Q1: I’m Nema! Can you guess what kind of being I am?
Answer: Nematodes are tiny, worm-like animals that live in soil and compost. Most are so small that we need a microscope to see them. Even though they are tiny, nematodes play an important role in helping compost break down.
Compost is made from all sorts of organic material - food scraps, leaves, grass, fruit peels, and other kitchen and cafeteria trimmings. As these materials break down, many tiny living beings help turn them into rich, dark compost (a component of healthy soil). Nematodes are part of this busy compost community.
Some nematodes eat bacteria and fungi that grow on the old plant and food materials. When nematodes eat these organisms, they help control their numbers. They also release nutrients back into the compost when they digest their food. These nutrients can then become available to plants.
Nematodes also help move nutrients through the compost. They are part of a food web, which means that other tiny animals may eat them, further moving energy and nutrients around.
Healthy compost needs many different organisms working together. Nematodes are one small but important member of this team. Without them and other decomposers, materials would break down more slowly.
In the end, nematodes help turn food that would otherwise be wasted into something useful and something our soil really needs. They help create nutrient-rich compost that can improve soil and help plants grow. So, even though nematodes are tiny, they have a big job in nature!
Q2: This is my compost palace! What is “compost", anyway?
Answer: Composting is how nature recycles. In nature, composting happens all the time. It’s how bits of food on the ground and yard waste turn back into soil, new plants, and trees. Composting happens when tiny living things, such as bacteria and fungi, break down materials with oxygen, water, and the right conditions. The eventual result is something that can help new plants grow.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes composting’s role. Composting is important because it keeps waste out of landfills. When food waste breaks down in a landfill without oxygen, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. By composting food scraps instead, we can help lower methane emissions.
Compost also helps the environment after it is made. Adding compost to soil can help the soil hold water, reduce erosion, and nourish plants. Healthy soil amended with compost can also help reduce the need for additional amendments, like chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
At UV Super Compost Project, we see these benefits flowing to community, too. Communities with healthier soil are more able to support farms, gardens, and healthy human beings.
Instead of throwing useful food scraps into the trash, we recycle their nutrients and return them to the soil. This creates a natural cycle: plants grow, people eat the plants, food scraps are composted, and the nutrients return to the soil to help new plants grow.
By composting, people can reduce waste, protect soil and water, and help care for our planet and our local communities. Plus, who knows - you might even meet a nematode!
Q3: How many compost bins do you see? How does material move from bin to bin?
Answer: Moving compost from one bin to another is called turning. Turning is an important part of composting because it mixes the materials and adds fresh air. It also helps the compost heat up or cool down when needed. Turning gives us a chance to look inside the pile and make sure everything is working right.
Our compost systems usually have three bins under a roof. Bin 1 is where new food scraps are added. Food scraps are mixed with other materials in the right amounts to make a good compost recipe. Bin 1 can become very hot—sometimes reaching 160 degrees Fahrenheit!
When Bin 1 is full, the compost is mixed and moved into Bin 2 using a pitchfork. Before adding new food scraps, we put a layer of fluffy hay in the empty Bin 1.
Bin 2 is where the compost gets hot enough to help kill harmful germs, called pathogens, and weed seeds. The compost needs to stay above 131 degrees Fahrenheit for at least three days. This helps make the finished compost safer and healthier.
When the compost is moved between bins, we check its moisture. Compost should feel about as damp as a wrung-out sponge. If it is too dry, we add some water.
After Bin 2, the compost moves to Bin 3, where it cools down.
Next, it is moved into a long outdoor pile called a windrow. Windrows are turned several times a year. Turning adds air and moisture and helps tiny organisms called microbes break down the materials. With time, the compost becomes dark, rich, and ready to use in gardens and landscapes. Depending on how often it is turned, this can take one to two years.
Did you know that there are compost experts who think that compost making only really begins when the pile is turned out to a windrow? It takes a long time to grow good compost!
Contact us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!