2020-129 Council Resolution - Laserfiche WebLink

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Composting Composting is managed, accelerated breakdown of organic materials by microbes (i.e, bacteria, fungus and molds). The goal of the composting process is to provide these microbes with a good environment that encourages quick and efficient manure breakdown. Effective composting does the following. • Locks in nutrients • Speeds up the breakdown process • Reduces the size of the pile • Kills weed seeds and fly larvae A manure pile will eventually breakdown if left alone but will lose nutrients and become infested with unwanted organisms. Guidelines Start with a good compost site • Choose a convenient location • Make sure the site won't flood with water • Make sure the location meets the manure stockpile site requirements You may not be able to attain desired temperatures during winter in Minnesota. Stockpile manure over winter and resume composting in the spring. Let cool Compost curing occurs in the last t to 2 months during which time the temperature will reduce to ambient levels. The finished product will look like something between potting soil and large, dark brown wood chips depending on the material size. Finer material composts more quickly. Use You can use finished compost for the following. • Amending soil in a garden • Tree mulching • Potting soil • Fertilizer for the yard, pasture or hay fields Never spread more than 1/2 inch of compost at one time when spreading compost on a yard, pasture or hay field. Using manure Whether composted or not, you will eventually need to move and use the manure. You can use manure onsite by spreading it as a fertilizer on an open area, pasture or field. You can also haul manure offsite for fertilizing or composting. Use caution when spreading manure on pastures grazed by horses. Don't spread manure on pastures if there are more than i horse per 2 acres. Spreading manure in heavily stocked pastures could result in increased parasite exposure. Spreading Spreading manure for fertilizer is a great way to use it. Spreading the manure for its fertilizer value is an excellent way to use it. But, you must use caution to prevent excess nutrient buildup, To determine how much manure to spread on a field: • Determine the nutrient content of the manure. o Several private labs can perform this test. • Test the field's soil to determine how much manure the intended crop needs, 0 Only spread enough manure to produce a viable and maximum yielding crop.