About the Compost
Overview
=
Marlboro College has composted for many years yet without consistency or formal procedural guidelines. Here I will sketch out the college composting history and process to aide future students with continuing the composting tradition. This should be updated as the processes or expectations change.
History
The composting structure had been an 8x12 feet plot divided into six sections for different composting piles. The system had gates, dividers, and covers, and worked well--but was later seen as too user intensive. The Fall 2008 Farm Committee decided to add onto the original structure to allow more square footage for composting--and scratch part of the previous design. We extended the structure 16 feet wide. In the addition, farm committee members divided the space into four bays and built a roof. The most difficult part of composting at the college is getting the compost to the farm. Over the last few years, one of the Environmental Quality Committee members would walk a few 5 gallon buckets full of compost down to the farm. The college paid these committee members. The system seemed to work well except it only composted student's scrap food waste, and it ignored any food waste in the kitchen.
In the Fall 2008 semester, the Farm Committee collaborated with volunteer students and the kitchen staff to begin composting all the kitchen's waste: preparation and leftovers. Students began composting all the kitchen's scraps after an inspiring discussion between students at the Intentional Conversations. Students wanted the kitchen to waste less and increase the food quality by buying organic. Two students organized a volunteer base of over 20 community members to take compost to the farm. The volunteers consisted of students and faculty and staff. The previously paid member of the Environmental Quality Committee became the overseer of the project.
They soon realized that oversight was necessary because community members often forgot or disregarded their shift, and thus the compost didn't get taken out. In our agreement with the kitchen staff, we swore that compost wouldn't ever be left on the back dock overnight. Thus oversight became essential.
The EQC, Farm, and Food Committee members didn't sufficiently train students how to pour new compost into the pile. We need to train students at the beginning of the semester on how to properly compost. Also, it might be helpful to encourage EQC, Farm, and Food Committee members to volunteer weekly with composting. With more reliable community members involved in the weekly composting we can probably raise the group's competence. Also, the pile must be turned regularly. Early on, only Farm Committee members turned the compost. But it should be further integrated into the volunteers' habits. A Monthly Turning Event could bring people to the farm, educate them on the composting process, and encourage further involvement with the farm, environment, and food activities.
How to use the compost:
The Composting Process Students should always pour compost into the furthest left bay. Once one month has passed, it should be pured into the second bay. And after another month, it should be poured into the third bay, while moving the new first bay to the second bay. Eventually the compost will reach the fourth bay where it will sit until Springtime when compost should be applied to the garden. Most likely the fourth bay won't ever fill because with each bay transfer--and during the composting process in general--the compost decreases in square footage.
(the above written by Kenny Card 1-13-09)
