O2Compost - Compost Systems and Training

Welcome to O2Compost. Specializing in Manure Composting Systems. Turning Manure into a Profitable Resource.

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Welcome to O2Compost!

O2Compost specializes in compost system design and operator training for those who are committed to properly managing their organic wastes. We can show you how to 1) take the guess work out of learning to compost correctly; 2) mitigate impacts to the environment and resolve regulatory compliance problems; and 3) convert an operating expense into a new profit center for your farm or business.

Aeration is the key to successful composting and is considered by most regulating agencies to be the Best Management Practice of choice. This web site introduces the basic concepts of aerated composting and provides numerous examples of systems installed throughout the USA, Canada and abroad. It also provides discussions on alternative animal bedding products, benefits derived from using high-quality compost, and rapidly increasing product-market and compost-business opportunities.

The principles of aerated composting and the systems offered by O2Compost have universal application. The O2Compost Training Programs provide step-by-step instruction in layman’s terms, personalized technical support, and thoroughly tested designs. Beginning in 2005, group hands-on training classes will also be offered. Best of all, the O2Compost Training Programs guarantee your success.

Composting is becoming an increasingly important and cost-effective method of managing a wide variety of organic wastes, especially when it is accomplished “on-site”. This is true for agricultural by-products, including animal manure and crop residuals, municipal green waste and biosolids, and industrial food processing wastes.

Each year, millions of tons of organic by-products are transported untold miles and disposed of in local and regional landfills. With proper management and using basic composting principles, virtually all of these materials could be converted for beneficial use. Aerated composting can be easily accomplished on all scales, with systems ranging from a few cubic yards to tens of thousands of cubic yards. With proper design and systematic operation, aerated composting mitigates adverse impacts to surface water, ground water and air quality, and can significantly reduce the time and expense of current “waste disposal” practices.

We invite you to explore these pages and to contact us with any questions you may have or to get started on your own aerated compost system! To view higher resolution enlargements of the photographs contained in this web site, simply click directly on the image. All of these pictures are from O2Compost projects.

O2Compost Training Programs

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O2Compost Training Programs

Our mission is to provide a one-stop solution for aerated composting systems. Over the past 10 years, we developed the O2Compost Training Program with the idea of:

Clearly explaining the principles of aerated composting in layman’s terms;

Providing all the equipment needed to get started quickly and to be effective immediately;

Creating the opportunity for horse owners and other organic waste managers to convert a significant operating expense into a profit center for their stable, farm or business.

This page describes what we do, how we do it, and our pricing structure.

The Aerated Compost Systems designed by O2Compost are organized by size and type of composting operation, including the following:

*NEW* Small-Scale Aerated Bins - Suited for 1 - 4 Horses

Aerated Bins – Suited for 5 - 10 Horses

Aerated Bays – Suited for 10 - 20 Horses / Landscaping Green Waste

Aerated Static Piles – Suited for 20 - 50 Horses / Grape Pumace

Extended Aerated Static Piles – Suited for 50 (+) Horses / Municipal By-Products

Training Program Description
Pricing
Training Program Description

The O2Compost Training Program is a UNIQUE AND COMPREHENSIVE METHOD of teaching our clients how to convert organic wastes - such as manure and bedding from horse farms or seafood processing waste - into a high-quality compost product with strong market value. Our objective is to help you set up and operate an aerated composting system that effectively controls the composting process and becomes an integrated part of your waste management program. Our goals are to: control offensive odors and flies; destroy parasites, pathogens and weed seeds in the finished product; and protect surface and ground water. State and local agencies recognize aerated composting as a Best Management Practice.

Each Training Program includes the following SIX COMPONENTS:

An equipment package consisting of: 1) an industrial grade electric blower used to induce airflow through the manure and bedding; 2) a one-hour cycle timer to operate the blower; and 3) a 36-inch long temperature probe for monitoring the composting process. We also include three slide gate valve assemblies for bin and bay systems, or a complete, ready-to-assemble aeration manifold for aerated pile systems. The blower voltage is matched to your electrical service.

Detailed design drawings for constructing a composting system suited to your scale of operation. We offer three different Training Programs, including Aerated Bins (5 to 15 cubic yards / bin), Aerated Bays (15 to 50 cy / bay), and Aerated Static Piles (50 to 300 cy / pile). There are a variety of designs and construction materials from which to choose.

A detailed training manual with step-by-step instruction for: 1) preparing the waste material and constructing the compost pile; 2) monitoring the composting process; 3) troubleshooting; and 4) marketing the finished compost product. The manual also includes a summary sheet that is suitable for use in the field. It is available in both English and Spanish.

Personalized technical support throughout the construction and start-up phase. During the start-up phase, we ask you to fax us your temperature data or send it as an e-mail attachment with the data in spreadsheet format (provided to you). We review this data and make suggestions to optimize and control pile temperatures.

A set of laboratory tests of the finished compost to determine physical and nutrient properties. Micro-biologic tests are also available at a small additional cost.

Suggestions for setting up and implementing a marketing program that is suited for your scale of operation. Most people find this surprisingly easy and fun, especially those folks who are deathly afraid of “selling” anything. Good quality compost sells itself.

Prices for the O2Compost Training Program

The price of the Training Programs depends on the scale of the operation, because the volume of material to process necessitates different sizes of equipment (i.e., blowers and timers) and different design packages. In addition, the larger Aerated Bay and Aerated Pile systems generally require a much closer working relationship and a somewhat greater need for technical support. Also, these programs include more extensive laboratory testing.

Please call us for a quote on an aerated compost system that is perfectly suited to your farm. The unique feature of the O2Compost Training Program is that we guarantee it will pay for itself in 12 months or less.

Beginning in 2006, O2Compost is offering Classroom / Hands-on Training Workshops, with locations in Southern and Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State. Future training sites are also being considered for the Midwest and Atlantic States. The seminars will involve a two step-process, including 1) start up, and 2) marketing. The curriculum for these seminars is currently being prepared. Please call for more information.

In addition to the O2Compost Training Programs, we offer on-site operator training and third-party review services for those clients with medium and large scale systems. We are also available to represent you with regard to regulatory compliance issues and mediation. These services are provided on a proposal (i.e., time and expense) basis.

Overview and History of Aerated Bins and Oxygenated Manure Composting

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Overview and History of Aerated Bins and Oxygenated Manure Composting

Aerated Bins – Peter’s Prototype

The concept for the O2Compost Aerated Bins began with a tour of a Northwest poultry (fryer) farm in 1998. In this particular instance, they were composting daily mortalities from a flock of 60,000 birds. I was very impressed with the simplicity of the layout and method of operation, however when the “Lasagna Style” bins were turned, the odor was horrific. It seemed to me at the time that a simple aeration system incorporated into the bins would go a long way to speed up the process and manage offensive odors.

This idea nagged at me for nearly three years until finally, during the summer of 2000, I decided to construct an aerated bin system to test my theory and satisfy my curiosity. I started with a “back of the napkin” design and after several months of head scratching and tinkering, I had put the finishing touches on an 8-cubic yard aerated bin, sufficient to compost manure from a 2 to 10-horse stable. During the design and construction process I discovered wood pellets as an alternative bedding material . To test out my theory, I filled the first bin with horse manure and pellet bedding and I let it sit for the better part of a 10-days before turning on the air. The temperature stabilized at 90o to 100oF throughout the bin and the odor was fairly strong with ammonia. I turned the air on the afternoon of the 10th day and by the next morning the pile temperature had risen to well over 150 oF, and there was only a mild, organic odor. It worked even better than I had imagined.

I showed a few of my “colleagues” who also dealt with manure issues, and they too marveled at the simplicity and effectiveness of the system. Through word of mouth, I was soon introduced to Jack Chambers of Sonoma Valley Worm Farm. Jack had been challenged by a labor intensive, turned “pre-composting” process that he used to prepare separated dairy manure for his worm reactor. Jack constructed a “Cadillac” Aerated Bin System based on my design sketches and together, over the ensuing months, we learned how to control the airflow to optimize the composting process. Laboratory tests from BBC Laboratories indicated the presence of extraordinarily high concentrations of beneficial aerobic microbes in both his pre-composted manurel and the worm castings.Since that time, I have formalized the design and created several other versions with the help of several of my training cohorts.

Aerated Compost Bays

In 1996, I was contacted by the owner of a horse training facility in a neighboring town. They had 12 Warm Bloods that they had purchased and brought over from Germany and were training for resale. We used an existing three bay “garage” with a concrete floor to contain the manure and shavings bedding. We set up a very simple network of aeration pipe and used a 1-HP blower to induce airflow through the pile. One of our greatest challenges was to get the material wet enough to compost, however once we worked this out, the composting process took off. Within 30-days, the material had progressed through its life-cycle and yield a weed free product.

I wasn’t particularly impressed with the quality of the compost, given that it was predominantly wood shavings. However, in marketing this material to several local landscapers, I discovered that it was ideal for large tree nurseries where they buried the plant / tree root balls in the material to keep them from drying out in the summer and from freezing in the winter. By setting up this system, we converted an $800 dollar monthly expense into a $400 revenue stream, resulting in a net $1,200 per month gain to the owner’s bottom line. In jest, his comment to me was, “Manure is no longer my problem. Now what I need is more horses”.

Aerated Static Piles

In 1996, I convinced Don Bailey, a dairy farmer a friend of mine in my town, to let me set up a compost pile on his farm. When I showed up on the appointed Saturday, I asked him who was going to help me run the loader. He said, “Peter, you’re on a farm, get in and I’ll show you how”. Running the loader was a blast, however I soon learned that turning compost piles was a lot easier said than done. While we produced reasonably good compost using the turned pile method, we agreed that we needed to try the aerated static pile approach to take the labor out of the process. As might be expected, dairy farmers don’t have an over-abundance of time to be turning compost piles.

Following this first attempt, we purchased a blower and I set up a three pipe system with the blower feeding air from both ends of the pile. The mix consisted of horse manure and shavings mixed with scraped dairy manure. When we started the airflow, the pile immediately heated up to well over 131oF, the minimum temperature for pathogen destruction.

After 30-days the pile had gone through most of hits primary heat cycle, and after 60-days we had an excellent finished product. We invited members of the local garden club to give our compost a try and before we knew it the 300-cubic yard pile was gone. Don and his family immediately saw the potential in setting up a composting operation on their farm and decided to also bring in green waste from local curb side collection. I helped them obtain all of the necessary permits and today their facility, Bailey Compost, is widely regarded as the model on-farm composting system in the Pacific Northwest.

The development of Bailey Compost lead to several contracts with Snohomish and King Counties to lead workshops for farmers in Washington State. More recently, I worked with the Southern Sonoma County Resource Conservation District in Petaluma California to conduct three workshops for all farmers in the North San Francisco Bay Area. As part of this work, we set up a demonstration site at Sonoma Valley Stables, also in Petaluma. SVS is a high end Hunter-Jumper training facility, and the owner is very particular about cleanliness around the stable, especially when it comes to odors, flies and random piles of manure.

For this 40-horse facility, we construct one pile per month and aerate it for roughly 30-days. As one pile is “cooking”, a second pile is being constructed right next to it. At the end of the 30-day cycle, the blower is moved over to the new pile and the old pile is either moved to a adjoining curing area or immediately loaded out by local landscapers or grape growers. This is a shavings based compost product and it sells for $18 per cubic yard if SVS loads the trucks. If the buyer does all of the loading (i.e., with their loader) and trucking, the price is reduced to $10 per cubic yard. SVS sells everything they produce with virtually no retention time.

This shavings based compost is used primarily as a mulch product to control weeds, retain moisture in the soil and to rebuild soil tilth.

Extended Aerated Static Piles

Way back in 1992, I worked on my first composting project where I designed and helped construct the aeration system. The owner, Upper Valley Disposal Service, received thousands of tons of grape pumace from many of the Napa Valley wineries. They turned long windrows with a straddle-type windrow turner and produced a very nice product. However, because the windrows were anaerobic, UVDS produced a considerable amount of odor, which lead to neighbor complaints and ultimately a compliance order with the State Air Quality Board. As with many composting facilities, they had once been in a remote location but had succumbed to urban encroachment. As a result, their turned windrow system no longer met the “smell test” and they were on the verge of being shut down.

For the pilot project, we constructed an extended aerated static pile, which consists of a single windrow followed by additional cells constructed on the flank of the advancing face. In this way, a continuous, flat topped pile is constructed, and replaces individual windrows.

Extended piles require less than 20% of the pad space when compared to an equivalent volume of material and a turned windrow system. Extended piles also eliminate the labor required with turning. The reduced foot print for the extended piles further reduced the amount of compost leachate that needs to be managed, and all of these factors combine to significantly reduce the cost of operations. For the UVDS system, we used five 5-HP blowers to induce airflow through the pile, each one controlling a 40-foot wide zone. When fully constructed, this pile measured 80-feet wide, 220-feet long and 12-feet high, resulting in a total volume exceeding 6,000 cubic yards.

In short order, the aerated system mitigated the odor problems, a compliance agreement was negotiated with the neighbors and Air Quality Board, and UVDS is operating to this day. They have since expanded their individual piles to accommodate approximately 25,000 cubic yards per pile, and they average 5 piles per harvest season.

About O2 Compost

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About O2Compost

O2Compost is the Training Program Division of Price-Moon Enterprises, Inc. (PME).

PME was founded in the spring of 1996 as an environmental consulting firm specializing in setting up compost facilities to process agricultural and municipal organic waste. Over the past eight years, PME has worked with numerous large production farms located throughout the US and Canada.

Following the success of setting up several on-farm composting facilities in the Pacific Northwest, PME was hired by Snohomish and King Counties to conduct a series of training seminars to teach farmers, landscapers and organic growers how to compost in compliance with Washington State regulations. These workshops taught aerated composting as a Best Management Practice (BMP) to control the composting process, mitigate impacts to the environment, and yield a finished product that is suitable for wholesale and retail distribution.

The O2Compost Training Programs were conceived early in PME’s history and have taken literally thousands of hours to develop, test, refine, and promote. The objective has always been to enable all farmers, no matter what the size of their facilities, to compost their by-products with aeration and to keep this process simple, systematic and affordable.

In 2003, PME sub-divided to create O2Compost as a separate operating entity. The O2Compost Training Program is unique – nothing else like it exists anywhere in the world. It provides everything that a prospective composter needs to get started and to do it right the first time. Ultimately, our success is a direct measure of our client’s success and for this reason, we offer a 100% money back guarantee.

About Peter Moon, P.E.

Peter Moon is President and Principal Engineer of PME / O2Compost, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Washington. Peter has a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology and a Masters of Science in Geotechnical Engineering from U.C. Berkeley. He has 25 years of consulting (i.e., problem solving) experience. Prior to 1989, Peter had never even heard the word composting, let alone study the subject in school. However, during the past 15 years Peter has learned a great deal about composting and everything he knows he has learned by doing it. Having studied, tested and resolved nearly every mistake imaginable, he understands what works and more importantly what does not work. His hands-on experience has led to a career in training others the How-To’s of on-farm composting.

Peter’s passion for composting coincided with the implementation of federal water quality regulations and an increased awareness that organic waste materials need to be properly managed to better protect the environment. At this point, Peter works with nearly every variety of organic by-product, however his principal areas of interest are composting horse manure, grape pumace, golf course green wastes, and exotic wastes such as zoo manure, mink wastes and farm mortalities. As an adjunct to teaching the composting process, Peter also works closely with vermi-composters and compost tea users.

In addition to his Training Program packages, Peter is available for on-site personnel training and third-party review of existing compost systems. He is also available to conduct workshops for groups of ten or more and has been said to "make manure management fun and fascinating". If you have questions, please give Peter a call at 800/611-3718.

Learn About Beneficial and Profitable Composting Techniques

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Learn About Composting

The more you know about composting, the better equipped you are
to turn a cost into a profit. Understanding the process will allow
you to continue increasing your return by improving your technique
and efficiency.

The links on this page are devoted to providing a wealth of information
that will help you to be successful.

How To Be The Perfect Horsekeeper
Excerpts from the book written by Karen E. N. Hayes,
DVM, MS

Why is a Discussion
About Horse Manure Important?
Composting horse manure enables you to be part of the
solution.

Aerated Compost Primer
Learn the fundamental principles of aerated composting.

Waste or Resource?
Is that pile of manure a waste - or a resource?

Alternative Stall Bedding Material
Read about the benefits of wood pellets as an alternative stall
bedding material.

Manure Waste or Renewable Resource

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Manure Waste or Renewable Resource?

Let’s say that you own and manage a stable and every day you or your crew clean out the stalls and tote the manure and spent bedding to a big pile located out behind the barn. Now imagine that you are standing out at the pile and taking a good look at it. Perhaps there is a strong odor coming off of it and a lot of flies. You also notice that the ground around the edge of the pile is stained dark brown or that there are puddles of standing black water. The pile just keeps growing bigger until one day you know that you will have to bring someone in to load it all out and it will cost quite a bit more than you want to spend - and you sure hope the county water management people don’t pay you a visit and make you clean it up when you can least afford it.

Or perhaps you deposit the manure into a 30-cubic yard roll-off container that gets picked up once or twice or twelve times each and every month. And every month, like clockwork, the hauler’s bill comes and you write the check and you think about how you could use that money to make repairs around the stable, buy a new trailer, or even pay for a short vacation. Now imagine that you are looking at that same pile or container and that you have just learned how to convert this very same material, this waste, into a value added product that we call “compost”. Imagine that you can now handle the material in a very simple and systematic way that solves your odor, fly and leachate problems and yields a high quality product in only 60 to 90 days.

Imagine that your neighbors, local nurseries and landscapers, and other people who you’ve never met are calling you to find out when the next batch will be ready. And when you load their truck or trailer with this fragrant, dark earthy material they gladly hand you their money and are excited to get home and use it in their gardens. So let me ask you… Is the manure and spent bedding produced by your horses a waste or a natural resource? My answer is… “it all depends on how you look at it”. The solution to your manure management “issue”, in whatever form it takes, is about making a decision to do things differently. It is about making an investment in your future.

It seems that we often do things the same way – sometimes for years or decades – simply because that‘s the way we’ve always done it, or that’s how everyone else does it. In fact, we often do things the same way because we don’t know that there is any other way to do it or we don’t want to take the time to research alternatives and work through an expensive trial-and-error process with no guarantee of success. Who has the time and money for that? None of us do.

The O2Compost Training Program GUARANTEES YOUR SUCCESS.

With the exception of construction materials, the O2Compost Training Program includes everything that you will need to build and operate a compost system that is tailored to your specific needs. With our technical support, the Training Program will then help you market and sell your finished compost, thereby converting a current operating expense into a new profit center for your farm. By following a simple step-by-step procedure, you will effectively convert your “waste” into a “natural resource”. In the process, you will become a leader in your community, and be viewed as a person of vision.

Oxygenated Aeration Primer

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Oxygenated Aeration Primer

The air we breathe contains nearly 21% oxygen at sea level. When air has been introduced into an active compost pile, either by turning or through induced airflow, the oxygen level in the pile drops off very quickly - often to less than 1% within 30 to 45 minutes. This is an extremely important principle to understand, especially if your objective is to produce high-quality compost in a relatively short amount of time and with the least amount of labor.

With aerobic composting where the oxygen level is maintained at 8% or greater, the main by-products are carbon dioxide, water and heat. With anaerobic composting, the by-products include a wide variety of complex, highly odorous chemical compounds, plus water and heat. All life forms and organic systems (i.e., composting) produce some odors. However, with aerobic composting, the quality of the odor is often described as “pleasant” and the intensity as “mild”. With anaerobic composting, the odor is often “highly objectionable” and the intensity is “strong or extreme”.

Aeration is the key to successful composting! Proper aeration accomplishes the following:

Controls the pile temperature and significantly increases the rate of composting;

Mitigates problems with offensive odors, flies and rodents;

Destroys pathogens, parasites and weed seeds;

Degrades vaccines, antibiotics, worming agents and pesticides;

Produces superior quality compost with strong market value;

Is ideal for pre-composting feedstocks for vermi-composting;

Produces a compost rich in aerobic microbes, ideal for compost tea.

With aerated compost systems, the pile temperature must exceed 131oF (55oC) for a minimum period of three days to ensure pathogen destruction. The pile temperature can be easily controlled by adjusting the airflow into the pile. When air is first introduced into a static (non-aerated) compost pile, the resultant increased microbial activity causes the temperature of the initial mix to rise very rapidly, often to well over 150oF in 24 hours or less. Unfortunately, temperatures much over 160oF actually decrease the rate of composting by decreasing the number and diversity of the microbes in the pile. While it may seem counter-intuitive, additional airflow into the pile causes the pile temperature to decrease by expelling (displacing) excess heat to the environment. In short, managing the frequency, duration, and volume of airflow into the pile allows the operator to optimize the composting process.

With aerated composting, the active phase typically lasts 21 to 30 days and the subsequent curing phase lasts an additional 30 to 60 days. During the active phase, the compost is not turned and, therefore, the cost for labor and equipment are significantly reduced. The cost for power to run the blower is incidental, typically only pennies per day. The O2Compost Training Program includes all of the aeration equipment required to operate a systematic and cost-effective compost operation. Each Training Program includes a high pressure / high volume blower, a timer to operate the blower, and a 36" long temperature probe.

The Training Program also includes three slide gate valve assemblies for aerated bin / bay systems or a ready-to-assemble aeration manifold for aerated static pile systems.

Although not essential, the subsequent curing phase may also be aerated to produce the highest quality finished product in the shortest amount of time. Large compost systems with multiple blowers may be operated with individual timers or a simple Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) with a touch screen interface. In all cases, the O2Compost systems are very simple to operate and highly effective. Operation becomes second nature after completing the first few batches.

It is important to understand the science and technology of composting, as well as the practical "how-to’s". The O2Compost Training Program presents this rather complex scientific discussion in layman’s terms and avoids the use of unnecessary scientific jargon.

Wineries benefitting from Oxygenated Manure Compost

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Wineries benefitting from Oxygenated Manure Compost

Turley Wine Cellars – St. Helena, California
Grape pumace plus horse manure and some landscape waste
This is a simple aerated static pile system that started out at approximately 300 cubic yards in volume. Composting reduces the cost of pumace disposal and recovers the value of compost for use back in the vineyards. The primary objective is improving the soil. Status: Currently Under Construction.

Turley Wine Cellars – Paso Robles, California
Grape pumace plus horse manure and some landscape waste.
As above, this is a simple aerated static pile system that started out at approximately 300 cubic yards in volume. Composting reduces the cost of pumace disposal and recovers the value of compost for use back in the vineyards. The primary objective is improving the soil.

Upper Valley Disposal Service, St. Helena, California
The business of composting grape pumice.
For the UVDS system, we use ten 5-HP blowers to induce airflow through the pile, each blower controlling a 40-foot wide zone. When fully constructed, this pile measured 100-feet wide, 550-feet long and 12-feet high, resulting in a total volume exceeding 20,000 cubic yards. In 2004, this system composted five such piles.

All About Vermi-Composting

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All About Vermi-Composting

Whether or not you plan on selling your finished compost, you will greatly enhance its quality by allowing the worms to perform their magic in a stockpile of compost. Your customers and friends will absolutely love it and “the word” will spread like wildfire. Before you start composting, your question will likely be, “What will I do with all of this compost?” Once you are up and running, your question will become, “How can I produce compost faster to meet the demand?”. This I promise you - it happens virtually every time.

As it turns out, earth worms thrive in pre-composted horse manure with wood pellet bedding. “Pre-composting” is a term used by many vermi-composters to mean the early active phase of aerated composting when pile temperatures exceed 130oF for a minimum of three days. When these conditions are met, parasites, pathogens and weed seeds are destroyed and a considerable amount of heat energy is removed from the raw mix. Before the active phase of composting is complete (say 14 to 21 days), the pre-composted material is introduced into the vermi-composting system. If this is of interest to you, please take a look at the Vermi-Composting page of this web site.

"Continuous Flow for Vermicomposting And the Benefits of Pre-Composting with the Aerated Bin Compost System"

Jack Chambers, a commercial worm grower, recalls the transitions of his worm farm since start-up and explains why this fledgling industry is ready to attain its full potential.

I first learned about earthworms and vermicomposting from Mary Applehof of Flowerfield Enterprises, who wrote the book, Worms Eat My Garbage, in the 1980’s. I was intrigued. In 1992, I visited a local worm farm in Sonoma, California on a friend's recommendation. Three months after my first visit, my wife, Lois, and I decided to try to buy it. The owner was ready to retire and wanted someone to continue the business which he had started in 1970.

After purchasing the farm, I connected with several master composters around the San Francisco Bay Area and began to offer a discount to people who had taken composting classes. Sonoma Valley Worm Farm began shipping worms in 1994.

Also in 1994, I heard Dr. Clive Edwards of Ohio State University talk about continuous flow technology. Continuous flow technology rests on the principle that red worms (Eisenia fetida) like to process material in the top several inches of a compost bin. Basically, you feed the bin on the top, slice castings off the bottom, and the castings fall through a mesh screen to the floor and are then collected, dried and screened.

I visited Oregon Soil Corporation in 1995 and saw Dan Holcombe’s reactor. Dan was processing food waste, while we were using dairy manure as a feedstock. I wanted to continue using dairy manure, however I was concerned that putting it directly into a reactor could cause the reactor to heat up, and subsequently kill the worms.

Meanwhile, another development was taking place at Ohio State University. Worm castings were undergoing continual plant test trials. The results were consistent and encouraging. The trials showed that adding between 10 and 20 percent worm castings to a soil blend brought considerable growing benefits to plants. The researchers found more blooms per plant, greater root mass and high microbial counts in castings.

In the fall of 2000, I attended a second international worm conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan, hosted by Applehof. There, I saw a video showing a reactor developed by Dr. Scott Subler of Ohio State which was using precomposted dairy manure as a feedstock – and it was the moment that changed everything for me. His design was simple and elegant.

By feeding precomposted dairy manure to the worms, Dr. Subler was able to take a good deal of the heat energy out of the manure. This helped prevent the reactor from overheating and killing off the worms. Also, precomposting eliminated both weed seeds and pathogens from the feedstock.

Returning to California, I sent several worm casting samples to Elaine Ingham’s laboratory, Soil Foodweb, Inc. in Eugene, Oregon. Her results showed that worm castings at the bottom of the windrow had some anaerobic conditions due to the high moisture content necessary to grow worms. The combination of high moisture content and no airflow at the base of the windrow caused the anaerobic conditions to occur.

I realized that by adopting the reactor technology, I would solve several problems at the same time, and would be able to process more material faster. My windrow system took eight months to a year to make high quality castings. The reactor takes 40 to 60 days to process material.

I attended a compost tea seminar in the Sonoma Valley in June 2001. There, I met Vicki Bess of BBC Laboratories based in Tempe, Arizona. Together, we began a testing program for our worm composting, with BBC checking for pathogens and microbial activity. These tests have shown both high microbial counts, and strong microbial diversity in the worm castings.

Precomposting the separated dairy manure remained a challenging problem, given the amount of time and effort that it required. I developed a system of filling plastic bins with manure and turning them with my forklift whenever the temperature reached 140oF. This method required several turnings within a 14 to 20-day period. As the worm population in my reactor became fully established, the rate of manure consumption also grew and my precomposting method became an obvious limiting factor.

In December 2001, Jim Jensen, a friend and fellow worm farmer, referred me to Peter Moon of Price-Moon Enterprises, Inc. in Snohomish, Washington. Over the years, Peter had developed many large-scale compost facilities for all varieties of organic wastes. Since the mid- 1990’s, his focus has been on setting up small, medium and large-scale facilities to better manage livestock wastes, with an emphasis on dairy and horse manure.
After visiting Peter In February 2002 and seeing his prototype, I constructed one of his aerated bin systems at our worm farm in Sonoma. This has proven to be the missing link that I needed to optimize the time / temperature requirements for precomposting the dairy manure and simplify the precomposting process.

My early projections suggest that my aerated bin will produce precomposted manure in approximately 10 days and will enable me to double my production rate of high quality worm castings with the addition of a second reactor. In addition to being simple to operate, the aerated bin system saves me between 8 and 12 hours of work each week.

The 1990’s were a very eventful decade for worm castings. University research showed through their plant trials that worm castings have great benefits for plant growth. The soil microbiologists came up with new testing methods that confirm the microbial content of worm castings. Aerated bin precomposting enables us to efficiently destroy weed seeds and pathogens present in the raw feedstock materials. The flow through reactor has the potential to revolutionize worm casting production.

I believe that in this decade we will see the worm industry go from the fledgling state it is in today to a soaring future where it will grow and attain its full potential.

Jack and Lois Chambers are co-owners of the Sonoma Valley Worm Farm in Sonoma, California. E-mail jchamber@sonic.net.

The previous discussion includes excerpts from an article in the February 2002 issue of BioCycle magazine (Page 34). Many thanks to Jack and Lois for allowing us to include their experiences and testimonial on this web page.

O2Compost Services

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:21 -0700

O2Compost Services

Our mission is to provide a one-stop solution for aerated composting systems. Over the past 10 years, we developed the O2Compost Training Program with the idea of:

Clearly explaining the principles of aerated composting in layman’s terms;

Providing all the equipment needed to get started quickly and to be effective immediately;

Creating the opportunity for horse owners and other organic waste managers to convert a significant operating expense into a profit center for their stable, farm or business.

This page describes what we do, how we do it, and our pricing structure.

The Aerated Compost Systems designed by O2Compost is organized by size and type of composting operation, including the following:

Aerated Bins – Suited for 2 - 10 Horses

Aerated Bays – Suited for 10 - 20 Horses / Landscaping Green Waste

Aerated Static Piles – Suited for 20 - 50 Horses / Grape Pumace

Extended Aerated Static Piles – Suited for 50 (+) Horses / Municipal By-Products

Training Program Description
Pricing
Training Program Description

The O2Compost Training Program is a UNIQUE AND COMPREHENSIVE METHOD of teaching our clients how to convert organic wastes - such as manure and bedding from horse farms or seafood processing waste - into a high-quality compost product with strong market value. Our objective is to help you set up and operate an aerated composting system that effectively controls the composting process and becomes an integrated part of your waste management program. Our goals are to: control offensive odors and flies; destroy parasites, pathogens and weed seeds in the finished product; and protect surface and ground water. State and local agencies recognize aerated composting as a Best Management Practice.

Each Training Program includes the following SIX COMPONENTS:

An equipment package consisting of: 1) an industrial grade electric blower used to induce airflow through the manure and bedding; 2) a one-hour cycle timer to operate the blower; and 3) a 36-inch long temperature probe for monitoring the composting process. We also include three slide gate valve assemblies for bin and bay systems, or a complete, ready-to-assemble aeration manifold for aerated pile systems. The blower voltage is matched to your electrical service.

Detailed design drawings for constructing a composting system suited to your scale of operation. We offer three different Training Programs, including Aerated Bins (5 to 15 cubic yards / bin), Aerated Bays (15 to 50 cy / bay), and Aerated Static Piles (50 to 300 cy / pile). There are a variety of designs and construction materials from which to choose.

A detailed training manual with step-by-step instruction for: 1) preparing the waste material and constructing the compost pile; 2) monitoring the composting process; 3) troubleshooting; and 4) marketing the finished compost product. The manual also includes a summary sheet that is suitable for use in the field. It is available in both English and Spanish.

Personalized technical support throughout the construction and start-up phase. During the start-up phase, we ask you to fax us your temperature data or send it as an e-mail attachment with the data in spreadsheet format (provided to you). We review this data and make suggestions to optimize and control pile temperatures.

A set of laboratory tests of the finished compost to determine physical and nutrient properties. Micro-biologic tests are also available at a small additional cost.

Suggestions for setting up and implementing a marketing program that is suited for your scale of operation. Most people find this surprisingly easy and fun, especially those folks who are deathly afraid of “selling” anything. Good quality compost sells itself.

Prices for the O2Compost Training Program

The price of the Training Programs depends on the scale of the operation, because the volume of material to process necessitates different sizes of equipment (i.e., blowers and timers) and different design packages. In addition, the larger Aerated Bay and Aerated Pile systems generally require a much closer working relationship and a somewhat greater need for technical support. Also, these programs include more extensive laboratory testing.

Please call us for a quote on an aerated compost system that is perfectly suited to your farm. The unique feature of the O2Compost Training Program is that we guarantee it will pay for itself in 12 months or less.

Beginning in 2005, O2Compost is offering Classroom / Hands-on Training Workshops, with locations in Southern and Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State. Future training sites are also being considered for the Midwest and Atlantic States. The seminars will involve a two step-process, including 1) start up, and 2) marketing. The curriculum for these seminars is currently being prepared. Please call for more information.

In addition to the O2Compost Training Programs, we offer on-site operator training and third-party review services for those clients with medium and large scale systems. We are also available to represent you with regard to regulatory compliance issues and mediation. These services are provided on a proposal (i.e., time and expense) basis.

Please feel free to call us with questions with questions or to order your O2Compost Training Program.

O2Composting Newsletter

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:20 -0700

O2Composting Newsletter

The O2Compost newsletter will be published bi-monthly covering
emerging topics and technologies, recent case studies, and resources
for the novice as well as the well-seasoned composter.

Hot Topics Newsletter
May 2006 Edition

Link to March 2006 Newsletter
Link to January 2006 Newsletter
Link to April 2005 Newsletter
Link to Fall 2004 Newsletter
ink to April 2004 Newsletter

Downloadable/Printable PDF Files:
May 2006(267 kb)
March 2006 (452 kb)
January 2006 (447 kb)
April 2005 (177 kb)
Fall 2004 (112 kb)
April 2004 (242 kb)

Newsletter Notification
If you would like us to notify you when our next newsletter is
published, please submit your contact information on our Contact Us page. Be sure to check the box at the bottom of the page
indicating your desire to be added to our email list. We will not
distribute your e-mail address to anyone nor use it for any other
purpose. Also let us know if you would like us to add the addresses
for your friends, family, work associates, fellow club members,
etc. Any help that you can offer to spread the word about composting
is much appreciated.

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this page with a friend!

O2Composting Consulting at work in Municipal Waste Programs

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:19 -0700

O2Composting Consulting at work in Municipal Waste Programs

Bailey Compost – Snohomish, Washington
Green waste mixed with dairy manure
In their eight years of operation, Bailey Compost has evolved from an aerated static pile system of composting to an extended ASP system. Each pile composts approximately six weeks and is then screened and placed in a curing area. They currently produce and sell ~20,000 cubic yards of compost a year.

City of Kelowna – British Columbia, Canada
Biosolids mixed with shredded waste and wood waste
Prior to composting with air, the City attempted to compost with non-aerated static piles. They could not give the compost away. In 1994, the City implemented an EASP system and within two years, they could not produce enough to meet the market demand.

North Mason Fibers – Belfair, Washington
Green waste from curbside collection
With assistance provided by O2Compost, North Mason Fiber is the newest permitted compost facility in western Washington. They have recently expanded their system to an EASP method, and currently could sell twice what they produce. They plan on doubling their capacity by the end of 2005.

County, City & State DOC – Walla Walla, Washington
Post-consumer food and green waste
O2Compost served as compost sub-consultant to Parametrix, Inc. for the design, construction and start up of a compost facility located at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary (2003-2004). The project included facility sizing and conceptual layout, assistance with detailed design, bidding, and construction management. Following construction, O2Compost conducted on-site personnel training and follow-up process monitoring and troubleshooting services. The permit application for this project was the second to be prepared under the State’s new solid waste handling regulations.

City of Grants Pass, Oregon
Biosolids co-composting
O2Compost served as compost sub-consultant to Parametrix, Inc. for the design, construction and start up of the Jo-Grow Biosolids Compost Facility (2000-2002). This project included site selection at the Merlin Landfill, facility sizing analysis, conceptual design, permitting and assistance through construction and facility start up. Follow-up services included personnel training and third party review.

City of Port Angeles, Washington
Biosolids co-composting
O2Compost served as compost sub-consultant to Parametrix, Inc. for the re-design of an existing biosolids compost facility located at the Port Angeles Landfill (2001-2003). This project included a thorough waste stream analysis for 5, 10, and 30-year time horizons. It also included technical assistance in designing a below-grade aeration system, equipment selection, construction review meetings, and personnel training.

Wastech Services, Ltd. – Coquitiam / Cache Creek, B.C.
Food waste composting
Price Moon Enterprises served as the lead engineering firm for the design, construction and start up of a compost system designed to process pre-consumer food waste from the Over Weightea Food Chain. This project included facility sizing and conceptual layout of two facilities: one to receive and pre-process the raw feedstock materials in Coquitlam, B.C.; and the second to compost these materials at the Wastech Landfill in Cache Creek. Following construction, O2Compost conducted an on-site personnel training and follow-up process, including monitoring and troubleshooting services.

NEW! Aerated Compost Micro-Bins

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:19 -0700

NEW! Aerated Compost Micro-Bins

Description

The O2Compost “Aerated Micro-Bin Compost System” has been developed specifically to compost the manure, bedding and waste feed generated by 1 to 4 horses. In fact, it is well suited for all small farms or petting zoos with livestock (e.g., sheep, goats, chickens, llamas, rabbits, etc.). It is also ideal for homeowners and gardeners with large quantities of grass, leaves and weeds to compost and even summer camps with waste paper and food scraps. Our Beta Test participants will be asked to provide candid feedback that will enable us to refine our “method of delivery” and clarify our training message. This is a learning process – a journey of sorts – that hopefully will yield amazing results.

This Beta-Test compost system is designed to be inexpensive, portable and easily expanded. It includes a small electric blower - normally used to blow up inflatable big toys - and a timer used in the greenhouse industry. While these components are inexpensive, our tests have shown that they work extremely well for this scale of composting and should provide years of service. This training program may be all that a small farm needs to take full advantage of aerated composting. It may also serve as an inexpensive starting point to learn about aerated composting and then determine whether a permanently installed, larger aerated compost system is appropriate.

The compost bin is free standing and consists of 4-foot wide by 4-foot high plywood panels connected together in either 1) sets of four to produce a square box (2.5 cubic yards); or 2) sets of six to produce a hexagonal box (6 cubic yards). The materials for the plywood panels would be purchased and assembled locally, based on our design.

Our mission is to make the aerated static pile compost technology readily available to all organic waste generators worldwide. Our motto is, “Education before Legislation”, and our primary objective is to instill an attitude of agricultural sustainability and environmental stewardship for all generations that will follow ours.

Goals & Objectives

Our primary goal is to solve a universal manure management problem, simply and economically. Based on our experience; 1) most people resist change and, 2) few people will change if the new methods don’t save both time and money. Aerated composting involves no turning of the pile thereby saving a considerable amount of labor and equipment time. Also, because we convert a raw material into a value-added product, we save the cost of disposal and create a new profit center for those who choose to sell the finished product. In fact, there is a new trend among horse owners to reuse their finished compost as stall bedding, thereby significantly reducing the cost of virgin bedding materials.

By utilizing the heat generated in the composting process, we are able to destroy parasites, pathogens and weed seeds in the finished product. We are therefore able to produce a safe product with unrestricted use in gardens or back on pastures that are actively used for grazing.

Proper manure management can dramatically improve the health of your horses by significantly reducing:

parasites and pathogens and related intestinal problems;
dust, ammonia and related respiratory ailments;
muddy conditions and related hoof problems; and
flies and related eye and skin infections.
The topic of manure management and horse health is discussed in some detail in the newly published book, “How to be the Perfect Horsekeeper” by Karen Hayes, DVM (this book is available at www.theperfectstall.com). I encourage to you to buy a copy, read it and pass it along to your family, friends and business associates.

One of our key objectives is to help horse owners protect surface and ground water resources from manure-based contamination.

Ammonia in very small concentrations is toxic to many species of fish;
High BOD (i.e. biochemical oxygen demand) levels will suffocate fish;
High nutrient levels, phosphorus in particular, will lead to algae blooms which will in turn lead to a reduction in dissolved oxygen and will suffocate aquatic life; and
Invasive weeds brought in with animal feed will displace indigenous wetland plant species.
Controlling offensive odors and flies at the “muck pile” can be easily accomplished simply by inducing airflow through the compost pile. By adding a 6-inch thick layer to the top of the pile, odorous gases are absorbed and nutrients are retained in the finished product. The heat of composting destroys fly larvae and the compost cover is not a good breeding habitat. As a result, the horses’ quality of life is improved and your clients and neighbors will stop complaining.

In the process of conducting this Beta-Test, we want to determine how well these small-aerated compost systems work in a wide variety of climates, particularly extreme cold, hot, and dry conditions. Overcoming these challenges is the best way for us to learn how to optimize the composting system.

Also, as part of this Beta-Test, we want to develop a set of cost-effective designs by utilizing the creativity of our participants. No doubt, there are many clever minds “out there” and we want to take full advantage of this through a collective effort.

Current Beta Pricing

Since our new Micro-Bin System is currently going through its "Beta-Test" phase, it is being offered at a discounted price through August 31, 2006. The purpose of the Beta Test is to refine the system and work out any design or operational problems that may occur. It is our goal to successfully test this new small-scale system at farms throughout the United States and Canada in the hope of encountering many different climates and scenarious. Participants are greatly appreciated and will be asked to provide valuable feedback. Pricing is a follows:

Start Kit

$475.00
Includes:

1/4 HP Blower - 110V
Rubber Connector Fitting
Cycle Timer

20" Temperature Probe
Detailed Materials List
Beta Test - Training Manual
Optional 2-Pipe Manifold Kit

$100.00
Includes 4" Diameter Pipe & Fittings:

Solid Pipe Sections - Pre-cut
Perforated
(1) Tee

(2) 90's
(2) End Caps
Duct Tape
Optional Gate Valve

$75.00
Shipping & Handling

$25.00
Beta-Test Discount through August 31, 2006

- $100.00

The total cost (with all options and discount) is $575.00. A link to our Order Form is shown below. Simply download, print and either fax or mail it back to us.

Upgrade to a Permanent Aerated Bin Compost System

All Beta-Test Participants are eligible for a $500 discount on an O2Compost Bin or Bay Training Program. In some cases, participants may discover that a small portable compost system does not meet their operating requirements and that a larger, permanent system becomes a “must-have” item. In this case, we are ready to rebate the cost for your Beta-Test program in exchange for the original Starter Kit blower, timer and temperature probe.

Order Form

Click CLICK HERE to download our Beta-Test System Order Form.

Using Manure Composting for Livestock, Dairy and Poultry

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:18 -0700

Using Manure Composting for Livestock, Dairy and Poultry

Bailey Compost – Snohomish, Washington
Green waste mixed with dairy manure
In their eight years of operation, Bailey Compost has evolved from an aerated static pile system of composting to an extended ASP system. Each pile composts for approximately six weeks and is then screened and placed in a curing area. They currently produce and sell ~20,000 cubic yards of compost a year.

Wilcox Farms – Roy, Washington
Chicken manure from 1.2 million egg layers, with hog fuel
In 1998, O2Compost helped Wilcox Farms permit their facility for manure and green waste composting and we converted a large static pile method to an EASP system. They are now producing ~25,000 cubic yards of compost each year and selling nearly all of it.

Wickerink Dairy / Growell Potting Mix – Duncan, B.C., Canada
300-head dairy herd
Jerry Wickerink utilizes composted dairy manure from his herd as a component of his topsoil blends for his other business, Growell Compost. Growell produces both bulk and bagged products and is the best established brand in their area of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Their compost system was designed with assistance provided by O2Compost and includes aeration trenches constructed into the concrete base.

Virginia Tech – Blacksburg, Virginia
Research facility
In 2004, Virginia Polytechnic Institute completed construction on a new dairy sciences facility. This facility is utilized for research purposes and serves as a state-of-the-art manure handling equipment demonstration site. In support of the company Integrity Nutrient Control Systems of Chambersburg, PA, O2Compost provided comprehensive training to the VT staff and operators.

This is an aerated compost system that utilizes four high pressure / high volume blowers operated independently by a programmable logic controller. With this system, separated dairy manure is stacked for approximately three weeks, giving it time for excess liquids to drain from the fibrous solids. The manure is then placed on a simple network of aeration pipes and airflow is induced through the mix for approximately four weeks.

With this operation, offensive odors have been controlled (the compost building is located near one of the entrances to the university and is subject to complaints when odors are prevalent). The finished product is being used around the university in landscaped areas and is land applied in research corn fields. Plans also include marketing the finished compost on a wholesale basis to private distributors in and around Blacksburg, VA.

Twin Oaks Dairy – Emmitsburg, Maryland
350-head dairy herd
Twin Oaks utilizes aerated composting to process separated dairy manure from their herd. O2Compost provided design assistance to Integrity Nutrient Control Systems for this project. Composting is conducted in a building designed with assistance by O2Compost. Operator training and assistance with product marketing was also provided by O2Compost. All of the compost being generated is now sold to landscapers and homeowners within a 10-mile radius of the dairy.

Messick Dairy – Midland, Virginia
400-head dairy herd
Messick Dairy also utilizes an aerated composting system to process separated dairy manure from their herd. In this system, the solids are first composted in one of four active compost bays for a period of three to four weeks. The material from each bay is then transferred to an aerated curing and storage bay for an additional three to four weeks. The finished product is then screened and distributed to landscapers and nurseries in a 20-mile radius of the farm.

Discover Hidden Profits from Composted Manure in Landscaping, Golf Courses and Nurseries

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:17 -0700

Profiting from Composted Manure in Landscaping, Golf Courses and Nurseries

Signature Landscape – Redmond, Washington
Grass clippings, leaves and prunings
Signature was paying in excess of $50,000 a year in disposal costs. With changes in state regulations, they were allowed to compost up to 250 cubic yards at a time. This resulted in a savings of nearly $30,000 the first year. They use the finished compost on their projects.

Rich Landscape – Fall City, Washington
Grass clippings, leaves and prunings
Rich Landscape was under a compliance order with the county to clean up their waste piles behind their nursery. This system incorporates aeration in the concrete slab, and the hoop house covers prevent over-wetting. They sell and use their finished compost on new installations.

Old Ranch Country Club – Seal Beach, California
Green waste from trees, greens and landscaped areas
They utilized an existing set of masonry block commodity bays to conduct a successful trial. A new compost system, with aeration incorporated in the slab, is currently being designed. The finished compost is used in landscape areas around the 18-hold course.

Why is a Discussion About Horse Manure Important?

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:17 -0700

Why is a Discussion About Horse Manure Important?

Many years ago, I was involved with an agricultural waste management study conducted by King County, Washington. This study had several objectives – to estimate the:

• Number of horses in the county,
• Types, quantities and characteristics of bedding used,
• Volume of waste generated;
• Methods employed to manage this waste; and
• Nature and magnitude of environmental impact that resulted from these practices.

At first glance, this seemed to me to be a relatively straightforward study, however it quickly became apparent that the answers were illusive and not forthcoming. Several methods were employed to determine the answers, including an extensive telephone survey of horse owners, a windshield survey in known horse communities, and direct sampling and laboratory testing of manure piles where permission to access the pile was (seldom) granted.

In the end, the results were very fuzzy with an estimated 30,000 horses in scattered areas throughout the county, mostly bedded on shavings (with a growing awareness of wood pellets as an alternative) and with manure mostly “piled out back”. While the environmental impact was difficult to measure, it became clear that virtually every watershed in the county was adversely impacted by nutrients originating on horse farms (i.e., non-point source pollution).

This study brought to my attention a critical need in the equine community, and from this was borne the early concept for the O2Compost Training Program. The Training Program took roughly ten years to conceive, develop, test and refine, and many people were directly and indirectly involved in this process. Historically, the O2Compost Training Program has been conducted remotely on a one-on-one basis. This year, we are pursuing our vision to conduct Group Training Programs at host facilities located in six regions throughout the country.

What brings all of this to mind is a recent study conducted by the American Horse Council that estimates the total number of horses in the United States at 6,913,000 – that’s roughly 7-million horses (http://www.horsecouncil.org/ahcstats.html). How this number was determined is anyone’s guess, but let’s – for the purpose of this discussion – assume that it is reasonably accurate. Given that one horse produces roughly one cubic yard of manure each and every month, it stands to reason that the total volume of manure produced in the United States is on the order of 7-million cubic yards per month. And this does not include the volume of bedding which can easily double or triple the total volume of manure depending on the type of bedding used.

Aside: For those not familiar with the “cubic yard” as a unit of measure, it is equal to a cube that is 3-feet wide by 3-feet long and 3-feet high. One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet. A standard pick-up truck will hold 2 cubic yards, if mounded.

Now, I find a volume of 7-million cubic yards hard to imagine in real terms, so I did some internet research and learned that the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, would hold over 84 million gallons of water if filled to the brim. Given that there are approximately 200 gallons in a cubic yard, you could fill the Rose Bowl roughly 17 times with horse manure each month, or 200 times a year.

Another way to look at it is this: if a year’s worth of horse manure were to be stacked vertically on a football field, from end zone to end zone and sideline to sideline, the pile would stand 7.5 miles high – that’s higher than commercial airliners fly. Now I think you’ll agree, that’s a lot of manure.

Add to that the amount of bedding used and you can begin to see the order of magnitude of the problem – or opportunity – that we face. This volume of manure also represents a tremendous quantity of nutrients that can either be mismanaged and allowed to impact our fresh water resources and aquatic wildlife, or properly managed and utilized in a wide array of applications that help heal the earth.

The message that I am trying to leave you with is this:

Each of us impacts the world we live in, either negatively or positively. This is especially true for those of us who own horses and other livestock. Properly managing horse manure is our responsibility! The impact from horse manure can be negative if we disregard our responsibilities to the earth. Alternatively, the impact can be positive and financially rewarding if we view manure as a resource and an opportunity. Composting is easy, when you know what you are doing, and with the O2Compost Training Program your success is guaranteed.

Composting, in my opinion, is the most effective and profitable means to properly manage horse manure, to support sustainable agriculture, and to leave the world a better place for the generations that will follow ours. I invite you to begin composting - to be part of the solution.

Small-Sized Bin Systems of Manure Composting for Small Horse Farms

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:16 -0700

Small-Sized Bin Systems of Manure Composting for Small Horse Farms
(2-10 Horses)

Click here to learn about the benefits of Wood Pellets as an alternative bedding material!

Robert and Teri Garofalo - Poughquag, New York
3 horses on chipped corrugated cardboard
The Garofalos live in a very cold winter climate. Their successful 3-bin system is a testament to the fact that compost is self-insulating and largely unaffected by the cold weather when the airflow is properly adjusted. Robert has been extraordinarily diligent at monitoring temperatures in his compost system and at sending his data in for my review. His efforts have paid off.

Smoky Hills Farm - Salem, Oregon
3 horses on wood pellet bedding
Fred and Helen Dalzell have recently completed this 3-bin system and have assisted in continuing to refine our approach to designing and constructing these systems. Their hope is to utilize the finished compost in developing a vermicompost (worm compost) operation.

Chakola's Place - Goshen, New Hampshire
5 horses, 1 mule, and 14 miniature donkeys on wood pellet bedding
This aerated 3-bin compost system was constructed under an EQUIP Grant through the Walpole County Conservation District. The design took into account heavy loads for both snow and wind and it is now successfully composting. The plan is to utilize the finished compost on an area recently put into pasture.

Linda O'Neill and Al Smith – Canning, Nova Scotia, Canada
8 horses on wood pellet bedding
This is a top-down aerated bin system constructed into the hillside using concrete counter forte walls and the blower, which is mounted in the roof structure, provides the aeration to each of the three bins. Linda and Al are currently experimenting with negative aeration, wherein fresh air is drawn into the mix from the top of the pile, thereby pulling the heat-front down toward the base of the pile.

Trueblood Stable – Santa Ana, California
2 horses on wood pellet bedding
This aerated bin system was scaled down to a 2.5 cubic yard capacity to accommodate approximately two weeks’ worth of manure in each bin. It is constructed out of masonry block and has a retractable wooden lid. It stair steps down to conform to the slope.

Tim Gross – South Carolina
6 horses on wood pellet bedding
This aerated bin system accommodates 8 cubic yards per bin and each bin takes between two and three weeks to fill. Process time is less than four weeks and the finished compost is used around the farm. Plans are to sell the finished compost beginning in Spring 2005.

Piper Farms – Arlington, Washington
3 horses on wood pellet bedding
This is the simplest, least-cost aerated compost bin to date. The total cost was under $150 (plus equipment) and it works great. Prior to setting up an aerated compost system, the piles of manure got soaking wet and leached into a nearby creek.

Abercrombie Farms – Maltby, Washington
3 horses on wood pellet bedding, plus chickens and geese
This newly constructed system was built with non-treated wood and stair steps down to conform to site grades. Each bin has a 10 cubic yard capacity and takes approximately three weeks to fill. The finished compost will be used throughout the one-acre garden.

Farnham Farms – Snohomish, Washington
3 horses and 12 sheep on wood pellets
This bay system incorporates aeration in the concrete slab and it takes approximately two weeks to fill each bin. The owner says “Process time is four weeks and the worms love it. As soon as a batch is finished, all of my neighbors come and get it. I can’t make it fast enough.”

Medium-Sized Bay Systems of Manure Composting for Mediium Horse Farms

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:15 -0700

Medium-Sized Bay Systems of Manure Composting for Mediium Horse Farms
(10-20 Horses)

Click here to learn about the benefits of Wood Pellets as an alternative bedding material!

City of Redmond – Farrell McWhirter Park
8 horses + variety of other farm animals (cows, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits)
This is a 4-bin aerated compost system with 6 months' storage. It was constructed in 2006 to remediate surface water contamination in a nearby creek. This facility will serve as a demonstration site for O2Compost training classes beginning in the summer of 2006.

Otter Creek Farm – Greenville, North Carolina
18 horses on wood pellets
This bin system processes 8-10 cubic yards of manure every two weeks. It has been in operation since March 2004 and produces excellent quality compost that is used on an adjoining organic farm. The compost will be sold to landscapers and homeowners beginning in Spring 2005.

Haute Ecole – Issaquah, Washington
18 horses on hem-fir shavings
Each compost bay is constructed with concrete (Ecology) blocks and provides a volume of 50 cubic yards each. The aeration system consists of pipes on grade. The compost produced by this system is sold to local large tree nurseries, flower and organic vegetable farms, and berry farms.

Lulham Acres – Graham, Washington
16 horses on alder sawdust
Each aerated bay accommodates ~25 cubic yards. Material is loaded in from the top and removed from the bottom. It is a retrofit of an NRCS design that did not include aeration and was ineffective at managing the volumes generated on the farm. Compost will be sold to landscapers.

Middleton Meadows Farm – Davison, Michigan
24 horses on sawdust bedding
This is a simple aerated status pile system that is constructed in one of the farm’s pastures. They hold onto the manure for three to four months and then construct a single pile that starts out at ~200 cubic yards. Finished compost is sold to local landscapers and homeowners for use in garden areas.

Large-Sized Static Pile Systems of Manure Composting for Large Horse Farms

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:15 -0700

Large-Sized Static Pile Systems of Manure Composting for Large Horse Farms
(20+ Horses)

Click here to learn about the benefits of Wood Pellets as an alternative bedding material!

Myers Performance Morgans – Binghamton, New York
32 horses on sawdust bedding
This system utilizes a top-down approach, wherein the manure is wheeled from the barn to the backside of the facility and dropped down into one of the three bays. Once the bay is full, finished compost is placed over the top and the airflow is started. When finished, the compost is removed from the bay on the front (downhill) side and placed in an adjoining curing and storage area.

Return to Earth - California
120 horses on wood pellet bedding
Return to Earth takes all of the manure and spent bedding from the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center and composts in a one-acre greenhouse in the Salinas Valley. It is screened and blended with yard debris compost and sold throughout the Monterey Bay and South San Francisco Bay areas.

San Luis Rey Downs – Bonsall, California
400+ horses bedded on straw and shavings
The expense for manure / bedding removal exceeds $350,000 a year. O2C is conducting a pilot test to compost a portion of these materials and is developing a market consisting of local landscapers and nurseries throughout the San Diego County area.

Getting Started with Manure & Waste Composting

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:14 -0700

Getting Started with Manure Composting

Start with the End in Mind

"Be Proactive" and “Start with the End in Mind” are the first and second “Habits” from Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This is an excellent book and highly recommended for those who have not yet read it.

Being proactive means being willing to do things differently, to change. It means looking at any given situation (e.g., your manure pile) as an opportunity. It means taking a leadership role.

Starting with the end in mind is particularly important with setting up a composting operation and can be the difference between success and failure. What is your picture for how your composting system is going to look? Things to consider include:

How much manure and spent bedding does my facility currently produce and how much will it produce if and when you expand? The volume of material to compost pre-determines the size of the composting facility. Because aerated static pile composting is scalable, some thought should be given to possible expansion by adding bins or bays to the system.

Will you be composting only the manure generated on your farm or could you set up a side business to also compost manure from neighboring farms? Many people see composting as an opportunity to improve revenues for their farm.

Where will you locate the facility to maximize operating efficiencies? It will need power and water, and it will need to be located away from surface water, wells, neighbors, etc. It will also need to have access for a front end loader and possibly trucks and trailers for loading.

Do you plan on using all of the compost that you produce or do you plan on selling it? If you are planning on selling your compost, you should strive to produce the highest quality possible. What goes into the compost system pre-determines what comes out and therefore the type of bedding should be carefully considered. For more on this, refer to the page “Equine Bedding”.

Define Your Objectives and Set Goals

Part of “starting with the end in mind” includes defining your objectives and setting goals for your composting operation. For example:

Why do you want to set up a composting operation? Perhaps it is to protect surface and ground water and eliminate offensive odors and flies. Perhaps it is to defray a current expense for manure removal. You may also be one of those folks who simply enjoy converting something of “little value” into a high quality value-added product with strong market value.
Getting Started Means Planning and Taking Action:

Visit Other Sites / Talk with Facility Operators

Plan Ahead for Future Expansion

Consider Building-Out in Phases

Consider Permit / Zoning Requirements

Seek Accuracy, Not Precision

Enlist Qualified Third Party Review

Avoid Paralysis by Analysis
The O2Compost Training Program provides all this and more!

Composting Fish By-Products

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:14 -0700

Composting Fish By-Products

O2Compost has partnered with Northwest Fish By-Products, Inc. to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of composting approximately 1.5 million pounds of waste salmon from Northwest fisheries.

A bench scale pilot project has been completed to evaluate both waste salmon and crab shells to determine initial recipes for each and to evaluate suitable methods for controlling potentially offensive odors. The annular space between the outside of the slip form box and the bin wall (see photograph) was filled with finished compost to serve as:

1) an insulative layer to ensure that all raw materials reached temperatures sufficient to destroy pathogens, parasites and weed seeds; and

2) a biofilter layer to absorb and manage objectionable odors. When filled, the top of the bin was also covered with approximately 12-inches of finished compost (See Photograph).

Salmon for Soil

Available Now

2-Parts Green Waste (with a dash of Dairy Manure) Compost
2-Parts Alder Sawdust
100-Pounds Salmon per Cubic Yard

Fish and Chips

Available ~ May 1, 2006

2-Parts Green Waste (with a dash of Dairy Manure) Compost
3-Parts Horse Manure
100-Pounds Salmon per Cubic Yard

Pilgrims Pride

Available ~ June 1, 2006

2-Parts Green Waste (with a dash of Dairy Manure) Compost
3-Parts Horse Manure
200-Pounds Salmon per Cubic Yard

The salmon waste results from mortalities at fish farms located throughout the Puget Sound Region, numerous hatcheries and several fish processing plants located in the Seattle vicinity. A conservative projection of salmon waste in Washington State is placed at 6 million pounds per year, and growing.
The salmon is brought to the composting site in 1,000 pounds “totes” and is tipped onto a bed of previously blended bulking materials. At this point in the process, the odor is moderate to strong, however the mix is immediately mixed and placed onto the aerated static pile and capped with a biofilter layer of horse manure and bedding. Within 30-minutes, all impacts from odor have been mitigated. This process was observed by a representative from the Health District with 100% approval, as being an efficient process utilizing best management practices. Objectionable odors during composting have been non-existant.

Within hours, the pile temperatures have consistently exceeded 131oF, the minimum requirement for pathogen destruction, and within 3-days there is no evidence of fish remains. At no time during this demonstration project have there been problems with animals (wild or domestic) digging into the pile to recover fish. There have been no incidence of bird activity nor have there been any flies associated with the compost piles.

The method of composting used to produce all three varieties of compost is referred to as ASP or “Aerated Static Pile” Composting. In this case, airflow is introduced into the pile using high-pressure blowers to replenish oxygen and to optimize the biologic conditions throughout the pile. One of the by-products of the biologic process is heat. The temperature is managed at sufficiently high temperatures to destroy pathogens, parasites, weed seeds and fly larvae in the mix of raw materials. By maintaining oxygen rich conditions, the ASP method of composting mitigates objectionable odors and produces a superior finished compost product. The compost has no “fishy” odor, and will not attract cats, dogs or wildlife. It is nutrient rich and full of beneficial microorganisms. The net results are beautiful and bountiful landscapes and vegetable gardens.

Introductory Price: $25 / Cubic Yard Price

Buy 1st Cubic Yard and get the 2nd Free || $35 / Cubic Yard after June 30th

Pick up small quantities at Bailey Compost
or have it delivered in 6,8 or 10 cubic yard loads to your home.

By accepting the discount pricing,
We ask that you complete a product survey in October 2006.

O2Compost Manure Composting FAQ

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:13 -0700

Frequently Asked Questions about Manure Composting Systems

Peter Moon, P.E., Founder and President of Price-Moon Enterprises, Inc. prepared the following discussion:

As a consulting engineer who specializes in the field of composting, I work with a wide variety of people in agricultural, municipal and industrial settings. I make numerous presentations to groups of organic waste generators each year, and inevitably I receive many of the same questions about the particulars of aerated static pile composting. I have presented several of these questions below, along with a brief answer to each.

Several of the questions that I receive do not lend themselves to short answers because of what I refer to as the “It Depends Factor”. For these questions, I have also attached more comprehensive answers, and in some cases published articles that provide a more thorough discussion on the topic. I refer to these after the end of each short answer.

Can the pipes be recovered when the pile is broken down?

Yes and no. It is easier to recover solid thick wall pipes then it is to recover either thin wall or corrugated pipe. As a matter of fact, the corrugated pipe is generally sacrificed in the process of breaking down the compost pile. Depending on the size of the pile, the cost of this pipe ranges between 10 and 15 cents per cubic yard of finished compost.

When constructing the pile, the end of the pipe should extend beyond the end of the pile. This enables the operator to know where the pipe is and to avoid it when removing the compost materials. Invariable care must be taken to avoid running over or “tagging” the pipe, as it will surely not hold up to the action of a front end loader. Broken lengths of pipe can be coupled together, however due to the heat of composting, the pipe does become somewhat oval and brittle over time. Pipe replacement is inevitable.

On one of my projects, the operator placed a 6-inch diameter steel pipe between two 4-inch diameter PVC pipes placed on roughly 24-inch centers. When he broke down the pile, he simply straddled the three pipes, placed his loader bucket on the center steel pipe and avoided touching the PVC pipes. By doing this, he also avoided reinstallation of the aeration system each time he constructed a new pile.

What size and type of pipe should I use in the Aerated Static Pile system?

I prefer using 6”-diameter thick wall PVC pipe for the aeration manifold. The pipe and fittings are readily available and can be glued together to create a solid unit that can be easily disconnected and reused on the next pile. One of the keys to ASP composting is to provide a balanced flow of air across the base of the pile. The aeration manifold should be constructed to provide the same amount of air to the right side of the blower as to the left side of the blower.

For the aeration laterals (those pipes that extend beneath the pile), I use either 4-inch diameter smooth wall PVC or HDPE, or corrugated HDPE (made by Advanced Drainage Systems and Hancor). Each of these types come in solid and perforated pipe, and they are all roughly the same price. These are generally referred to as “drainfield pipe”.

Of these, I prefer the smooth wall HDPE pipe. It is easy to cut to desired lengths, it matches up with PVC fittings (i.e., elbows and tees), and it retains its shape better under the weight and heat of a compost pile. Also, it is more stable in the sunlight. My experience has been that PVC becomes brittle when exposed to the sunlight for extended periods of time.

Can the aeration system be incorporated into the compost pad?

Yes, definitely. This can be done with either aeration trenches or aeration jets, as shown in the photos below.

The picture on the left shows parallel trenches (without the grating installed). The aeration is provided by a system of blowers located behind the back wall. The picture on the right shows aeration jets glued to the top of parallel PVC manifolds. The final lift of concrete will be placed to the top of the risers, and then a hole will be drilled into each riser to allow the air to come out. Both systems incorporate leachate collection as well as clean-outs and both can be highly effective at providing uniform airflow.

Constructing the aeration system into the compost pad does require additional up-front cost and it dictates where the composting will be done. In this regard it is much less flexible than a pipe-on-grade system. I have found that below grade aeration systems work best in compost buildings or on pads that lend themselves to one method of operation. For larger compost operations, below grade systems are usually set up as zones, with air to each zone provided by independent blowers.

How high can I make the compost pile?

Generally, the minimum height for effective ASP composting is about 4-feet. Much less than this and there will not be sufficient volume to retain the heat needed to destroy pathogens, parasites and weed seeds. The maximum height is about 12-feet, including the final cover layer. This is because the weight of the material on the top part of the pile compacts the material on the bottom, thereby restricting airflow through the pile.

This minimum / maximum criteria varies with the type and density of feed stock that is being composted. Coarser, less dense materials can be stacked higher than finer, high density materials.

In addition, with higher piles, the oxygen being forced into the pile may be consumed before reaching the top of the pile. In this case, positive and negative aeration may be required to vertically balance the composting process.

When would you use positive aeration and when would you use negative aeration?

With positive aeration, the blower is oriented to push air into the pile, whereas with negative aeration the blower is oriented to pull air out of the pile. In most cases I prefer to use positive aeration because it takes better advantage of the air volume and pressure capacity of a given blower. Negative aeration generally requires a larger blower to accomplish the same amount of aeration.

Also, when air is pulled from the pile, it is hot and saturated. When it cools, condensate collects in the pipe and blower and can greatly decrease the life of the equipment due to corrosion. To avoid this problem, condensate traps need to be installed between the manifold and the blower. Commonly, more expensive blowers are also required, such as those made from stainless steel or fiberglass reinforced plastic. Conversely, positive aeration does not create a problem with condensate.

I would be inclined to use negative aeration in two cases. The first involves highly odorous feedstock materials and the need to capture the off-gases from the compost pile and direct them through a biofilter for odor control. Biofilters are very effective at digesting ammonia and volatile organic compounds, however they need to be kept moist and generally must be replaced every 12 to 18 months.

The second case for negative aeration is in very arid climates where excessive drying of the compost mix results from blowing warm, very dry air into the pile. With negative aeration, the top of the pile can be irrigated to maintain a wet surface, which in turn can greatly decrease the tendency for the material inside the pile to dry out.

Why do I need to maintain temperatures over 131oF for at least three days?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted exhaustive risk analyses involving the processing and use of composted biosolids (wastewater sludge) products. Upon completion of this work, the EPA established the minimum criteria used for meeting human health objectives. These criteria are stated in the body of regulation entitled 40 CFR Part 503.32, (also referred to as the “503 Regulations”). The technical term for the minimum criteria to produce a Class A compost is “Process to Further Reduce Pathogens” or PFRP.

The PFRP criteria for the aerated static pile method of composting biosolids are stated as follows:

Pile temperatures shall be maintained at 55oC (131oF) or higher for a minimum of 3 days (i.e., piles must be covered to ensure minimum temperatures throughout the pile);
The PFRP criteria for the turned windrow method of composting biosolids are stated as follows:

Pile temperatures be maintained at 55oC (131oF) or higher for a minimum of 15 days, and during this time the pile shall be turned a minimum of 5 times.
While these criteria are specific to biosolids, they have also been generally adopted for other feedstock materials that potentially contain human pathogens.

To control vectors (e.g., flies), it is also required to maintain temperatures in the compost pile above 40°C (104 oF) for 14 days consecutively.

Why does the temperature go up when I add air to the pile, and then go back down when I add more air?

When air is introduced into a non-aerated static pile and the oxygen level is maintained at 8% or greater, the pile is said to be aerobic. Oxygen promotes the reproduction of the microorganisms responsible for the composting (i.e., decomposition of organic materials). The by-product of these organisms is carbon dioxide, water and heat.

As the populations of diverse microorganisms increase, so does the heat generation, which can lead to overheating of the pile. When this occurs, additional airflow is required to exhaust excess heat from the pile. The pile temperature is therefore controlled by achieving a balance between providing sufficient air to stimulate microbial growth and additional air to displace excess heat from the pile.

How long does it take to compost manure?

The rule of thumb for the time required for composting is 30 days for the active phase and an additional 30 to 60 days for curing. The active phase requires the greatest degree of control because this is the period during which most odor problems occur. A considerable amount of composting does occur during the curing phase. It is during the curing phase when the texture of the material changes most dramatically, and the compost acquires an earthy odor.

Do you need to mix anything with separated dairy solids to get them to compost?

Separated dairy solids do not require the addition of a bulking agent in most cases. However when the moisture content exceeds 75%, free water does tend to accumulate at the base of the pile, and hence in the aeration pipes. Some means of allowing the water to escape is required (e.g., small holes drilled at the 6-oclock position in the end caps). Alternatively, a small amount of dry, finished compost or sawdust can be added to the solids to decrease the moisture content and avoid the problems of over-saturation at the base.

Can you use the finished compost as bedding material?

There is strong evidence suggesting that it is safe to reuse composted dairy solids as bedding in free stall cow barns. The evidence includes published papers, empirical trials by large animal veterinarians, and anecdotal evidence from progressive dairymen. For a detailed answer, refer to the attached discussion at the end of this FAQ section.

What about herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics, and worming medicines in the compost?

Virtually all organic compounds, such as herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics and worming medicines breakdown most readily under warm, moist conditions. In other words, they break down most readily in a compost pile. Based on laboratory data provided by Washington State University Cooperative Extension Service, there is generally little concern over the resilience of these compounds in the finished compost product.
Unfortunately, in the past year, compost products from two separate facilities in eastern Washington Sate have been reported to have damaged users’ crops and gardens. In the first case, tomato seedlings at a commercial greenhouse using a yard debris compost were transplanted into four-inch pots containing 100 percent compost as the growing medium. The tomato plants grew deformed, showing leaf curling and twisting and bending of the stem.

In the second case, yard debris / food waste / dairy manure compost was applied to two community gardens at an average rate of 2-inches of compost tilled to a depth of 4 to 6-inches. By late summer 2000, it was evident that a problem existed at each garden. Plant growth was generally poor, but especially bad with certain crops like beans, tomatoes and potatoes. Symptoms of plant injury were leaf cupping and distortion of stems.

After a thorough investigation, which included extensive laboratory testing, it was determined that the residual herbicides in the compost were clopyralid and picloram at levels ranging from 0.05 to 0.28 parts per million. Both chemicals are constituents in Dow Chemical products. Why didn’t these herbicides decompose? In all likelihood, they did decompose, but not enough, or at least not enough to render the compost harmless to plants.

For further information on this subject, refer to the attached article, entitled “Dealing with Herbicide Residues in Compost”, Rynk, Robert, September 2000, Biocycle Magazine.

Won’t there be a glut of compost if everyone starts composting?

In theory, yes. However, it has been my experience that less than 10 percent of the farmers are proactive with their manure management practices, and fewer still will enter the field of composting with the level of commitment required to create a new profit center on their farm.

It has also been my experience that the first farm (and sometimes the second farm) to begin composting in earnest receives a vast majority of the interest and notoriety. As a result, the leaders tend to establish a dominant position early on and have a significantly higher likelihood of success. This assumes, of course, that they are good operators and strive to maintain an organized compost operation.

There is, however, an alternative approach to individual farms competing for a share of the compost market. That is to assemble a group of farmers who are interested in composting, enroll each of them in one of O2C’s Compost Training Programs (at a discount rate), and set up a cooperative marketing pool. Each farm would operate independently and cold then sell part or all of their compost to a central retailer. The reseller would then market the product at his / her cost, and distribute the compost from individual farms.

The advantage to the farm is a greatly reduced level of effort required to sell the finished product. The advantage to the reseller is that material shrinkage and drying would occur before trucking if off site, which would save a considerable expense. In addition, a potentially large volume of compost would be available to justify a focused marketing effort, and the reseller wouldn’t have the many issues surrounding processing, storage and in most cases permitting.

Is there a significantly higher profit margin in bagging the finished compost?

Yes, there is a higher profit potential with selling bagged products. However, there is also a great deal of additional cost and coordination required to produce, market, and distribute a highly refined, bagged product. When starting a new composting facility, it is important to first establish a bulk sale market to provide economic stability to the operation. Once this has been established, and the facility is able to produce a predictably uniform product, a sales strategy that involves one or more bagged products may be considered.

What about composting dead animals?

Composting farm mortalities has been a common practice for years, particularly on poultry farms located throughout the U.S. There is growing interest in other areas as well, including calves and whole cows, hogs, fish and road kill.

If the pile gets too hot, can it cause a fire?

While fires do occur at composting facilities (mostly large facilities), they are neither frequent nor destructive enough to attract attention beyond the facility gates. Fire is a rapid oxidation of chemicals that releases energy as heat and light. A fire requires fuel and oxygen. Typically compost materials ignite at temperatures roughly in the 150oC to 200oC range (300oF – 400oF). Because compost piles seldom exceed temperatures of 70 oC, there is little concern from the biological process alone.

There are a number of potential causes of compost fires, many of which require an external ignition source (lightning, sparks, and arson). However, most fires are believed to occur from spontaneous combustion, a rather mysterious phenomenon. Spontaneous combustion happens when materials self-heat to a temperature high enough to cause them to ignite. The temperature increases because more heat is generated internally than lost to the surrounding environment.

Although it is often thought of as a single process, spontaneous combustion is actually a chain reaction of several different heat-generating processes that vary with different materials and conditions. Each process in the chain raises temperatures to the point where the next one takes over and raises temperatures still higher until eventually, the material ignites.
Key conditions that lead to spontaneous combustion are biological activity, relatively dry materials or dry pockets, large well-insulated piles limited airflow, and time for temperature to build. In addition, there may be other contributing factors such as short circuiting of air flow, a nonuniform mix of materials, poor moisture distribution, difficulty in knowing temperatures throughout the pile, and sometimes a lapse or oversight in monitoring.

Composting Fall 2004 Newsletter

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:13 -0700

Hot Topics

The O2Compost Newsletter
Fall 2004: Horse Owners and Gardeners Discover
the Hidden Opportunities of Composting

In today’s regulatory world, horse owners are under increasing pressure to properly manage the wastes from their farms and stables. Simply piling “it” out behind the barn or down the nearest gully is no longer an acceptable practice (note photograph to the right). For this reason, an increasing number of horse owners are turning to composting as a means of converting a waste product into a value-added resource.

For years, gardeners have used aged horse manure in their vegetable and flower gardens. However, in most cases, the manure has a high wood content from the stall bedding, which robs the soil of available nitrogen. In addition, the manure typically contains weed seeds that soon become the bane of the gardener’s existence.

The trick to bridging the gap between the horse owner and the home gardener (i.e., producer and end-user) is to properly control the composting process. This can be done by simply inducing a flow of air (oxygen) through the compost pile, which in turn stimulates the microbial activity in the pile and hastens the composting process.

The Objectives of Composting

The primary objectives of composting are to destroy pathogens, parasites and weed seeds in the waste materials, and to produce a safe, high quality compost product that can be beneficially used as a soil amendment. Pathogens, parasites and weed seeds are destroyed by the high heat given off as a by-product of the composting process.

The secondary objectives of composting include:

Protecting surface water and ground water quality
Controlling odors, flies, rodents and birds;
Reducing the volume of the initial mix (30-50 percent);
Processing materials systematically to simplify operations and ensure success;
Converting a significant operational expense into a revenue opportunity;
Complying with state and local regulations;
Improving relations with regulators and neighbors.
Methods of Composting

There are several methods of composting, each of which has certain advantages and disadvantages. The appropriate method depends in part on the volume of manure and bedding to process, available space and on the temperament of the horse owner / stable manager. With small volumes, manure can be stacked into static piles and left to “compost” under uncontrolled conditions. The quality of this compost is typically very poor, with little to no market value. More commonly, manure can be stacked in elongated piles (called windrows) and periodically turned to remix and introduce oxygen into the core of the pile. This method takes a considerable amount of time and can result in offensive odors.

With larger volumes, there is a trend toward aerated static pile composting, where airflow is induced through the pile to stimulate the microbiologic processes. With this method, no turning is required, the process time is significantly reduced and odors and flies are virtually eliminated. An additional benefit associated with aerated composting is that it is entirely scalable to the volume of organic wastes being produced.

This photo (right) shows a recently completed aerated compost bin system in Greenville, NC. This system processes 8-10 cubic yards of manure every 2 weeks from 18 horses bedded on wood pellets. This sytem has been in operation since March 2004 and produced excellent quality compost used on an adjoining organic farm. The compost will be sold to landscapers and homeowners beginning in Spring 2005.

What Makes Good Quality Compost?

The quality of the finished compost is dependent on the composition of the initial mix of raw materials. In the case of horse manure, the type and amount of bedding collected along with the manure predetermines the quality of the compost product. In all cases, less bedding is always preferred. Conversion from wood shavings to wood pellet bedding enables the horse owner to achieve a balanced Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (C:N) and in turn produce a high-quality, marketable finished product. Shavings based compost makes a suitable mulch (i.e., weed suppressor).

The horse owner who considers composting as a manure management strategy inevitably asks what she or he will do with the compost when they produce it. With very little effort put into marketing, the Composter soon finds that the real question is, “How do I produce compost fast enough to meet the market demand?” Depending on the finished quality, horse manure compost sells for $20 to $40 per cubic yard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is a “cubic yard”?

A. A cubic yard is a volume of any material that measures 3-feet by 3-feet by 3-feet. It is a standard measure when dealing with landscaping materials such as compost, bark mulch, sand and gravel, etc. The math is easy, even for those with math-phobia.

One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet (i.e., 3-ft x 3-ft x 3-ft = 27 ft3). To determine the number of cubic yards in a larger volume, multiply the length, width and height of the volume in feet and then divide by 27. For example, a pick-up truck bed that measures 6-feet long, 4.5-feet wide and 2.5-feet high has a volume of 67.5 cubic feet. Therefore it follows that 67.5 cubic feet divided by 27 cubic feet per cubic yard equals 2.5 cubic yards.

When to Start Composting?

Late summer / early fall is an excellent time to set-up your compost system. First, there is still sufficient daylight and good weather to construct your system and set-up your first few batches before winter sets in. Second, you can set aside your finished compost in preparation for the spring market. And third, you can begin to market your finished product through your local garden club and to local landscapers and nurseries. Marketing assistance is included as an integral part of the O2Compost Training Program.

The World of Opportunity

In the world of composting, there are numerous organic waste materials that are too wet to be composted alone and therefore need to be amended with a dry “bulking agent”. Horse manure / bedding often makes and excellent bulking agent, given that it is typically dry and provides structure and porosity to the initial mix of materials. Examples of wet organic waste materials include dairy manure, poultry (layer) manure, spring grass clippings, food wastes, biosolids, etc. This leads to creative partnering opportunities for those who are interested in the business of composting or for those who are not inclined to set-up a compost system on their own farm. Take a look around your community to see if there are other farms or business that are struggling with their organic waste materials. With our O2Compost Training Program and your horse manure, you may have a solution to their problems.

Three Marketing Hints

1. Allow yourself to be excited about your compost and talk about it with anyone who will listen. Genuine enthusiasm is a wonderful way to sell your product.

2. Never give your compost away for free. People need to know that it has real value. If you do give some of your compost away, state that it is worth $25 / cubic yard, and that you will be calling them to find out how it worked in their garden, and that you will be using their testimonial in your marketing campaign. They need to earn their “free” compost.

3. During the winter months, donate a pick-up truck load (2 cubic yards) of your compost to a charity auction in your community. This will work particularly well if there is a cross over with the local garden club, as these folks go nuts for high quality compost.

Coming Events ...

November 2004
Cancelled - Equine Affaire – Springfield, MA. We thought that we had a booth lined up, but this Expo has been so successful that 98% of the vendors return each year. We are hopeful to be at this event in 2005.

December 2004
Washington Landscape and Turf Seminar – Bellevue, WA / Vendor Booth and Presentations.

January 2005
Equine Affaire – Pomona, CA / Vendor Booth and Presentations. Notification will be sent out to our west coast mailing list.

April 2005
Equine Affaire – Columbus, OH / Vendor Booth and Presentations. Notification will be sent out to our mid-west mailing list.

June 2005
Cal Expo – Sacramento, CA / Vendor Booth and Presentations. Notification will be sent out to our west coast mailing list.

September 2005
Equine Affaire – Louisville, KY / Vendor Booth and Presentations. Notification will be sent out to our mid-west mailing list.

November 2005
Equine Affaire – Springfield, MA / Vendor Booth and Presentations. Notification will be sent out to our east coast mailing list.

Comments and Suggestions

We would love to hear from you with your comments and suggestions. This newsletter is designed to be free-form and therefore we fully expect to evolve as time goes on. Your input would be much appreciated.

Training Workshops

Beginning this summer, O2Compost will offer two one-day training workshops for everyone who purchases one of our Compost Training Programs. The first training session will focus on the basic principles of composting along with system design, construction and start-up. The second session will take place six to eight weeks following the first, and will review experiences from the start-up process, laboratory test data, and marketing of the finished compost. Initially, the classes will be held in southern and northern California and Washington State. Additional workshoplocations are also being considered in Florida, North Carolina and Massachusetts. Anyone participating in the Training Workshops can attend at any of the locations offered.

Questions about Composting

If you have questions about composting and our training programs, I encourage you to visit the rest of our web site – chances are the answers to your questions “lie within”. If you still have a burning question, please relay it via our “contact us” page and I will e-mail a response. If it’s a really good question, I will include it in our next newsletter and add it to our “FAQ” page.

Newsletter Notification

If you would like us to notify you when our next newsletter is published, please send a note requesting to be added to our mailing list. We will not distribute your e-mail address to anyone nor use it for any other purpose. Also let us know if you would like us to add the addresses for your friends, family, work associates, fellow club members, etc. Any help that you can offer to spread the word about composting is much appreciated.

Exotic Applications for O2Compost Composting Systems

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:12 -0700

Woodland Park Zoo – Seattle, Washington
Mixed manure and bedding from herbivores, including elephants, giraffe, gazelle, etc.
The zoo has traditionally used a turned windrow method, however, the cost of labor and the challenges of odors has caused management to test an aerated compost system. The zoo is currently designing an aerated compost bay system.

Mink Farm – British Columbia, Canada
O2Compost provided system design, aeration equipment, and operator training for this project. Mink manure, which is very high in nitrogen, is removed from the hutches twice each year. In this system, the manure is mixed with horse manure and bedding to balance the C:N ratio of the initial mix. In the first batch of compost, all three criteria were successfully met.

Full Circle Farm, Carnation, Washington
Organic Produce and Herbs
This compost system is currently in the planning stages and will consist of an aerated bay system plus 6-months curing and storage. Compost feedstock materials will consist of farm residuals combined with horse manure from local stables. The objective is to produce upwards of 2,500 cubic yards of compost per year, all of which will be utilized on the farm.

Contact O2Compost

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:12 -0700

Contact O2Compost

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. To learn more about O2Compost and our Training Programs, please fill out the following form. Doing so allows us to gain a better understanding of your unique situation. We can then contact you with suggestions and documentation that is specific to your needs. We look forward to hearing from you!

Mailing address:
O2Compost
Price-Moon Enterprises
PO Box 1026
Snohomish, WA 98291

Physical address:
O2Compost
Price-Moon Enterprises
127 Avenue A, Suite 2A
Snohomish, Washington 98290

Telephone: (360) 568-8085

Toll Free: (800) 611-3718

Peter Moon - P.E., Owner
peter@o2compost.com

Sherri Maben - Training Program Coordinator

Harold Rupert - Technical Support
harold@o2compost.com

Compoting Bins FAQ

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:11 -0700

Frequently Asked Questions about Composting Bins
Why do the bins come apart?

The bins do not have to come apart. We thought that if the bin could be disassembled, you could set it up in the area you plan to use the finished compost to minimize handling. Also, after 30 days of active composting, you could remove the bin and reassemble it to begin another batch, while allowing the first composted pile to sit and cure for an additional 30 days. Removing the bin will also allow you to easily pick up and transport the compost with a tractor.

After the 30 days of curing is complete, can the bin be reused to start another batch?

Here is my thinking on how to best operate the system. Once you have completed the active phase of composting, the four sides of the bin are disassembled, moved to a new flat location, and reassembled. It can then be filled either daily (i.e. progressively) with fresh manure, or immediately with stockpiled manure (although it shouldn't be much over 30 to 60 days old). The manifold can be moved and if you want to go to the trouble of recovering the pipes beneath the original pile, these too can be reused. Alternatively, you can simply use new sections of aeration pipe to connect up with the original manifold.

Do you recommend installing more than one bin?

The ideal setup would be a three-bin system. One bin would be filling while the second is composting and the third is curing. Three bins would allow for continual rotation with the air flow being diverted from one bin to the next as needed.

Should the bin(s) be constructed on a cement slab?

The idea of the micro-bins it to keep aerated composting as simple as possible. Concrete will help but it is not critical to the composting process. With regard to water quality, we always want to prevent compost leachate from entering standing or flowing bodies of water. I think that level ground is a more important factor than soil vs. concrete. If you bin is placed on level ground, the forces induced by the compost on the side walls of the bin will be less likely to cause it to slump to one side.

Why is only the front panel braced?

The front panel has a horizontal brace so that the upper section can be cut and temporarily removed to make it easier to lift the manure into the bin. It is only replaced as the manure reaches the top.

What is the purpose of the valve?

When the valve is placed between the blower and bin, it allows you to control the volume of air going into the bin which allows further control of the pile temperature. When one blower is used to provide air to two bins, it allows you to adjust the proportion of air going to the "old bin" and "new bin", which requires additional oxygen at the early stages of composting.

Is it better to buy the optional manifold from you or can I purchase the materials locally?

All of the parts for the aeration manifold should be readily available at your local hardware store. The training manual specifies which parts to purchase and the related lengths of pipe to cut. We offer the manifold kit as a convenience for those prefer not to go to the effort to obtain, cut, and assemble the materials.

Is glue recommended on the couplings and pipes for the interior of the bin?

Glue is not necesssary. I would recommend using duct tape if you have problems with pipe separation.

How long can unprotected plywood be expected to last?

Marine grade or treated plywood will certainly last much longer than untreated. Unfortunately, I do not yet have a good idea of how long the wood can be expected to last. Unless the plywood delaminates because of exposure to wet conditions, I would guess that it will last at least a year.

We rarely experience freezing temperatures. Is the insulated bin necessary?

If you seldom experience freezing temperatures, the insulated bin will likely not be necessary. However, our objective with composting is to achieve temperatures of 131oF for a minimum of three days. During periods of prolonged cold weather, this may be difficult to achieve in which case insulated wall panels may be warranted.

Does the manure pile need watering on a routine basis after the blower is started?

The right moisture content is critical and during the summer months, desiccation is a problem. to prevent overdrying, one option would be to construct a simple 8' x 8' frame made out of 2" x 2"s with corner bracing. Use a staple gun to attach a layer of plastic sheeting (visqueen) to the frame. The frame could lay flat on the fresh, wet surface. To add new manure, prop up the frame (front side up). After the new manure has been added: rake flat, wet down, and lower the frame back in place.

What if we get a lot of snow or rain - will it affect the system?

Yes. Too much rain or snow can affect the pile temperature which, in turn, impedes the effectiveness of the aeration. If you anticipate either of these conditions, we recommend placing a tarp over the top of the bin while it is filling. Once the bin is completely full and you're ready to turn the air on, put a 6" layer of sawdust or bedding on the top before replacing the tarp.

How do I know when the curing is complete and that bin is available for its next load?

You can most easily tell when compost is well cured by the way it looks and smells. It should have a dark, uniform texture and it should have a gentle, soil-like fragrance. A sharp or sour odor indicates that it is not done. In an ideal world, earth worms will find it and further enhance the quality.

What if I decide to convert from the small, portable system to a larger, permanent system?

All Beta-Test Participants are eligible for a $500 discount on an O2Compost Bin or Bay Training Program. In some cases, participants may discover that a small portable compost system does not meet their operating requirements and that a larger, permanent system becomes a “must-have” item. In this case, we are ready to rebate the cost for your Beta-Test program in exchange for the original Starter Kit blower, timer and temperature probe.

Wood Pellets as an Alternative to Animal Bedding Material

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:10 -0700

Wood Pellets as an Alternative Animal Stall Bedding Material

A Research Update by Peter Moon, P.E.

Over the past five years, I have been researching alternative stall bedding materials for horse farms and stables with the hope of finding a product that performs as well or better than straw or wood shavings and can be composted to produce a superior, marketable finished compost product. In my opinion, wood pellets achieve these goals and will soon become the next generation in horse bedding nationwide. I am excited to pass along some information about horse manure composting and the use of wood pellets as an alternative bedding material.

Bedding the Stall with Wood Pellets

There are a number of ways to set up a stall with wood pellets; however, the following series of steps seems to work quite well in most situations:

Clean out the stall down to the floor (dirt, wood, concrete, rubber mats).

Place the contents of three to five bags (40-pounds each) in the center two-thirds of the stall, and spread the pellets out to an even depth of roughly 2 inches. Alternatively, you may also locate the bedded area where the horse prefers to “go”. The number of bags used will depend on the size of the stall, climate, horses’ habits, and personal experience from working with the bedding.

Next, lightly moisten the pellets with 2 to 3 gallons of water to initiate their opening to a "fluffy" consistency. (I think this is the secret to success with wood pellet bedding.) The water serves to break down the resin sheen on the sides of the pellet. The amount of water used will depend on the humidity of your area and may vary at different times of the year.

For deeper bedding, you may choose to add one or two more bags on top and again moisten with 1 to 2 gallons of water. Deeper bedding is not always advantageous, and therefore some experimentation is appropriate to optimize product use. Because they are highly absorbent, it’s OK to be stingy with wood pellets.

Within 20 minutes of wetting, the bedding will expand to approximately 3 to 4 times its original depth and it will take on a much softer texture and a whitish color. It will continue to “grow” somewhat over the course of the first week.

Approximately once a week, up to 1 bag of new pellets will need to be added to compensate for the amount of manure and saturated bedding taken out of the stall. Note: these new pellets should be scattered evenly and do not need to be wetted down when they are added to the mix. Many horse owners who use pellets strip the stalls once every two or three months, instead of weekly, thereby saving a considerable amount of waste volume and significantly reducing the cost of bedding and labor.

Because the solid manure separates so easily from the fine wood fibers, very little of the bedding is actually removed from the stall. The urine saturated areas should be removed entirely, leaving only dry to moist bedding (Key: Do not scatter the saturated bedding, as some brands suggest, as this will lead to ammonia odors and necessitate mucking out the entire stall before the material has been fully utilized).

Which Brand of Wood Pellet to Buy

Many people ask me which brand of wood pellets are best for horse bedding, and whether a wood stove pellet can be substituted to save on cost. Allow me to attempt to answer this question by beginning with a brief history of wood pellet production, based on conversations with people whom I consider to be reputable wood pellet manufacturers in British Columbia, Canada.

Wood Pellet History

The concept of wood pellet production came about many years ago as a way to utilize thousands of tons of waste sawdust from the wood products industry. They were originally used as a fuel source for large boilers and later for home owners with smaller wood pellet stoves. The quality of wood fuel pellets is determined in part by the moisture content (typically very low at 3 to 4%), the BTU value, and the ash content after combustion. It is my understanding that a wide variety of wood types are used for producing wood fuel pellets, and that the percentages of any one type will depend largely on availability. It is also rumored that wood stove pellets occasionally include fine sawdust from furniture and cabinet manufacturers as well as glues and resins used in the fiberboard and laminate industry.

Wood pellets used for horse bedding originally involved the same exact wood pellets as used for fuel. Because of dust problems with many of these products, further refinement in the manufacturing process lead a few producers to a pre-screening step to remove the finest dust fraction.

Much of my experience with wood pellet bedding involves various brands manufactured in British Columbia, Canada. These brands are most frequently produced from pine sawdust, where northern lodge pole pine is common in the wood products industry. Because the source of pine sawdust is abundant and highly controlled, these materials are considerably purer and more predictable than wood stove pellets.

Wood pellets for horse bedding is a rapidly evolving industry, with more manufacturers coming on-line each year. As high-quality shavings become increasingly difficult to obtain, and the cost of manure management continues to increase, I believe wood pellet bedding will become the norm within the next few years.

Deciding Between Brands of Wood Pellets

Having said all of that, I find that the decision of the type and brand of wood pellet to use (e.g., fuel pellet or horse bedding pellet) is ultimately a subjective one, and should be determined based on experimentation and personal preference. For those inclined to research, a few telephone calls to three or four manufacturers may help clarify the decision.

What you will definitely experience with any brand of wood pellet is a dramatic reduction of waste volume; often exceeding 60% to 70% when compared to shavings and considerably more when compared to straw. This point is of key importance in developing and implementing an effective manure management strategy. My suggestion is to try a wide variety of wood pellets and decide which works best in your situation.

Economics of Using Wood Pellets

I also urge you (no, implore you) to not make your decision based on product cost alone, as many other factors come into play, including dust, moisture holding capacity, ease of handling, and longevity. There are also many other factors to consider when evaluating the total economics of a manure handling system, including product availability and predictability; storage and handling; and labor to place bedding, muck stalls and transfer waste to the receiving area. Finally, compost produced from horse manure and wood pellet bedding yields a far superior compost and hence it has a higher market value.

Wood Pellets and Composting

It is important to understand that the materials going into the compost pile predetermine the quality of the compost that comes out of the pile. Horse manure alone (i.e., no bedding) makes excellent compost, increases soil health and moisture holding capacity, and stimulates plant growth. Horse manure has the correct Carbon to Nitrogen balance (C:N), moisture content and bulk density (i.e., porosity).

In the case of horse manure mixed with shavings, the initial compost mix has a very high percentage of carbon based bedding material and this results in high carbon compost. This often results in nitrogen “fixing” in the soil, which can be detrimental to plant growth. For this reason, high carbon compost is often used as a mulch (i.e., top dressing) and generally has a lower market value. Also, the lignin in the wood is very resistant to decomposition, leading to the expression, “Shavings In – Shavings Out”.

With horse manure and wood pellet bedding, there is a significant reduction in volume of wood mixed in with the manure and therefore it is much closer to the ideal C:N ratio. In addition, the wood particles that are in the waste are fine textured (i.e., have a very high surface area), thereby exposing more of the wood surface to the microbial (bacterial and fungal) activity. As a result, the rate of composting increases dramatically and the finished product quality is far superior to that of shavings-based compost.

I work closely with researchers at the Washington State University Cooperative Extension Service, in Puyallup, Washington. They are very interested in the fate of horse manure in urbanized areas, potential impacts to surface and ground water, and benefits to the soil when these materials are composted and used as amendments for both food and ornamental crops. WSU recently completed a series of laboratory tests involving raw and composted horse manure, with both wood pellets and wood shavings used as bedding material. The results of this investigation are summarized in the following table.

Treatment Total C % Total N % C:N Moisture % Ammonium
Mg / Kg
Raw Wood Pellets / Manure 42 1.3 32 69 4,235
Composted Pellets / Manure 26 1.5 17 40 97
Raw Wood Shavings / Manure 46 1.0 46 62 2,848
Composted Shavings / Manure 48 0.7 69 67 78

With a mix of manure and wood pellets, the Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (C:N) of the finished product is below 20:1, and as such the nutrients contained in the compost will be released to the soil and plants. In the case of shavings / manure mix, the C:N is nearly 70:1, and in this case nutrients will be drawn from the soil to continue the decomposition of the wood fraction. This latter condition is clearly disadvantageous in every regard.

It should be noted that in both cases the compost tested was produced using the aerated static pile method, which induces airflow through the mix of materials to maintain aerobic conditions throughout the pile and enhance microbial activity. By maintaining aerobic conditions, odors were controlled, pathogens and weed seeds were destroyed, and the composting process was expedited. In both cases, the material was handled just twice: the first time to place the waste into the aerated bin or bay and the second time to remove it again and load it out for final use.

Pellet Manufacturers

I have provided an alphabetical list of links to wood pellet manufacturers. This is not a comprehensive list, and I would be interested to learn of any other brands that can also be included. Please send them to me if you come across other brands, and I will add them to the list.

ABM
Dry Den
Equi-Litter
Equinepine
Guardian Horse Bedding
Horseman's Choice Horse Products
Lone Star Bedding
Norstar Pellet Bedding
Pine Stall Horse Bedding
Pinnacle Pine Horse Bedding
Woody Pet
Decide for Yourself

The best way to determine whether wood pellets are a suitable and economic choice for your stable is to conduct two quick and easy experiments:

Experiment #1 – Bench Scale

Place 1 cup of your bedding material (tightly compacted) in a one-gallon size zip lock bag.

Place 1 cup of any wood pellet product (horse bedding or fuel) in a second one-gallon size zip lock bag.

Add 1 cup of water to each of the bags, seal and observe continuously for 5 minutes and then again at the end of 30 minutes. I believe that you will be amazed at the difference in absorption.

Experiment #2 – Stall Scale

Select two stalls, one with a horse that has "good manners" and one with a horse that is "a pig".

For two weeks, use your current bedding material in these two stalls and muck them out in your normal fashion. During this time, estimate the volume of waste material that comes out of these two stalls (i.e., how full is the wheelbarrow, or how many wheelbarrows?) and monitor how long it takes to do a thorough job.

Next, strip both of these stalls down to the rubber mats and set them up with wood pellets, as described at the top of this discussion. Use a wood pellet product of your choice (i.e., fuel pellet or horse bedding pellet). I have found that the brand of wood pellet is a matter of availability and personal preference.

During the next two weeks, clean the two stalls out with a manure fork (apple picker) to pick up the solids and a square nosed shovel to collect the urine-saturated areas. This may require some practice, but this will come in handy later when you instruct the stall cleaner how to avoid over-cleaning the fresh bedding materials. As before, estimate the volume of waste material generated and monitor how long it takes to do a thorough job.

Compare the total volumes and times at the end of the one-month trial. Use these numbers to project the total volume reduction and time savings for your total operation.

Lastly, give me a call and let me know how it worked out for you. The information that you derive from this experiment will serve as the basis for sizing an aerated compost system appropriate for your farm or stable, and I may include the data on this page at some future date.

"Disclaimer"

It is important for you to know that I am not a "horse person" as such. I’ve been around horses for years, but most people introduce me by saying, "I’d like you to meet Peter Moon - he’s the manure guy that I was telling you about". In terms of wood pellet quality, I rely on other people’s experience and opinions (and sales pitches), and I have tried to pass along only the most credible information. In terms of the manure (i.e., the raw materials that go into the compost pile and the finished compost that comes back out), you can count on me for a well informed appraisal.

I do not market or endorse any particular brand of wood pellets. My goal is to minimize the amount of carbon that goes into the compost pile, regardless of the bedding type. Zero bedding is preferred overall. Further, I am interested in helping stable owners minimize the cost of their manure management obligation. My ultimate goal is to help horse owners realize a positive return on their investment in my compost systems, and to develop a new profit center for their business, farm or stable.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide this information on the benefits of composting horse manure and wood pellet bedding. I believe that this is a higher and better use of these materials and represents a “Full-Cycle / Recycle” opportunity. It also provides the horse owner / stable manager the possibility of decreasing expenses and creating a profit center for the farm.

For further information, please refer to Training Programs or call me at 800/611-3718.

Peter Moon

Composting Spring 05 Newsletter

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:10 -0700

Hot Topics

The O2Compost Newsletter

By Peter Moon, April 2005

Welcome to Our New Web Site

I am pleased to unveil our new web site. While we received many compliments on our previous site, I felt that it needed to reflect a broader application of basic composting principles and provide many more examples of agricultural and non-agricultural composting systems. As before, I wanted to include a great deal of information about composting in general. Given that you have taken time to visit the site, I wanted you to benefit from the experience and to pass the link on to your family, friends and colleagues.

To keep the site fresh, my plan is to publish a new “Hot Topics” newsletter every two months and include a discussion of new systems that have come on line along with pertinent information about the world of composting. This will be a somewhat open forum, so I encourage your comments, suggestions and questions. I will respond to these in future Newsletters.

New O2Compost Systems Come On-Line

Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA.

In October 2004, I had the opportunity to work with the folks at Virginia Tech - Dairy Sciences Department. They had recently completed construction of their new research facility and had brought in 100 of the projected 250 dairy cows. The manure is handled through a flush system and the solids are removed with a roller press manure solids separator provided by Integrity Nutrient Control Systems of Chambersburg, PA. This is an aerated static pile system conducted under roof cover.

Of all the compost projects that I’ve been involved with over the years, this one was hands down the most fun. With this project, we achieved desired temperatures in 2 days, controlled odors and flies, expedited the composting process and produced a very high-quality finished product in less than 60 days. The university is now beginning to sell their compost on a wholesale basis to landscapers and nurseries in the Blacksburg vicinity.

Ross Farm Museum, New Ross, Nova Scotia, Canada

Ross Farm is a living museum that demonstrates how farming was accomplished with horses when the region was first homesteaded. With an abundance of livestock, the farm needed a way to better manage the manure and spent bedding on a year round basis. They were also interested in the possibility of converting this “waste” into a profit center to finance other projects on the farm.

The aerated compost bins were constructed with rough-hewn lumber that was milled on-site. Construction of this system was completed in early January and the first batch was started in early February. With air temperatures ranging from -20o to +32oF, the pile temperatures came right up with the careful addition of air. Given the farm manager’s commitment to work with O2Compost and follow the protocol in our Training Program, this project has been a complete success.

Myers Performance Morgans, Binghamton, New York

Myers Performance Morgans is a newly constructed equestrian center in central New York State. The arena is enclosed by a Cover-All structure and the compost facility is a concrete block aerated bay system that will also be covered with a Cover-All building later this summer. The bay system is constructed into the hillside, thereby allowing for a “top-down” delivery of manure and bedding into the bays. Despite very cold winter conditions and some trepidation on the part of the owner’s assistant, pile temperatures came right up, as planned. Because compost is highly self insulating, once the appropriate rate of airflow is established, heat is easily retained within the pile, even when the surface of the pile becomes frozen.

Please visit the page titled “Applications” for more examples of O2Compost Systems.

The Perfect Stall - and more …

In November, one of my clients referred me to “The Perfect Stall”, a web site that I find quite intriguing. This site offers a book by the same title, written by Dr. Karen Hayes, a horse veterinarian in Haden Lake, Idaho. The book is written in a very conversational tone, and features a thorough discussion of all the components that make up the perfect stall, including:

Perfect Stall Fronts

Perfect Bedding

Perfect Feeders

Perfect Waterers

Perfect Ventilation

Perfect Lighting

Perfect Surveillance

Perfect Auxiliary Fly Control

Perfect Auxiliary Odor Control

I contacted Dr. Hayes and talked with her about the O2Compost Training Program and how we help horse owners all over the United States and Canada resolve their manure management issues and convert “Problems into Profits”. She became so intrigued that we agreed to install one of our systems on her farm for her to test. She is also dedicating a chapter on our compost system in her upcoming book, “PERFECT SOLUTIONS... to practical horse-care problems”. A book titled “The Perfect Compost System”, co-authored by Dr. Hayes and myself, is now in the planning stages and is expected to be available through her web site in September 2005, and in book stores nation-wide shortly thereafter.

To order any of Dr. Hayes’ books, simply click here: www.theperfectstall.com

The World of Composting is Expanding

As you can see in our header, O2Compost provides compost system design and operator training programs for all varieties of organic wastes. To learn more about specific types of organic by-products that can be composted, click on the pictures above or click on the word “applications” and you will be taken to a set of new pages with photographs and brief descriptions.

O2Compost is also exploring opportunities in Europe and Asia. I have been invited to participate with three others to lead a series of discussions with several universities and people from the wine industry in France and Italy. The topics will include: microbiology and the soil food web, on-farm composting, vermi-composting, and the use of compost tea. Assuming that this junket actually comes together, I’ll be sure to let you know how it all works out.

New Regulations for Managing Horse Manure

Since the first of the year, I have had the opportunity to travel to three major horse centers in the United States, including: Orange and San Diego Counties, CA; Will County, IL; and Marion County, FL. In all cases, representatives of the County Conservation Districts (CD) and the Federal Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) have clearly indicated that they expect new regulations to be adopted to require horse owners to comply with federal and state water quality standards.

Unfortunately, the defense “But we’ve always done it that way” will no longer work in most situations. Some counties are responding to federal dictates and others seem to be responding more to neighbor complaints. All in all, the fact remains – times are changing and horse manure will need to be managed in accordance with a clearly written plan or the stable / training facility / clinic may be shut down for non-compliance. Ultimately, it’s all about water quality, and it’s safe to say that we all support a cleaner environment.

When will this take place? It will vary from region to region, based on a wide array of factors. It’s happening right now in Southern California and it is about to begin in central Florida. After talking with many horse owners at recent Equine Affaire Expos (i.e., Pomona, CA and Columbus, OH) I sense that some horse organizations are trying to take a proactive stance while many others are ignoring the situation or dragging their heals. My opinion is that it is always better to be pro-active and take charge of your future than it is to be reactive and fight inevitable change.

Our mission at O2Compost is to help horse owners properly manage manure, protect ground water and surface water quality, and convert an operating expense into a new profit center for their farm or stable. To learn more, please visit the “Services” page of this web site.

Coming Events and Presentations

June 10-12, 2005 – (Cancelled due to College Graduation)

Cal Expo – Sacramento, CA

Vendor Booth and Presentations.

I’m very sorry to be missing the Cal Expo this year, but my daughter, Allison, is graduating UC Santa Barbara that weekend and we will be helping her celebrate this amazing achievement. Please look for me again in 2006 – we will have several new compost systems up and running in the Sacramento area and will have guided tours of two or three.

September 16–18, 2005

Equine Affaire – Louisville, KY

Vendor Booth and Presentations. Notification will be sent out to our mid-west mailing list.

November 18-19, 2005

Florida Equestrian Celebration

Jacksonville, Florida

December 1 – 4, 2005, Ocala, Florida

Horse Smart Series Conference

Vendor Booth, Workshop and Field Demonstration

(to be rescheduled due to Hurricane disaster relief efforts)

Questions about Composting

If you have questions about composting and our training programs, I encourage you to visit the rest of our web site – chances are the answers to your questions “lie within”. If you still have a burning question, please relay it via our “contact us” page and I will e-mail a response. If it’s a really good question, I will include it in our next newsletter.

Newsletter Notification

If you would like us to notify you when our next newsletter is published, please use the form on the Newsletter main page. We will not distribute your e-mail address to anyone nor use it for any other purpose. Also let us know if you would like us to add the addresses for your friends, family, work associates, fellow club members, etc. Any help that you can offer to spread the word about composting is much appreciated.

Composting Spring 04 Newsletter

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:09 -0700

Hot Topics

The O2Compost Newsletter
April 1, 2004

Welcome to the first edition of Hot Topics, the new O2Compost Newsletter.

This is the place where we talk about new systems that have come on-line, recent advances in the world of composting, upcoming events and answer frequently asked questions.

This is intended to be an open forum, so please feel free to comment. At the bottom of this page, you’ll find a place to register for updates to this newsletter, to ask questions and to provide comments and suggestions.

A New Name & A New Look

If you’ve visited our web site before, you will notice that we’ve changed our name twice over the past three years. We started out as Price-Moon Enterprises, Inc. (PME), however this side of our business has evolved to provide engineering consulting services to municipal, industrial and large agricultural clients. The second generation of our web site became ACS / Aerated Compost Systems, but that didn’t seem to hit the mark either.

Late last year, I created a new division of PME - O2Compost. This is the side of our business that is devoted to training new composters how to do things right the first time, to resolve the hassle and expense of manure disposal, and to convert this “resource” into a value added product – cash value.

I chose the name “O2Compost” because we utilize a method of composting that induces airflow through the mix of materials being composted. In fact it is the oxygen in the air that stimulates the microbes to flourish and produce heat as one of their by-products. This results in high temperatures throughout the pile, which in turn destroys parasites, pathogens and weed seeds. By controlling the amount of airflow into the pile, we can control the temperature and thereby optimize the composting process. Aeration also allows us to control odors and flies.

New O2Compost Facilities Come On-Line

Smallest Compost System for Two Horses

Don and Candy Trueblood, in Santa Ana, California have taken the O2Compost aerated bin design and down-sized it to the smallest scale aerated bin system to date. Each of the three bins measures 4’ x 4’ x 4’ (~2.5 cubic yards) and accommodates approximately 2-weeks of manure and wood pellet bedding from their two horses. Their system stair steps down a gentle slope and is backed by an existing masonry block wall.

Initially, we over-aerated the material and caused the pile temperature to drop off precipitously. With technical assistance provided by O2Compost, we adjusted the airflow and pile temperatures in the first batch came right up to the desired levels (i.e., over 131oF) within two days after making adjustments to the system. In addition to managing the manure systematically, there are no perceptible odors or flies from the “manure pile”.

This is of particular importance because the compost bins are located in Don and Candy’s backyard, within 50-feet of their house. They plan on using all of their compost in their garden to dramatically improve the decomposed granite soils that is so prevalent throughout the Southern California area.

Turley Wine Cellars

Over the past two years, O2Compost has provided compost training and technical assistance to Turley Wine Cellars, to compost the grape pumace following each harvest season. O2C has worked closely with Mr. Larry Turley at the St. Helena, California winery and Mr. Karl Wicka at the Templeton winery to manage these by-products using the aerated static pile method of composting.

Their objective in setting up the composting system is to reduce the cost of disposal and, more importantly, to produce a high quality finished compost for use in their vineyards. Turley Wine is committed to practicing sustainable organic farming practices and is a forerunner in the use of compost and compost tea to dramatically improve soil conditions and biodiversity in their vineyards. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of their grapes and wine.

The compost pile shown above is approximately 300 cubic yards in volume and is comprised of grape pumace and shredded stems, horse manure and shredded green waste. The pile is covered with a layer of finished compost to serve as an insulative blanket, biofilter and vector control layer. Pile temperatures exceeded 155oF for several weeks, thereby destroying pathogens, parasites and weed seeds in the mix. After 6-weeks of active composting, the air was turned off and the pile was left to cure through the winter months. All of this material will be spread in the vineyards using a rear-discharge manure spreader.

Pebble Beach Equestrian “Returns to Earth”

With assistance provided by O2Compost, the horse manure and bedding from Pebble Beach Equestrian has a new home in the Salinas Valley. The newly formed company, Return to Earth (R2E), takes this feedstock material from 100+ horses to a 1-acre greenhouse and composts it under cover using an innovative version of the extended aerated static pile method. The R2E facility will also accommodate the peak flow of manure and bedding from the many hunter-jumper competitions held each year at Pebble Beach, with as many as 400 horses contributing to the flow materials over 2- to 3-week periods, six times each year.

This facility will produce an estimated 5,000 cubic yards of finished compost each year. This compost will be screened to produce a fine soil amendment and a coarse mulch product. It will be sold to homeowners, landscapers and nursery operators and farms located along the Hwy 101 corridor between Salinas and Silicon Valley and throughout the Monterey Bay area - Carmel to Santa Cruz.

A portion of this compost will also be blended and screened with green waste compost from the Pebble Beach compost facility to produce a unique compost product with high organic content and moisture holding capacity. This is of particular importance in an area with predominantly sandy, nutrient deficient soils.

Future Hot Topics

June - New Directions in Compost Tea

August - Vermi-Composting / Vermi-Culture

October – Planning Ahead for the Spring Market

December - Compost & Erosion Control

Training Workshops

Beginning this summer, O2Compost will offer two one-day training workshops for everyone who purchases one of our Compost Training Programs. The first training session will focus on the basic principles of composting along with system design, construction and start-up. The second session will take place six to eight weeks following the first, and will review experiences from the start-up process, laboratory test data, and marketing of the finished compost. Initially, the classes will be held in southern and northern California and Washington State. Additional workshop locations are also being considered in Florida, North Carolina and Massachusetts. Anyone participating in the Training Workshops can attend at any of the locations offered.

Composting Applications

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:27:08 -0700

Aerated composting techniques can
be applied successfully and profitably with many different types
of organic wastes, in a variety of contexts - including agricultural,
municipal and industrial, and across a broad scale of operations
from a single 5-cubic yard aerated bin to a large-scale facility
utilizing several aerated piles producing thousands of cubic yards
of marketable product per year. This page describes some of our
past, present and near-future aerated compost applications. If
you don't see an example of an application that matches your situation,
don't panic! We develop customized solutions for the waste type,
context and scale of each client's operation. Just
give us a call!

Link to "Overview and History"

Specific Applications

Horse Farms

Nurseries, Golf
Courses, Landscape Professionals

Livestock, Dairy,
Poultry

Wineries

Fish By-Products

Vermicomposting (worms)

Exotic applications
(e.g., zoos, road kill, mink farms)

Municipal waste

Compost Aeration Primer

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:33:11 -0700

Aeration Primer

The air we breathe contains nearly 21% oxygen at sea level. When air has been introduced into an active compost pile, either by turning or through induced airflow, the oxygen level in the pile drops off very quickly - often to less than 1% within 30 to 45 minutes. This is an extremely important principle to understand, especially if your objective is to produce high-quality compost in a relatively short amount of time and with the least amount of labor.

With aerobic composting where the oxygen level is maintained at 8% or greater, the main by-products are carbon dioxide, water and heat. With anaerobic composting, the by-products include a wide variety of complex, highly odorous chemical compounds, plus water and heat. All life forms and organic systems (i.e., composting) produce some odors. However, with aerobic composting, the quality of the odor is often described as “pleasant” and the intensity as “mild”. With anaerobic composting, the odor is often “highly objectionable” and the intensity is “strong or extreme”.

Aeration is the key to successful composting! Proper aeration accomplishes the following:

Controls the pile temperature and significantly increases the rate of composting;

Mitigates problems with offensive odors, flies and rodents;

Destroys pathogens, parasites and weed seeds;

Degrades vaccines, antibiotics, worming agents and pesticides;

Produces superior quality compost with strong market value;

Is ideal for pre-composting feedstocks for vermi-composting;

Produces a compost rich in aerobic microbes, ideal for compost tea.

With aerated compost systems, the pile temperature must exceed 131oF (55oC) for a minimum period of three days to ensure pathogen destruction. The pile temperature can be easily controlled by adjusting the airflow into the pile. When air is first introduced into a static (non-aerated) compost pile, the resultant increased microbial activity causes the temperature of the initial mix to rise very rapidly, often to well over 150oF in 24 hours or less. Unfortunately, temperatures much over 160oF actually decrease the rate of composting by decreasing the number and diversity of the microbes in the pile. While it may seem counter-intuitive, additional airflow into the pile causes the pile temperature to decrease by expelling (displacing) excess heat to the environment. In short, managing the frequency, duration, and volume of airflow into the pile allows the operator to optimize the composting process.

With aerated composting, the active phase typically lasts 21 to 30 days and the subsequent curing phase lasts an additional 30 to 60 days. During the active phase, the compost is not turned and, therefore, the cost for labor and equipment are significantly reduced. The cost for power to run the blower is incidental, typically only pennies per day. The O2Compost Compost Training Program includes all of the aeration equipment required to operate a systematic and cost-effective compost operation. Each Training Program includes a high pressure / high volume blower, a timer to operate the blower, and a 36" long temperature probe.

The Compost Training Program also includes three slide gate valve assemblies for aerated bin / bay systems or a ready-to-assemble aeration manifold for aerated static pile systems.

Although not essential, the subsequent curing phase may also be aerated to produce the highest quality finished product in the shortest amount of time. Large compost systems with multiple blowers may be operated with individual timers or a simple Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) with a touch screen interface. In all cases, the O2Compost systems are very simple to operate and highly effective. Operation becomes second nature after completing the first few batches.

It is important to understand the science and technology of composting, as well as the practical "how-to’s". The O2Compost Compost Training Program presents this rather complex scientific discussion in layman’s terms and avoids the use of unnecessary scientific jargon.

Question about Heat Transfer

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:58:05 +0000

Laura Lemco, who has been operating an O2Compost system in Colorado since 2008, recently sent us this email: “People used to joke with me that I should use the heat generated by that huge compost pile to heat my house. By why couldn’t a bin heat a greenhouse?” Peter’s response: Your question about extracting heat from the compost pile is [...]

New System in Vermont

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:44:49 +0000

Birdseye Building Company has just completed this beautiful O2Compost system for one of their clients. It was designed to compliment an adjacent horse barn and manage the manure and bedding from two draft horses. Visit the Birdseye Building website to learn more about distributed raman amplifier their services.

Heat Recovery From Composting

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:00:45 +0000

Heat is the natural byproduct of the biologic process that we call “composting”. It is not at all uncommon to see pile temperatures well above 140 degree Fahrenheit, sustained for several weeks. Quite often, I am asked the question, “Can I recover some of the heat from my compost pile?” The simple answer is “Yes”, but [...]

Join the Underground Movement…

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:40:23 +0000

It All Begins at Sonoma Valley Worm Farm мебели пловдивSonoma Valley Worm Farm, located in the heart of Sonoma Valley’s beautiful Wine Country, has been selling worms and worm castings for over 35 years. They specialize in providing red worms for composting and worm castings for vineyards, gardeners and compost tea users throughout Northern California and [...]

Using Horse Manure Compost in the Fall

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:56:21 +0000

October and November are ideal months for spreading compost on your pastures and for tilling into your garden soils in preparation for next Spring. Applying compost in the fall will result in the following benefits: 1. The compost will continue to breakdown to a humus rich substance, feeding beneficial micro-organisms in the soil and enhancing the “soil food web”. 2. The [...]

Lumpy and Bumpy

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:16:06 +0000

A recent comment from one of our Micro-Bin Composters: “After 30 days, my compost is still ‘Lumpy and Bumpy’. I guess that I was expecting it to look more like a bagged potting soil mix. Am I doing something wrong?” My Response: As I understand it from several of our veterinarian clients, a horse’s digestive system is only [...]

The Curing Phase

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:12:46 +0000

QUESTION: Three weeks into the aeration process, our temperatures have dropped from 130 degrees to 80 degrees. The airflow has been increased but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Is this normal? ANSWER: It sounds like everything is going as planned. In general, heat results from the biologic activity during the first 21-30 days but [...]

Severe Winter Questions/Concerns

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:54:02 +0000

Questions posed by Jolene Fenwick of Wisconsin on April 2 - and Peter’s responses: Hi Peter… I’ve been doing some more reading on your system because I think it is a great concept for our stables. I have questions/concerns about our severe winters. Specifically, I’m wondering about: 77″ of snow thsi year and -40 degrees a [...]

Ferguson Micro-Bin

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:10:20 +0000

Deron Ferguson and Debbie Giddings of Bellevue, Washington, built their Micro-BinsÂ in March 2007 and send us their observations about the system: “We have a 3-bin rotating system in which we normally have one bin in the composting phase and another in the curing phase. Our property has some slope to it, so that gave us the [...]