Page 55 - Climate Compliance
P. 55
Composting
55
A main source of fertility of the intensive garden
at RVA comes from it’s compost production.
2
Compost is made by placing layers of nitrogenous (green) organic matter - such
as kitchen waste and horse manure - with carbon based (brown) organic matter
- such as dried plant material and cardboard - into a pile. This layer combination
provides the diet required by soil microbes to rapidly decompose the organic
matter in the pile. At the end of the process, a high-quality compost is produced
and provides an excellent fertiliser for hungry fruits and vegetables.
The teams have experimented with various compost systems over the years.
Currently, there is a system comprising eight compost piles that are hand turned
every week. These labour intensive piles, made up of fresh green leaves, dry brown
2 “Compost is the end product resulting from the controlled biological decomposition of organic
material from a feedstock into a stable, humus-like product that has many environmental
benefits.” Source: Organic Materials Management (2016, October 20). Retrived from www.
calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/compostmulch/CompostIs.htm.
