You've heard of a trench coat...what about trench compost?

I was wondering how effective it would be to dig a trench - 5 or 6 feet wide and maybe 3 feet deep, 40 feet long or whatever, and fill it with matter that will decompose...maybe either leave it alone for a year or have a tractor with a rototiller chop it up periodically.  After a year can I expect the trench to be full of useful compost?  I would be filling it with stuff like rotting hay, spoiled food, rotten and burnt wood.

I do trench or pit composting right where I want the organic matter in the soil.  So far it works great.  I expect if you dig it up in a year you will find very fertile soil, not pure compost, because worms work on it even better when it is in a trench than in a pile, in my experience.

I would not bother to mix it with any device; the worms will do it for you.

I think that would work pretty well, in most areas.  I've seen an approach mentioned elsewhere to just compost in place and then garden on the spot later.  So it must work.  I'm just not sure about in Nevada.  It might need to have the help of some water or shade to keep the material moist enough.

Definitely want to water it when you first build it, unless the materials are very moist.  In such a dry climate, covering it with soil or a tarp or boards, etc would probably help.  At the Jordan Greening the Desert site, Geoff and the folks dig big pits and make compost in them.  I'm not sure if they ever dig it out, or if they just plant on top of it.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CnABRiPm0U