posted 8 years ago
Everyday we pick up free, day old produce from a major food store. We get ALOT of produce, including lots of oranges, peppers, ear corn, pineapples and limes. What doesn't get fed to the pigs and chickens, we compost. Our simple solution is to maintain two piles, a "normal" one that works fairly quickly, and another that receives all the citrus, woody stuff, much larger woody stemmed weeds, onions and such. The second pile is at a distance and behind a gated fence so it doesn't create a raccoon problem. The second pile we just let sit and wait usually for several years. Egg shells we wash, dry and grind, then store for summer use whenever the tomatoes show signs of needing them. This is not the best solution, but with the very large complicated farm and school we run, its the simplest thing to do. We heat several buildings with wood, so we spread some of the ashes during Winter on all the gardens, and spread the rest in Spring. The animals generate a large amount of manure and the excess goes on its own pile for use as needed. We get huge amounts of wood chips delivered for free, and we gather lots of grass clippings. We layer leaves, grass, chips and manure on the gardens as we collect them. So instead of digging up the ground to dig or till things in, we continuously build up layers of material over large areas, making top soil much as happens in the woods. None of this is the "best" composting technique, but its the most effective way to manage acres on a very busy farm.
Creating sustainable life, beauty & food (with lots of kids and fun)