(Rogers and Wszelaki)

Composting is a vital component to organic farming systems, as it minimizes farm wastes, while at the same time, minimizing off-farm fertilizer inputs. Compost results from decomposition, where microorganisms break down plant and animal materials into organic material suitable for application to the soil. We are interested in investigating the amount of compost generated on our 21- acre research farm.  We are building a 3-bin composting system, where bins are set side-by-side with materials in various stages of the composting process, such as ready-to-use, in transition, and fresh waste.  We also are interested in the quality of compost we are able to produce, and will measure components such as pH, soluble salts, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, moisture content, moisture content, organic matter, particle size and bulk density.

For instructions on how to make your own three bin system, visit:

http://www.gardensimply.com/how-to-guides/build-compost-bin.php