This blogcast features Bill using a scythe to harvest the compost crop that was planted last November. He is working on the infield of an abandoned baseball diamond. In November, we seeded a cover crop in the infield section in order to loosen soil in the compacted soil, test the suitability of the infield for growing crops, and to provide a carbon component for our compost piles. Oats, Rye, and Barley have been grown under dry land conditions and make up a majority of the carbon that is being harvested from this section.

There are big plans in store for the compost area in the month of July. Now that we have a good amount of carbon to work with, we can begin to mix it with the abundant nitrogen that we are obtaining from food scraps and plant detritus from harvest and weeding. If we are going to grow vegetables in an intensive spacing then we will need to ensure that we are returning micro nutrients and organic matter back to the area where they have been grown. We have five sections in rotation and I would like to add two piles to each section, thus our goal is to have 10 piles of aerobic compost curing by the end of the month. This is an ambitious goal, but it is essential as we rotate our crops and continue to build the fertility of the soil.

Click here to watch the blogcast related to harvesting compost crops and to see the compost section.

Carting Pallets to the Compost Section

Mature Oats, Barley, and Rye Provide a Carbon-Component for Compost

Is Bill Working or Having Fun??

Two of Ten Piles in the Compost Section