Why Compost?

Up until the early 1980’s crop production practices at Belvedere would have been considered “conventional”, meaning the latest agricultural technology and techniques were used exclusively. Many yield state, regional and national yield award winning crops were produced using the latest fertilizers, chemicals and irrigation practices. However, at the same time we began to notice a dramatic increase in plant disease and pest problems in both our grain and small fruit crops. This troubling trend was coupled with the economic downturn in the farming sector which made it increasingly difficult to afford the very technologies on which our production systems were based on. The farm’s very future was in doubt. Clearly, changes had to be made if the farm was to survive to see the next generation.

The Definition of Farming

Managing change a requires a clear picture of the past, present and future. Farming is nothing more than a series of conversions from solar energy to dollars. First, solar energy is converted in plants via photosynthesis. Second, in the production conversion the energy is converted into a product such as a bushel of corn or a beef cow. Thirdly, in the marketing conversion, the raw product is exchanged for a monetary value. There are many ways to accomplish these conversions with the general objective being to have more dollars left at the end than were used during the process.

Production Paradigms

During the 1980’s many of our conventional production paradigms were shattered and replaced with new ones based on a new understanding of the role of soil biology in crop production. While these concepts are not easy to explain or implement a summarization follows, at the risk of oversimplifying, contrasting the typical/conventional system to the biological/organic system.

Conventional production systems tend to be based on the industrial model where energy inputs and supplies are purchased and assembled in a factory setting. This is how most of farming functions today in North America. The typical farm today is a specialized factory producing specific commodities unlike the general farms of a couple of generations ago. Large, multinational conglomerates control and supply the inputs (seeds, fertilizers, pest control chemicals, etc.) used at the farm factory. There is an old saying with great truth, “Farmers are the only ones who buy everything at retail and sell everything at wholesale.” Given a few unfortunate twists of the weather and/or markets the farmer finds himself in an unsustainable economic situation. Federal governments realize the vital economic importance of affordable food for the general population which allows for the populace to enjoy higher standards of living. This is why western governments continue to subsidize their respective farms despite the periodic international squabbles over trade and subsidy issues. Western economies depend on low cost food and very few people producing food so that vast majority of disposable income and labor is freed for other pursuits. In order to make these economics work, the American farmer since World War II has been drawn into the vortex of ever increasing production (more bushels of corn per acre for example) by utilizing increasing amounts of technology (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) and labor efficiency (mechanization and/or lower cost immigrant labor). The conventional system is very difficult to sustain over a long period of time. Some argue that it is impossible due to environmental and economic fundamentals.

It’s All About the Living Soil

By contrast, biological production systems are based on a biological model where natural laws hold sway. Where the industrial model is linear, biological systems are based on the natural cycles that govern the environment. Growing a crop comes down to managing energy. As an example, let’s say we are going to grow a field of corn. Science informs us that to grow a given yield of so many bushels of corn, a given amount of nutrients (energy) will be needed. The conventional approach is to determine with a soil test the available nutrients. There is usually not enough nutrients to meet the yield goal. The balance is purchased and applied to the soil in the form of fertilizer. The biological approach is to understand how the nutrient cycles work and to manage them so that sufficient nutrients are made available to the corn plant without having to add synthetic fertilizers. As another example, let’s take the same corn crop with an insect infestation. The conventional approach is to eradicate the problem pests with a chemical. The biological approach is to ask why the bad bugs are there in the first place and to alter the environment with natural means to prevent the bad bugs from becoming a problem. Generally speaking, it is a contrast between a curative and a preventative methodology. The biological principle states the healthier the system the less likely a curative intervention will be needed. What this means in a biological farming system is that the soil must be maintained in as vibrant and robust state as possible. Only very recently has science begun to appreciate and understand the incredibly complex and active nature of soil life. See www.soilfoodweb.com for a more in-depth treatment of this topic. What we learned over the past 15 years about soil biology changed how we farm.

The Controlled Microbial Composting Method from Austria

Compost is one of the tools we use to improve and maintain healthy soil. The CMC composting method is one of the leading methods in the world today. It is based on rigorous science and has been validated on many farms across the world.

Start to Finish in Eight Weeks

The entire process takes about eight weeks. We usually make our compost in the late winter when it is easier to control temperature in the pile and it better fits our work schedule. It is a highly monitored intensive turning process. Temperature, moisture and CO2 respiration are monitored daily. Shown is a windrow being turned. This pile is about one week old. The “steam” is water vapor being released due to the heat generated from the extraordinary biological activity. By insuring that a minimum high temperature is maintained in the beginning all pathogens are destroyed. The turner is aerating the pile and adding water. Early in the process certain microbes break down the raw organic matter (crop residues and animal manures). Later in the process different classes of microbes reassemble the nutrients and break down metabolites into a stable clay-humus complex. A number of quality control tests are preformed to insure that the finished compost lacks any toxicities and is of the highest quality.

Compost Usage

Compost is used in conjunction with cover crops and specialized tillage to promote soil health. In the case of strawberries we have been able to eliminate the need for soil fumigation and reduce fertilizer and pesticide usage dramatically. With our compost tea extractor (which we won a national award for farmer innovation) we make compost tea, a probiotic, non-toxic crop spray. Compost tea allows us to further reduce the need for crop chemicals that are not certified organic. Our pumpkin crop benefits from both compost applied to the soil and tea applications.