Compost
Decomposing Organic Matter.
- What is it? Comprised of a variety of decomposing organic matter, compost is an essential part of healthy soil composition. It is both the cycling of the nutrients and diversity of biology found in compost that help facilitate the availability of plant available nutrients.
- Systems: There are many different composting systems, all with various purposes. Let's explore what inputs are best for which systems, and how we can use locally sourced inputs to create the highest quality outputs.
- Inputs: Chemical free grass clippings, leaves, tree branches, woodchips, vegetable scraps, and other misc. compostable paper products and carboard.
- Cost: Free to $40/yard
- Impact: Increases soil organic matter to better facilitate nutrient processing, retain moisture and mitigate temperature fluctuation when used as a mulch.
Vermicast
Worm excrement.
- What is it? Decomposing organic matter that passes through a worm and comes out the other side, is called, vermicast. As the matter is processed through the worm, it's gut-microbiome adds unique biological benefits to this highly sought after soil amendment.
- Systems: A home system can be both affordable and scalable.
- Inputs: Non-processed vegetable scraps and compost.
- Cost: Free to a few dollars per gallon.
- Impact: Increases overall plant health and production.
Biochar
Carbon remnants of organic matter for intended use in soil.
- What is it? Any organic matter can be reduced to mainly carbon through combustion in the absence of oxygen in a process known as pyrolysis. The leftover matter maintains the original molecular matrix of it's origin, giving this carbon dominated soil amendment INCREDIBLE utility. With molecular surface area potential of up to 4,000sqft per gram, this is a must-add amendment for optimized soil function.
- Systems: From primitive to industrial, we'll focus on how our Biochar Machine is one of the easiest small-scale solutions for home made biochar in the market.
- Inputs: Cordwood, or common firewood, is most common but any organic matter can be made into biochar.
- Cost: Free to few hundred dollars per cord of firewood, typically yielding around 25% volume of input feedstock.
- Impact: Increases soil function, plant health, yields and lasts for thousands of years.
Bio Tea
Stick em' up tea, leaves to the sky.
- What is it? Commonly referred to as Compost Tea, Bio Tea is an easy to make oxygenated solution that multiplies biological life and creates readily plant available nutrients for foliar and soil drench applications.
- System: A five-gallon bucket, water, some good soil, a bit of nutrition and an aerator is all that's needed to achieve an almost exponential increase in biological density.
- Inputs: Couple handfuls of soil and a handful of microorganism food.
- Cost: Several dollars per bucket.
- Impact: Supercharges growth.
Chickens
The composter that also gives you eggs.
- What is it? We love chickens for their diversified utility, ease of care, and small footprint.
- System: A safe place to be at night and ideally a free-range or rotational graze during the day. A coop and run works just fine as well.
- Inputs: Chicken feed, water, and supplemental kitchen and garden scraps.
- Cost: Free to the sky's the limit.
- Impact: Create nitrogen rich chicken compost, year round eggs and even possibly some meat.
Mushrooms
Turn common logs into multi-year mushroom producers.
- What is it? Logs produce the highest quality mushrooms available. Diversify and supplement your diet with this incredible resource.
- System: Logs or totems for production.
- Inputs: Locally sourced healthy logs from 4-6" in diameter. Preferred tree species vary by mushroom. Sourced in dominancy before spring.
- Cost: Free
- Impact: Expect about a years worth of production per inch of diameter. That's right, each 6" log could produce on average for 5-6 years upon variety and conditions.
YouTube
Spotify
