1 Yes You CAN*! (*Compost & Naturescape) Train-the-Trainers Course A Council of the Carolinas Recycling Association P.O. Box 1578, Pittsboro, NC 27312 TEL: 919-545-9050 FAX: 919-545-9060 WEB: www.carolinascompostingcouncil.org Yes You CAN*! (*Compost & Naturescape) Train-the-Trainers Course Course Agenda Friday 8 AM – 9 AM Orientation/Goals & Objectives 9 AM – 10 AM Icebreaker Activity 10 AM – 10:15 AM Break 10:15 AM – 11:30 AM Making High-Quality Compost -I The Composting Process Compostable Materials Conducting Solid Waste Audits 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Lunch 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM Making High-Quality Compost -II Composting Methods & Equipment Needs Composting Operations Composting System Management Site & Environmental Considerations 2:15 – 5:00 PM Field Exercise Building a Compost Pile Determining Bulk Density Determining Moisture Content Saturday 8 AM - 9 AM Compost Use Compost Quality Testing for Compost Parameters Benefits of Compost Use Use of Compost 2 9 AM – 10 AM Naturescaping I Naturescaping Principles: Ecology for Gardeners Soil Stewardship 10 AM – 10:15 AM Break 10:15 AM -11:30 AM Naturescaping II Native & Invasive Plants Lawn Care Reducing Toxins and Managing Pests 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Lunch 12:30 PM -2:00 PM Naturescaping III Pledge card Action plan Course Evaluations 2:15 PM – 5:00 PM Field Exercise Monitoring Compost Pile Temperature Site Assessment & Soil Testing Native & Invasive Plant Identification A Council of the Carolinas Recycling Association P.O. Box 1578, Pittsboro, NC 27312 TEL: 919-545-9050 FAX: 919-545-9060 WEB: www.carolinascompostingcouncil.org Making High Quality Compost Yes You CAN! (Compost and Naturescape!) Training Program CompostingComposting ProcessProcess YesYes YouYou CAN!CAN! (Compost(Compost andand NaturescapeNaturescape!)!) TrainingTraining ProgramProgram WhatWhat isis Composting?Composting? TheThe aerobicaerobic (oxygen(oxygen--demanding)demanding) decompositiondecomposition ofof organicorganic materialsmaterials byby microorganismsmicroorganisms underunder controlledcontrolled conditionsconditions Inputs:Inputs: organicorganic matter,matter, oxygen,oxygen, moisturemoisture Outputs:Outputs: carboncarbon dioxide,dioxide, heat,heat, waterwater vapor,vapor, humushumus MotherMother NatureNature’’ss processprocess tunedtuned byby manman AsAs muchmuch anan artart asas itit isis aa sciencescience BenefitsBenefits ofof CompostingComposting SaleableSaleable usefuluseful productproduct BetterBetter environmentalenvironmental sustainabilitysustainability ImprovedImproved wastewaste handlinghandling PathogenPathogen destructiondestruction ImprovedImproved soilsoil qualityquality ImprovedImproved cropcrop yield,yield, droughtdrought resistanceresistance andand diseasedisease suppressionsuppression DrawbacksDrawbacks ofof CompostingComposting TimeTime andand moneymoney LandLand OdorOdor WeatherWeather MarketingMarketing SlowSlow releaserelease ofof nutrientsnutrients WhatWhat happenshappens duringduring composting?composting? InitialInitial mixingmixing ofof rawraw materimaterialsals introducesintroduces oxygenoxygen toto startstart processprocess MicrobialMicrobial activityactivity raisesraises temperaturetemperature OxygenOxygen isis replenishedreplenished withwith aerationaeration oror turningturning AsAs temperaturestemperatures fall,fall, activeactive compostingcomposting finishesfinishes SecondSecond stagestage –– curingcuring –– lowerlower tempstemps CompostCompost continuescontinues toto breakbreak downdown overover timetime –– butbut muchmuch moremore slowlyslowly ActiveActive CompostingComposting BiologicalBiological processprocess –– 1010 toto 30+30+ daysdays Objectives:Objectives: Degradation/stabilizationDegradation/stabilization ofof organicorganic mattermatter PathogenPathogen destructiondestruction WeedWeed seedseed destructiondestruction RemoveRemove odorodor potentialpotential ProcessProcess ControlControl ParametersParameters -- porosity,porosity, oxygenoxygen level,level, moisturemoisture MicrobialMicrobial diversitydiversity ensuredensured byby temperaturetemperature controlcontrol DegradationDegradation ofof OrganicOrganic MatterMatter MadeMade upup ofof carbohydrates,carbohydrates, proteins,proteins, fats,fats, ligninlignin Carbs: sugars, starches, cellulose Lignin: very resistant to decay MicrobesMicrobes excreteexcrete enzymesenzymes toto breakbreak downdown complexcomplex molecules,molecules, makemake themthem HH200--solublesoluble OnceOnce soluble,soluble, takentaken upup byby microbesmicrobes forfor metabolismmetabolism andand mineralizedmineralized MetabolismMetabolism consumesconsumes OO2 && producesproduces heatheat MineralizationMineralization producesproduces COCO2 && HH200 CompostingComposting TimeTime && TemperatureTemperature TemperatureTemperature AsAs ““foodfood”” isis consumed,consumed, microbialmicrobial activityactivity diminishesdiminishes andand temperaturestemperatures dropdrop TimeTime ManyMany variablesvariables controlcontrol Materials, temps, moisture, aeration & user requirements AsAs littlelittle asas 3030 days,days, asas longlong asas 22 yearsyears CompostingComposting stagesstages n MesophilicMesophilic o o ThermophilicThermophilic n n p CuringCuring p MesophilicMesophilic stagestage o TemperaturesTemperatures belowbelow 105105 FF MicroorganismsMicroorganisms multiplyingmultiplying andand breakingbreaking downdown easilyeasily availableavailable carbohydratescarbohydrates beginbegin toto heatheat upup pile.pile. pHpH beginsbegins toto dropdrop asas acidsacids areare producedproduced ThermophilicThermophilic stagestage o TemperaturesTemperatures aboveabove 105105oFF DesirableDesirable toto destroydestroy pathogens,pathogens, weedweed seedsseeds andand flyfly larvaelarvae o RegulatoryRegulatory temperaturetemperature forfor pathogenpathogen killkill isis 131131o F.F. CriticalCritical temperaturetemperature forfor destroyingdestroying weedweed seedsseeds isis 145145o F.F. HeatHeat buildupbuildup shouldshould bebe controlledcontrolled byby aeration/turningaeration/turning How to Design A Successful Composting Process ProcessProcess DesignDesign FeedstocksFeedstocks CharacterizationCharacterization QuantitiesQuantities PropertiesProperties (physical(physical && chemical)chemical) SeasonalSeasonal variationsvariations PreliminaryPreliminary ProcessProcess DesignDesign PilotPilot ScaleScale EvaluationEvaluation ProductProduct TestingTesting FeedstocksFeedstocks CharacterizationCharacterization QuantitiesQuantities TonsTons perper day?day? CubicCubic yardsyards perper month?month? PropertiesProperties BulkBulk densitydensity (weight(weight perper unitunit volume)volume) MoistureMoisture contentcontent NutrientsNutrients (C(C && N,N, alsoalso P,P, micronutrients)micronutrients) ContaminantsContaminants SeasonalSeasonal VariationsVariations GrassGrass (spring)(spring) vs.vs. leavesleaves (fall)(fall) PreliminaryPreliminary ProcessProcess DesignDesign DesignDesign CriteriaCriteria CompostCompost RecipeRecipe DevelopmentDevelopment FeedstockFeedstock PreparationPreparation && MixingMixing CompostingComposting TechnologyTechnology DesignDesign CriteriaCriteria AirAir (oxygen,(oxygen, nono lessless thanthan 5%)5%) MoistureMoisture (40(40--60%)60%) ParticleParticle sizesize (less(less thanthan 22 inches)inches) PorosityPorosity (free(free airair spacespace ofof >35%)>35%) C:NC:N ratioratio (30:1(30:1 oror less)less) pHpH betweenbetween 6.56.5 andand 8.08.0 TemperatureTemperature ((131131--150150°°F,F, >160>160 °°FF inactive)inactive) TimeTime OxygenOxygen NormalNormal oxygenoxygen levellevel inin airair isis 21%21% MinimumMinimum ofof 5%5% oxygenoxygen neededneeded inin compostcompost pilepile toto keepkeep microorganismsmicroorganisms alivealive NeedNeed freefree airair spacespace (i.e.(i.e. porosity)porosity) aboveabove 20%20% toto maintainmaintain 5%5% oxygen.oxygen. AerationAeration providesprovides oxygen,oxygen, removesremoves heat,heat, removesremoves waterwater vaporvapor andand gases.gases. AirAir movementmovement inin aa compostingcomposting windrowwindrow oror pilepile Oxygen or Air Forced aeration Turning windrow to aerate MoistureMoisture MoistureMoisture neededneeded toto supportsupport microbialmicrobial lifelife CompostingComposting needsneeds aa minimumminimum ofof 40%40% MoistureMoisture evaporatesevaporates duringduring thethe compostingcomposting processprocess LessLess thanthan 40%40% slowsslows processprocess MoreMore thenthen 60%60% producesproduces anaerobicanaerobic conditionsconditions andand lowerlower temperaturestemperatures FinalFinal productproduct 3030--40%.40%. MoistureMoisture MeasuringMeasuring SqueezeSqueeze TestTest If water drips out….too wet! If clump breaks apart…..too dry! WeighingWeighing TestTest Dry in oven until weight stops changing MC = Water Loss During Drying Initial Weight of Sample MC = ((Wi –Wf) / (Wi –Wd)) X 100 Wi = initial weight Wf = final weight Wd = dish weight ParticleParticle size/Surfacesize/Surface areaarea CriticalCritical forfor mostmost efficientefficient compostingcomposting − 1/21/2”” –– 22”” optimumoptimum TooToo largelarge--slowsslows composting,composting, decreasesdecreases temperaturetemperature andand losesloses moisture.moisture. TooToo smallsmall--anaerobic,anaerobic, clogsclogs airair channelschannels ImportanceImportance ofof ParticleParticle SizeSize MicrobesMicrobes live/worklive/work onon particleparticle surfacesurface CompostingComposting startsstarts atat thethe outsideoutside