composting
Country_compost_GHNS_7.qxd:GHNS
6/22/10
6:23 PM
Page 1
COUNTRY LIVING SERIES 1 OF 4
COMPOSTING
FARMERS CAN SAVE BIG BY WATCHING ENERGY USE SAVING ENERGY ON THE FARM
ENERGY-SAVING IDEAS
It’s not easy making a living as a farmer. That’s why it’s so important for farmers to take the steps necessary to reduce the energy that their homesteads consume on a daily basis. Energy savings can make a significant impact on a farm’s bottom line.
Turn that manure into energy Dairy farms can save energy by turning the manure produced by their cows into energy with anaerobic biodigesters. Use variable-speed vacuum pumps on your milking machines By installing variable-speed vacuum pumps on
their milking machines, the owners of dairy farms can slash their energy costs. Buy energy efficient fans Farmers can save money by installing HVLS – high volume, low speed – fans in their barns. They move large amounts of air while using less energy.
WASTE TO REWARD FROM
Farmers can make money if they compost. “If they compost, they can use the soil as free fertilizer. Or, if they really wanted to put it to use, they could use it as an organic growing medium,” said Rick Morris, president of The Compost Farm. PHOTOS COURTESY OF COMPOSTFARM.COM
Composting means money for farms BY DAN RAFTER | GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE
ick Morris knows composting. It’s how he makes his living. Morris is president of The Compost Farm, a Brentwood, Tenn.-based business that produces and sells organic soil made from composted materials. Morris says his soil is richer – he calls it “alive soil” – than the traditional gardening variety. And when he says owners of small farms can make solid profits from composting, he knows what he’s talking about. “If they compost, they can use the soil as free fertilizer. Or, if they really wanted to put it to use, they could use it as an organic growing medium,” Morris said.
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Composting manure The type of material usable for compost depends on the type of farm. The Michigan Department of Agriculture on its website recently featured a farmer who composted manure generated on his 110-head dairy farm. The dairy farmer first spread a layer of gravel or stones on the ground behind his barns. He next filled his stalls with sawdust, which he swept together with the manure from his cattle. He then used a box spreader to transport the sawdust and "People are worried about all the irradiated vegetables that are coming into stores. They want homegrown, organic vegetables. Farmers who can use composting to tap into this ... can make some extra money,” Morris said.
manure mixture to the field, where he spread it into patches that were 200 feet long, 4 feet tall and 8 feet wide. The farmer next covered the manure and sawdust mixture with a fleece blanket to trap in heat. After five days or so, the farmer mixed the manure/sawdust combination with a compost spreader. After 45 to 65 days, the mixture turned into rich compost, which the farmer kept at temperatures between 120 and 140 degrees to ensure it was good quality.
Waste to fertilizer This work is worth it for two reasons: The Michigan Department of Agriculture reports that federal regulations require farmers to create plans to manage the large amount of waste that their animals produce. Secondly, the farmer applies the compost, which is a powerful fertilizer, to his own fields and sells the excess to nurseries and homeowners. This makes the compost a source of extra dollars. Farmers willing to put in this extra work can see the same type of results,
Morris said. “The organic market, the market for organic soil, is very strong right now,” Morris said. “People who compost can make some money. People are worried about all the irradiated vegetables that are coming into stores. They want homegrown, organic vegetables. Farmers who can use composting to tap into this, by selling their organic soil or using their compost to grow their own organic vegetables, can make some extra money.”
Backyard vs. farm
Compost also can be used as topdress and/or mulch.
Composting in the United States has grown in popularity. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reported that the number of composting programs across the country jumped from 3,227 in 2003 to 3,470 in 2005. Of course, the composting that homeowners do in their backyards doesn’t compare to the composting that small farmers can do.
6/22/10
6:23 PM
Page 1
COUNTRY LIVING SERIES 1 OF 4
COMPOSTING
FARMERS CAN SAVE BIG BY WATCHING ENERGY USE SAVING ENERGY ON THE FARM
ENERGY-SAVING IDEAS
It’s not easy making a living as a farmer. That’s why it’s so important for farmers to take the steps necessary to reduce the energy that their homesteads consume on a daily basis. Energy savings can make a significant impact on a farm’s bottom line.
Turn that manure into energy Dairy farms can save energy by turning the manure produced by their cows into energy with anaerobic biodigesters. Use variable-speed vacuum pumps on your milking machines By installing variable-speed vacuum pumps on
their milking machines, the owners of dairy farms can slash their energy costs. Buy energy efficient fans Farmers can save money by installing HVLS – high volume, low speed – fans in their barns. They move large amounts of air while using less energy.
WASTE TO REWARD FROM
Farmers can make money if they compost. “If they compost, they can use the soil as free fertilizer. Or, if they really wanted to put it to use, they could use it as an organic growing medium,” said Rick Morris, president of The Compost Farm. PHOTOS COURTESY OF COMPOSTFARM.COM
Composting means money for farms BY DAN RAFTER | GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE
ick Morris knows composting. It’s how he makes his living. Morris is president of The Compost Farm, a Brentwood, Tenn.-based business that produces and sells organic soil made from composted materials. Morris says his soil is richer – he calls it “alive soil” – than the traditional gardening variety. And when he says owners of small farms can make solid profits from composting, he knows what he’s talking about. “If they compost, they can use the soil as free fertilizer. Or, if they really wanted to put it to use, they could use it as an organic growing medium,” Morris said.
R
Composting manure The type of material usable for compost depends on the type of farm. The Michigan Department of Agriculture on its website recently featured a farmer who composted manure generated on his 110-head dairy farm. The dairy farmer first spread a layer of gravel or stones on the ground behind his barns. He next filled his stalls with sawdust, which he swept together with the manure from his cattle. He then used a box spreader to transport the sawdust and "People are worried about all the irradiated vegetables that are coming into stores. They want homegrown, organic vegetables. Farmers who can use composting to tap into this ... can make some extra money,” Morris said.
manure mixture to the field, where he spread it into patches that were 200 feet long, 4 feet tall and 8 feet wide. The farmer next covered the manure and sawdust mixture with a fleece blanket to trap in heat. After five days or so, the farmer mixed the manure/sawdust combination with a compost spreader. After 45 to 65 days, the mixture turned into rich compost, which the farmer kept at temperatures between 120 and 140 degrees to ensure it was good quality.
Waste to fertilizer This work is worth it for two reasons: The Michigan Department of Agriculture reports that federal regulations require farmers to create plans to manage the large amount of waste that their animals produce. Secondly, the farmer applies the compost, which is a powerful fertilizer, to his own fields and sells the excess to nurseries and homeowners. This makes the compost a source of extra dollars. Farmers willing to put in this extra work can see the same type of results,
Morris said. “The organic market, the market for organic soil, is very strong right now,” Morris said. “People who compost can make some money. People are worried about all the irradiated vegetables that are coming into stores. They want homegrown, organic vegetables. Farmers who can use composting to tap into this, by selling their organic soil or using their compost to grow their own organic vegetables, can make some extra money.”
Backyard vs. farm
Compost also can be used as topdress and/or mulch.
Composting in the United States has grown in popularity. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reported that the number of composting programs across the country jumped from 3,227 in 2003 to 3,470 in 2005. Of course, the composting that homeowners do in their backyards doesn’t compare to the composting that small farmers can do.
