schools#2 cafeteria composting programs - holly hill farm
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Composting at Schools
Janice McPhillips
Holly Hill Farm
Cohasset, MA
What is compost?
• Decomposed organic matter (leaves, manure, kitchen scraps, grass and other yard waste), also known as humus
• The process of decomposition of organic matter into humus
Why bother making compost?
• recycling spent resource into a useful one
• saves on garbage disposal costs (transportation, bags, dump fees, etc.)
• creates a valuable organic material for the garden for free (almost)
• learning about decomposition, soil structure, and returning nutrients to the soil
What makes compost happen?
• microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, and molds
• earthworms
• insects including spiders, beetles, pill bugs, millipedes, and more
• air, water, sunshine, occasional mixing, and time
How can you compost at your school?
• interested and committed teachers, administrators and custodial staff?
• cooperative kitchen staff?• parents or other volunteers?• help the students “own” the process!• find a convenient site (near the garden, or
cafeteria)• ideal site should be partially shaded, near
water source
How do you get started?
• get a free compost bin from MA DEP (www.thegreenteam.org)
• get a free compost bin from your town DPW or local garden club
• make a bin out of pallets or chicken wire or other containment system
• buy or make a worm bin for indoor composting
What can you compost?• lunch scraps • cafeteria food preparation scraps• coffee from the teachers’ lounge• leaves and garden waste including grass
clippings• straw, hay, or shavings• some paper and cardboard• sawdust• cow, chicken, or horse manure
How do you make an outdoor compost pile?
• layers of “brown” (carbon-rich) and “green” (nitrogen-rich) materials, about a 3:1 ratio by volume
• add a shovelful of soil every 8-12”
• water
• stir frequently
Nitrogen and Carbon sources
Nitrogen-rich materials:
food scraps including coffee grounds
manures
seaweed
grass clippings
Carbon-rich materials:
leaves
sawdust
newspaper
paper towels
straw or shavings
Do NOT to put into a compost pile:
• meat, dairy, bones, fatty foods like salads with dressing or peanut butter
• dog or cat waste
• weeds that have gone to seed
• diseased plants
• weeds that spread with runners
How long will it take to make finished compost?
• depends on temperature, what you put in compost, moisture, size of pile, how often it is turned
• can take as short as 12 weeks or as long as 1 year
What can students learn from having a compost pile at your
school?
• math concepts
• observing and writing
• predicting
• microorganisms, earthworms, insects, pH
• vocabulary
• food web: producers, consumers, decomposers
What can go wrong?
• attract unwanted animals
• bad smell
• fruit flies
• students putting things in compost that don’t belong
• SNOW!
Make or buy a worm bin for indoor composting
How do you make a worm bin?
• buy a Rubbermaid Tough Tote• drill 1/8” holes every 3” around the bottom and in
the cover• start with a damp layer of carbon rich “bedding”
material like leaves, straw, or shredded paper• layer “greens” and “browns” in the same way
you would for an outdoor bin• make sure to bury food scraps under a layer of
bedding to prevent fruit flies• add red wiggler worms
Need more information?
www.mass.gov/depor
www.thegreenteam.org
Ann McGovern
(617) 292-5834