MORE TURNING OR OTHER METHOD AERATION TO GET OXYGEN IN THERE.

IF BIN IS TOO SMALL, IT’S ALL SURFACE, NOVOLUME.

• HEAT IS LOST THROUGH THE SURFACE• HEAT IS GENERATED THROUGH THE VOLUME

WOODEN BIN INTERIORWOODEN BIN INTERIOR

SUN-MAR COMPOSTERSSUN-MAR COMPOSTERS

PROS AND CONS OF MID-SCALE PROS AND CONS OF MID-SCALE COMPOSTER TYPESCOMPOSTER TYPES

PHOTOSNYTHESIS EQUATION

WATER + CARBON DIOXIDE + ENERGY FROM SUNLIGHT = OXYGEN + SUGARS (WHICH ARE SOURCES OF ENERGY AND BUILDING BLOCKS OF PLANT STRUCTURE)

RESPIRATION EQUATION

SUGARS + OXYGEN = CARBON DIOXIDE + WATER + ENERGY

(WHICH SHOWS UP IN COMPOST PILE AS HEAT)

FACTOR 4: MOISTUREFACTOR 4: MOISTURE

IDEAL: NOT TOO WET, NOT TOO DRYWHY IS MOISTURE ESSENTIAL?

1. BACTERIA NEED LIQUID MEDIUM TO LIVE AND PROSPER IN 2. MICROBIOLOGY & WORMS DON’T HAVE LUNGS, THEY NEED A

MEDIUM TO EXCHANGE GASES AND NUTRIENTS

TOO DRY > BACTERIA SHUT DOWNTOO WET > GOES ANAEROBIC, BAD SMELL

FACTOR 5: TIME & LABOUR FACTOR 5: TIME & LABOUR

Passive monitoring > managing waste...“it’ll happen when it happens”

Active monitoring > growing your own soil...where you’re dealing with a constant supply of

scraps, minimize the amount of organic waste to green bin, maximizing how much compost your produce.

COMMON PROBLEMS & COMMON PROBLEMS & REMEDIES REMEDIES

TOO WETTOO DRYNO HEAT

TOO MUCH HEATBAD SMELL

ANTSFLIES

OTHER PESTS

RESOURCESRESOURCES

• THE ECOLOGICAL GROWERS OF ONTARIO• NATIONAL FARMERS UNION• THE COMPOSTING COUNCIL OF CANADA • THE RODALE BOOK OF COMPOSTING • NEW YORK CITY WASTE MANAGEMENT SITE• COMPOST BREAKDOWN: A GUIDE TO MID-

SIZED COMPOSTING SUCCESS• BIOCYCLES MAGAZINE

OVERVIEW OF YOUR OVERVIEW OF YOUR SYSTEMSYSTEM

• 17 ACTIVE BINS• 5 RESTING BINS (FILLED WITH READY-TO- SCREEN

COMPOST)• 2 BIG BINS FOR STORAGE OF FINISHED COMPOST• 2 BIG BARRELS FOR “OVERS”• BARRELS FOR COLLECTING WATER• SHED FOR STOCKPILING FOOD WHEN NO BIN IS

OPEN

SCREENING PROCESSSCREENING PROCESS

1. LOAD UP

2. SCREENED COMPOST PASSES

THROUGH MESH

3. LEFT “OVERS” IN THE BASKET BECOME

“STARTER” FOR A NEW BIN

FINISHED COMPOSTFINISHED COMPOST

CHEMICAL CHEMICAL DECOMPOSERSDECOMPOSERS

(BACTERIA AND FUNGI) (BACTERIA AND FUNGI)

ANDAND

PHYSICAL PHYSICAL DECOMPOSERSDECOMPOSERS

((MITES, NEMOTODES, SPRINGTAILS, RED MITES, NEMOTODES, SPRINGTAILS, RED WORDS, SOW BUGS)WORDS, SOW BUGS)