Posts Tagged ‘composting’
New Resource Guide: 4 Most Common Healthy Soil Farming Practices
Did you know the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program (HSP) provides financial assistance to California farmers, growers, and ranchers for implementation of one or more HSP agricultural management practices to improve soil health, including compost & mulch application, cover cropping, no-till methods, conservation planting, and more? During the last solicitation period, CDFA allocated $67.5 million worth of HSP awards,…
Read MoreSolana Center for Environmental Innovation Honored with National Organics Diversion Program of the Year Award
Esteemed national organization US Compost Council recognizes local environmental leader and Encinitas non-profit for impacts in composting education and program implementation SAN DIEGO – The United States Composting Council (USCC) awarded the esteemed achievement award for Organics Diversion Program of the Year to Solana Center for Environmental Innovation which pioneered the first comprehensive curbside recycling…
Read MoreCompost: It’s Alive!
The physical and chemical conditions in a compost heap seem logical if you think about what compost really is: an enormous pile of food for billions of minute organisms. These microorganisms have certain chemical requirements, including carbon for energy, nitrogen to build proteins, and oxygen for respiration. The most numerous organisms in a compost pile…
Read MoreFrom the Rotline: Aerobic Composting and Anaerobic Digestion – What’s the Difference?
This was an inquiry to our community Rotline, a hotline where community members may ask composting and waste questions and receive step-by-step answers from one of our expert staff members. Rotline Question: What is the temperature range for a compost pile that has gone anaerobic? Answer: Anaerobic digestion can occur at two temperature ranges: between…
Read MoreLearnings from a Master Composter Course
These observations were originally shared by Kaitlin Mitchell of Rutabega Education and have been edited for cohesiveness. Solana Center’s Master Composter courses are a unique opportunity to gain a more in-depth understanding of the art and science of the composting process and empower participants to share this knowledge and passion with others. One participant in…
Read MoreFrom the Rotline: How Long Until My Compost Is Ready To Use?
Rotline Question: How long will it take until my compost is ready to be used? Answer: The timeline for composting depends on a number of factors. There are three basic approaches to composting which can be mixed and matched based on resources available and the composter’s goals. They are passive composting, active composting, and hot…
Read MoreWhat is an Aerated Static Pile (ASP)?
Have you seen us mention ASP compost before and wondering what it means? ASP stands for aerated static pile which is a powerful system that uses large pipes to circulate air from fans through the pile, eliminating the need to physically aerate the composting organic material. This system can manage large quantities of waste and makes it particularly suitable…
Read MoreFrom the Rotline: Are all Biodegradable Plastics Compostable?
Rotline Question: What is the difference between biodegradable plastics and compostable plastics? Answer: Plastic that is compostable is biodegradable, but not every plastic that is biodegradable is compostable. Biodegradable plastic may be engineered to biodegrade in soil or water, whereas compostable plastic refers to biodegradation into soil conditioning material (i.e., compost) under a certain set…
Read More5 Creative Ways to Source Materials for your Compost Pile
Sometimes when we want to build a compost pile, we either have a disproportionate amount of greens or browns or, don’t have enough material. What to do? Here are a few ideas to help augment your composting materials: Waste diversion is more fun with friends! Post on a community bulletin board such as Nextdoor or a community…
Read MoreThe Benefits of Composting as a Family
Teaching kids how to be responsible stewards of our home planet can start in their early years! Along with spending time in nature, composting is a great way to introduce children to the environment and the science behind many natural systems. When we teach kids how composting works and get the whole family involved, they…
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