Originally Posted by mudburn (Post 4507384)

It would behoove us to go back to the beginning of this thread to see the intent and purpose:



Notice, from the beginning (and those who have read this thread already know this), the point has been made that 'extreme composting' is a utilization of what is otherwise being thrown away and wasted. The desire and efforts are for others to catch the composting bug and participate in the process. Several posters on this thread have shared how they've been inspired by the examples and information shared. A great impact and difference is being made by sharing our individual efforts and educating many about the possibilities that exist. It would be great if everyone would recognize the value of compost and get involved; that is one of the stated desires Forerunner posited on February 22, 2010, when he started this thread.

Can a government entity do the same job? Sure. There is ample evidence of this. However, as has been stated (and miss-characterized), the government, local or otherwise, is not necessarily the best, and certainly not the only, entity to undertake "large-scale" composting. There are plenty of individuals and private entities fully capable of doing so. Why should anyone wait for the municipality to do what he/she can do? If individuals can accomplish "large-scale" composting for their own and others' use, there is no need for tax-supported government efforts. If the local gov't here was involved in composting, that would be fine, but they aren't. And, I don't believe I need to put forth effort to get the gov't involved -- it's people being involved, especially of their own volition not by compulsion, that is important.

Forerunner has described some of what he is doing. He hasn't described all of it. Some people will take exception to what they think he is doing (maybe even without reading what he's described in this thread). Composting is the focus here, not other efforts associated with responsible land husbandry/sustainability/conservation.

WT wants to know "how much is enough?" I've already answered her question from my perspective: I don't know since I haven't begun to apply compost yet. There is not an across-the-board quantifiable amount because there are many different variables involved. It is the responsibility of the individual to determine the amount and frequency of application. This is dependent upon the amount of compost one has, the type and condition of one's soil, the plants to be grown, weather, etc. A simple answer is unrealistic at this point, and even if I could provide the answer, it wouldn't necessarily apply in other cases.

Using ashes from burning biomass does provide some essential nutrients and definitely has its place. I use my ashes. I do not burn things just to produce ashes, though. Around here, the forests do not historically burn on a regular basis. They drop their leaves every year which, along with other materials, naturally breaks down and composts under the canopy. Building compost piles with unnaturally accumulated materials (i.e. concentrated at the sale barn, sawmill, horse farm, etc.) and spreading that in needed areas more closely replicates the natural process as it occurs here. The piles just allow more control and speed up the process, making it more manageable. I don't consider ashes and compost as equivalent -- compost provides humus that ashes do not.

To return to the original topic and purpose of the thread (not that some of the tangents aren't beneficial), last week the guy who runs the local sale barn asked me about their dead cows. A rendering plant has been taking them (the sale barn pays for the disposal), but as of July, they will no longer be taking dead cows. No one else in the area (a wide area) will take them. They're not wanted. The other option (what they used to do) that the sale barn has is to pay for a backhoe to dig a hole to bury the dead cows. So, I've agreed to begin composting their dead animals, in essence, burying them in sawdust. I didn't ask for this opportunity; he offered it because of my efforts in hauling off their "waste", and it's a service I can provide for them. He wouldn't have even asked if I hadn't previously told him about composting animals, something he did not know anything about.

mudburn

Originally Posted by whatrset (Post 4507513)

Mudburn,
Is the sale barn transporting their dead animals to you are will you have to transport them? Awesome to get a rich N supply.

Originally Posted by wyld thang (Post 4508000)

SO will the sale barn now pay you for disposal? that's a great way to make some money.

Originally Posted by Lloyd J. (Post 4508851)

Hi All

Brand new to this forum. I've gone through this thread several times and each time I realize I am in the company of kindred spirits. I love to compost stuff and I am in awe of forerunner and mudburn!. . .

Anyways, I hope to continue reading about you guys and your operations, it's inspirational.

Originally Posted by JuliaAnn (Post 4508178)

""can't pull money out of their butt""

I've only been semi-following this thread, but I have had in mind that it's a money matter for local/municipal agencies to make and distribute compost. Problem is no, they don't have money to pull out of their butts, and to be frank, I don't want them pulling any more out of mine.

Originally Posted by Lloyd J. (Post 4508851)

Brand new to this forum. I've gone through this thread several times and each time I realize I am in the company of kindred spirits. I love to compost stuff and I am in awe of forerunner and mudburn!:bow:

Originally Posted by JuliaAnn (Post 4508178)

Problem is no, they don't have money to pull out of their butts, and to be frank, I don't want them pulling any more out of mine.

Originally Posted by NEMarvin (Post 4522048)

Hello all, new here, and love this thread! (well, most of it anyway:bash:)

I notice that some of your pictures show tarps over your piles...can you talk more about that? Is it to help increase the temps?

Thanks in advance!

Originally Posted by silverbackMP (Post 4522223)

Mudburn,

Awesome blog site on your house project; I stumbled on it looking for a different timber frame house blog I read a couple of years ago* I thought hmmm "Mudburn sounds familiar" and I clicked on your farm blog and figured it out.

Originally Posted by silverbackMP (Post 4527071)

Anyone looked at/used a "passively aerated windrow" type setup?

Originally Posted by mudburn (Post 4524919)

Silver, I'm glad you found my blogs worthwhile. Thanks for your comment.

I've talked with Thomas, the massiehouse builder, a couple of times. Great guy and an awesome house, too. He lives several hours north of here, so I haven't had opportunity to visit. I'd like to, though.

mudburn

Originally Posted by 4crumleys (Post 4511507)

Hey, I am a lurker for months now and have been composting for about 7 months. I am small time compared to some of you, just one 50 gallon drum that I have set up to spin. The problem I have is the compost forms small muddy balls. I wind up having to break these up by hand. Any suggestions?
I spin the 50 gallon drum which has air holes drilled around it at least 5 times a week. I mix in vegetable food scrapes, some leaves, and some grass clippings.

Thanks for your help

Originally Posted by Forerunner (Post 4527279)

Looks like balance has been maintained and adversity concisely thumped on the head when necessary, in my absence.

fit.

Originally Posted by Forerunner (Post 4530577)

What do the small muddy balls consist of ?
Is your moisture level too high ?

The addition of sawdust or even a little dry sand might help break up those balls and drop moisture levels. More specifics would help.
Are you in an area where you could compost on a larger, less high maintenance level ?

Originally Posted by 4crumleys (Post 4531179)

I live in eastern NC, the moisture may be high, I have extra ceder chips from dog bedding, would this work as an additive instead of sawdust? The balls them selves are about the size of a large hailstone, they are basically muddy compost. When I break them apart they don't crumble away just like mud.

Originally Posted by Forerunner (Post 4537052)

I have four different plantings of tomatoes.
They are all four in different soil situations.
The first and second plantings are in good soil, but one patch of soil lays flatter than the other and the massive amount of rain we have had this spring has taken it's toll.
Some of the plants in both early plantings look a bit like yours, Jennifer, though not as advanced.
My third planting was in typical garden quality soil, off the farm, and I even mounded up large hills to keep their roots a little better drained. They still look horrible for all the rain and cool weather.
My last planting occurred after the worst of the rains, in some of my oldest, best dirt.
That patch is just setting fruit and the foliage is beautiful.

My conclusion ? The best soils can still fail you in the event of an inch of rain every other day combined with cold weather.
The blights/fungal infestations/bacterial maladies are definitely all compounded by the wet and the cold, likely collectively and singularly.

....

Originally Posted by wyld thang (Post 4538107)

Welcome to my tomato growing world. Sometimes it's a cabbage summer, sometimes it's a tomato summer--compost ain't a magic bullet. Though it sure sweetens the pot.

Originally Posted by mudburn (Post 4545234)

I wouldn't announce how much pot you're growing on a public forum, if I were you (even if it is sweetened by compost). :shocked: :gossip:
What you smoke ain't none of my business . . .

mudburn :)

Originally Posted by wyld thang (Post 4546877)

. . . You ridicule the fact that I expressed that where I live the weather conditions vary so much from summer to summer that I have "tomato" summers(hot and dry), or "cabbage" summers (cool and wet), and it's my psychadelic halucinations that temperatures and rainfall make a difference in how heat loving plants grow?

And all you got is to laugh me (and your Forerunner's) climatic observations off as I grow the weed?

Originally Posted by mudburn (Post 4547049)

I wasn't ridiculing your climatic observations. I was having fun with your choice of words ("Though it sure sweetens the pot"). I thought it was funny. :hysterical:Still do. . . (The effect compost might have on pot is an interesting question, but, alas, one that I will not investigate firsthand.)

You've made it obvious that you think the whole thing about "extreme composting" is a testosterone-induced competition to claim to be/have the biggest and best, and I'm quite aware that you have issues with the whole idea (you're welcome to have all the issues you like, of course). Personally, I don't care who has the biggest compost pile (or the biggest balls -- I'm not much of a social dancer), just as long as mine are big enough to get the job done to my and other involved parties satisfaction. ;)

mudburn