Various on-ranch materials were used in 5 different compost recipes to determine which mixture would produce finished compost in the shortest time. Materials used included leaves, straw, potato vines, comfrey, pine needles, grass clippings, and cow, horse, and chicken manure.

1. COMPOST TRIALS 2013

2. Material was collected from the ranch for
use in compost trials, to see which
produced finished compost most quickly.

3. Materials included leaves, straw, potato
vines, comfrey, pine needles, grass
clippings, and cow, horse, and chicken
manure, combined in 5 different recipes.

4. Applying green leaves from fallen
branches found after a storm

5. These green leaves were removed from
fallen branches after a storm, to be used
as green material for a compost pile.

6. The green material for this pile was
freshly cut grass.

7. Using a rotary mower to mulch grass to
use as green material for compost piles

8. Using a rotary mower to mulch grass to
use as green material for compost piles

9. Using a rotary mower to mulch grass to
use as green material for compost piles

10. Preparing the ground for compost pile
trials

11. All piles start out 3' x 3'.

12. Finishing first layer of a compost pile

13. The lower layer of a compost pile
consists of fibrous, hard to break down
crop residue and straw.

14. We applied azomite mineral to help
embed the finished compost with
nutrients.

15. The brown material is finished compost.
The idea is that microorganisms from the
finished compost will inoculate the new
piles.

16. A compost pile with several layers of
alternating green and brown material

17. Compost pile with alternating layers of
green and brown material

18. Adding some biochar to a compost pile

19. A report with trial results is available free
online.