COMPOST MAKING

[sjt01]

how much difference does sheeting it down make ?

Windrow composting is an aerobic process, sheeted down Bokashi composting is anaerobic in the main, though not as completely anaerobic as a biogas plant. I have not seen any description of what goes on biologically or biochemically in Bokashi, nor the types of organism involved.
As keeping a sheet on a silage clamp is not easy until it is fully weighted down with our winds, the last thing I want to have to deal with is plastic sheets on compost windrows, which is why I have never considered Bokashi.

 

[som farmer]

its the plastic sheet that puts me off.

its responsible for making things look 'untidy', and odd bits seem to spread over the farm.

back in may, in the flash flooding, a road hedge close by, was full of discarded plastic, mainly non ag, but down stream from a tidy village, and the source.

brought home the true extent of plastic 'pollution'. That was just a short length of a stream, expanded = massive amounts.

 

[Danieljack1991]

Any tips on how to increase the temperature, perhaps Brown/green ratio isn’t quite right

 

[ollie989898]

Saw on youtube one farm in America, put a load of dead pigs into a windrow of manure. Within two weeks days those pigs were gone. As in decomposed into nothing. Shows the difference some hot weather can make I guess.

[Bonus Volvo loading shovel footage included].

 

[som farmer]

Saw on youtube one farm in America, put a load of dead pigs into a windrow of manure. Within two weeks days those pigs were gone. As in decomposed into nothing. Shows the difference some hot weather can make I guess.

[Bonus Volvo loading shovel footage included].

the ideal way to get rid of wives, pikies etc
and it destroys DNA

over the years, odd things gone into dung heaps, never to be seen again.

 

[Spencer]

the ideal way to get rid of wives, pikies etc
and it destroys DNA

over the years, odd things gone into dung heaps, never to be seen again.

Just have to remove teeth

 

[ollie989898]

Just have to remove teeth

I dunno, I reckon within the right microbial environment teeth and bones would disappear within a surprising timeframe.

 

[som farmer]

Just have to remove teeth

police forensic scientist told us all DNA was compromised.

he was called in to the Fred West house, upset him.

 

[Brisel]

police forensic scientist told us all DNA was compromised.

he was called in to the Fred West house, upset him.

That's Gloucester for you.

 

[Spencer]

I dunno, I reckon within the right microbial environment teeth and bones would disappear within a surprising timeframe.

What about the amalgam fillings?

 

[Flat 10]

Any tips on how to increase the temperature, perhaps Brown/green ratio isn’t quite right

Yes or too dry or not enough air/mixing.

 

[ollie989898]

What about the amalgam fillings?

You must have some very posh pigs, I'll say that.

 

[paulrollings]

Sorry for the dopey question. Do you have a sense of what percentage of UK farms will have an active on-farm composting process or spread FYM/slurry directly onto fields?

I read a farming survey which suggested 25% on German farms, what do you think about our farms? Another paper I've just read looked at the opportunities and barriers to on-farm composting. The good points suggested that compost gives a slower release of nutrients, greater biological diversity, etc. From the barriers perspective to composting, the paper suggested that regulations, considerable financial and time investment, lack of experience and knowledge, and lack of the right material, very similar points discussed in this thread.

I'm curious to know what you might think. Thank you.

 

[Chris W]

Has anyone tried using AD plant digestate (solid or liquid) as the nitrogen source for their compost? By composting it with straw could I convert the anaerobic bacteria dominance in the digestate to aerobic?

 

[Wigeon]

Sorry for the dopey question. Do you have a sense of what percentage of UK farms will have an active on-farm composting process or spread FYM/slurry directly onto fields?

I read a farming survey which suggested 25% on German farms, what do you think about our farms? Another paper I've just read looked at the opportunities and barriers to on-farm composting. The good points suggested that compost gives a slower release of nutrients, greater biological diversity, etc. From the barriers perspective to composting, the paper suggested that regulations, considerable financial and time investment, lack of experience and knowledge, and lack of the right material, very similar points discussed in this thread.

I'm curious to know what you might think. Thank you.

My guess is its less than 5%, for exactly the reasons you state.

 

[sjt01]

Has anyone tried using AD plant digestate (solid or liquid) as the nitrogen source for their compost? By composting it with straw could I convert the anaerobic bacteria dominance in the digestate to aerobic?

When our FYM compost gets too dry we squirt some separated liquid digestate into it.
Just exposing the AD digestate to air will encourage the aerobic bacteria and fungi, our separated solids get quite hot self composting (we sometimes feed back this material into the digester after the aerobic stage for complete digestion).

 

[Chris W]

When our FYM compost gets too dry we squirt some separated liquid digestate into it.
Just exposing the AD digestate to air will encourage the aerobic bacteria and fungi, our separated solids get quite hot self composting (we sometimes feed back this material into the digester after the aerobic stage for complete digestion).
View attachment 1169731

Other than a small qty of turkey muck I don’t have access to large quantities of manure, historically spread large quantities of green waste compost but fed up with the plastic that now covers the farm. Got about 1000t of solid digestate in stock to replace some of the compost but wondering if I should/could improve the quality of the product. Thinking of composting straw with it, improving the C:N ratio and building a more aerobic bacteria friendly product ?

 

[Spencer]

My guess is its less than 5%, for exactly the reasons you state.

He also asked about slurry & FYM, I’d guess we have more than 5% of total uk farms with livestock

 

[Wigeon]

He also asked about slurry & FYM, I’d guess we have more than 5% of total uk farms with livestock

Oh of course, I mis read it as how many have compost making kit!

 

[Spencer]

Oh of course, I mis read it as how many have compost making kit!

In fairness we make compost of old bales.. just use digger. Nothing too technical but after a couple of years have some very nice stuff. Not much tho