Compost Primer
Inspirational Path
Part 1: thoughtful intentions
When generating bioamendments of any kind, we need to clearly understand our local conditions and have specific goals. Many soil ecosystems are somewhat or even highly degraded. Because of that reality, compost that is teeming with life can help us restore holobionts (hosts + microbiomes) and kickstart soil ecosystem recovery.
Active (thermal) composting is not simple or straightforward. That’s the nature of living systems, and the complexity cannot be distilled into a universal recipe. A core principle of regenerative thinking is that context matters, so if anyone tells you they have an easy magic formula that always works the same way everywhere on Earth, you should be skeptical!
Having Fun
The good news is that compost-making CAN BE lots of fun, especially when we embrace the mindset of an experimenter/tinkerer and show up ready to learn and grow. There’s always something new to discover, and if we maintain a flexible and growth-oriented mindset, we can make low-stress adjustments every time we build a compost pile.
For example, if we carefully manage the key environmental variables of our compost system - moisture, oxygen, and temperature - we can adjust each pile’s organic material mix until we achieve amazing outcomes (see Operational Path). Developing compost proficiency requires that we build several piles while observing, reflecting and adapting our strategies each time (mess around and find out; MAFO).
Tackling Tension
If producing a quality bioamendment is the ONLY outcome we care about, we’ll likely find the learning processes frustrating. On the other hand, if we’re excited to constantly delve deeper and relate to the wonderful organisms that drive decomposition, we can embrace our ‘mistakes’ and ‘failures’ as worthwhile!
It often helps to start with fairly casual goals, such as dabbling in backyard composting and gardening. When producing compost for sale or commercial use, there are various regulations and complicated rules to follow (for example USDA organic standards). In other words, economic activities bring a level of intensity to the process that can be disadvantageous.
Effort, Time, Money
Active composting CAN produce excellent outcomes in a wide array of situations, but typically requires substantial investment. Passive composting is easier, but often requires more time and space. Regardless of style, you need three resources: (1) effort, (2) time, and (3) money.
Effort - applying mental and physical energy - is vital. Compost-making with minimal effort will likely generate poor outcomes. If you’re unwilling or unable to supply plenty of effort, perhaps you can find a partner who’s ready to make those investments on your behalf.
Time and money are typically required as well. However, if you have an abundance of one resource, your need for the other will be reduced. For example, if you have lots of time, you can often find organic materials (compost inputs) for free in your local area.
If you don’t have much time, but are able to purchase organic materials from a local source, you can still make amazing compost. In fact, you might pay a friend or neighbor to build and turn the pile as well. In this way, money is a potential substitute for time and vice versa.
When producing compost for personal use, there is relatively more freedom regarding temperature and turning guidelines, so we can MAFO with an open mind. For most of us, backyards are the best laboratory we will ever utilize.
After gaining proficiency in casual compost-making, scaling operations is much less stressful. While active composting is somewhat demanding, it’s a rewarding trek, if we approach the process with curiosity rather than expecting perfection.