Bark

Tree barks are a source of carbon and contain many beneficial soil building components: enzymes, minerals, active cultures of microbes including mycorrhizal species in sporulate forms. We only use certain species—mostly maple, yellow birch, pine, ash, fir, spruce, and poplar, each in their time and place. We do not use cedar, oak, or hemlock because of high tannin levels or potential plant toxicity. We know that yellow birch contains enzymes which stimulate germination and it smells of wintergreen.

Clean Leaves

We do not currently use leaves in our compost because it is difficult to get reliably clean leaves. They are frequently polluted by vehicle exhausts, road effluents, and trash. Clean leaves are desirable when available.

Late Cut Hay

We use a lot of late first cut hay as feed and bedding for our poultry. Late first cut, “land care hay”, is high carbon, high silica, imparts porosity, has seeds for bird feed from many plants, helps to maintain poultry excreta acidulate which retains protein in compost process (preventing foul odors associated with ammonia nitrogen loss from protein devolution). Long mature grass provides easy pathways for rapid mycelial development (poultry eat fungal mycelia) and sweetens compost process.

Late first cut hay has the energetic and economic advantage of allowing a single annual harvest at a time of year usually best for curing already partially dry grass as hay.

Food Residuals

We use source-separated community food residuals which consist of food preparation waste, out of date supermarket meats and produce, plate scrapings from restaurants, and institutional food services. This provides (in addition to enormous aggravation at times) diverse, high nutrient density feed for our chickens and for the compost.

Spoiled Silage

Silage for bovines becomes unpalatable when it gets exposed to air so there is always some that is discarded rather than fed. Spoiled silage is acidulating and assists to retain proteins in manures. It is also an energy source for the bio-reaction.

Mature Compost

Mature compost provides cultural continuity, the sour dough starter, the quois of the je ne sais quois. This is a key ingredient of our starting recipes. It inoculates raw compostables with beneficial biota, mitigates odors, retains nutrients, and guides the process to maturity.