Agricultural Compost Services
The volume of organic by-products derived from agriculture is enormous. By way of example, there are an estimated 9.2 million horses in the United States and each one produces (on average) one cubic yard of manure per month, or approximately 110 million cubic yards of manure each year. If a year's worth of horse manure were to be stacked vertically on a football field from end zone to end zone and sideline to sideline, the pile would stand over 10 miles high. That's higher than commercial airplanes fly. When we consider all animal manure, it's easy to see that we face a significant waste management challenge.
Manure and animal mortalities are a reality for every farm that raises dairy cows, beef cattle, chickens, turkeys and pigs. The same is true for "recreational" livestock such as horses, alpacas and llamas. Considering the number of livestock being raised in the world today, the potential for adverse impacts to our land, air and water resources is incalculable. O2Compost has been very successful in implementing simple and cost effective agricultural compost strategies to manage all of these wastes.
By implementing the aerated static pile method of composting in small to large scale applications, all of these wastes can be managed to transform a challenging waste problem into a significant resource opportunity. All it takes is a commitment to make a positive change.
Project Experience - Agricultural Manure Composting
Bailey Compost, LLC
Snohomish, Washington
As independent research, Peter Moon assisted Don Bailey of Bailand Farms in conducting a pilot test project (1994) which has evolved into a permitted municipal green waste / dairy manure composting facility that now processes in excess of 20,000 tons of green waste each year.
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
In 2004, Virginia Polytechnic Institute completed construction on a new dairy sciences facility. This facility is utilized for research purposes and serves as a state‐of‐the‐art manure handling equipment demonstration site. In support of the company Integrity Nutrient Control Systems of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, O2Compost provided comprehensive training to the Vermont staff and operators.
Wilcox Family Farms
Roy, Washington
Wilcox Farms is a 4th generation family farm committed to providing the highest quality egg products. Since its start in 1909, Wilcox Farms has expanded its operation to include over 1.2 million free‐range hens. As would be expected, their 500 acre farm could handle only so much land‐applied manure. In 2002, O2Compost was asked to help develop a compost system to produce an OMRI Certified compost product. Today, Wilcox distributes all of their compost to agricultural clients, mostly organic farms located throughout western and central Washington.
Mink Farm
British Columbia, Canada
O2Compost provided system design, aeration equipment, and operator training for this project. Mink manure, which is very high in nitrogen, is removed from the hutches twice each year. In this system, the manure is mixed with horse manure and bedding to balance the C:N ratio of the initial mix. In the first batch of compost, all three criteria were successfully met.
Balloun Hog Farm
Dardanelle, Arkansas
Balloun Farms worked with O2Compost in 2010 to develop an ASP compost system to manage the manure from 1,500 hogs. The manure was mechanically separated and dewatered prior to composting to adjust the moisture content and provide a suitable feedstock. The finished compost is marketed and sold in both bulk and bags to local agricultural and residential end‐users.
Oregon Zoo
Portland, Oregon
From 2005‐2006, O2Compost worked with the City of Portland to design an aerated system for two newly constructed compost buildings. This system include individual blowers to supply air to each of three compost bays. The air was delivered in prefabricated channels that were placed in the concrete slab. The channel design allowed for simultaneous drainage of compost leachate and supply of pressurized airflow. Peter Moon provided both on‐site operator training to zoo staff as well as remote technical assistance through the first year of operation.
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