What's included in our Training Programs and how we work with new clients

Our Training Programs include four component parts:

• The design of your compost system
• An aeration equipment package
• A training manual
• Unlimited technical support

The Design

We provide a complete set of design drawings for a system that is best suited to your situation. For horse owners, this applies to situations where there are 1-4 horses (Micro-Bin Systems) up to several hundred horses (Extended Aerated Static Piles). Following a discussion with you about the volume and character of feedstocks to be composted, along with your aesthetic preferences, we immediately provide a detailed set of design drawings from our Design Library.

All of our designs are contractor-ready and easy to follow by anyone with a modicum of construction experience. They meet the design criteria for USDA Grant funded projects and are ready for building permit review.

The Aeration Equipment Package

With Aerated Static Pile (ASP) Composting, we introduce fresh air into the pile using an electric blower.

The equipment package includes:

• A blower that is sized for the volume of feedstocks to be composted.
• A digital cycle timer to operate the blower.
• A set of push-pull gate valves to direct the airflow to one or more active bins.
• A temperature probe to monitor the composting process.
• A package of wood pellets and instructions for determining the mix moisture content.
• Two smoke "candles" to conduct a smoke test with the first batch of compost.

The equipment can be operated by a standard 100 volt electric outlet or by solar power. We do not provide solar equipment but we do work with a company that does.

A Training Manual

Our training manual is technically complete and written in layman's terms. It discusses the principles of ASP Composting and provides a step-by-step process to follow. It also includes a troubleshooting guide to help you optimize the composting process.

The good news is that you do not need an advanced degree in microbiology or thermodynamics for your compost system to work properly. All you need is a willingness to "learn by doing". In fact, we prefer working with people who have no prior experience with composting.

Unlimited Technical Support

All of our Training Programs are based on a one-to-one working relationship and are conducted remotely utilizing our telephones and the internet:

• Email Q&A
• Telephone and Zoom meetings
• Zoom PowerPoint presentations (recorded)
• Pictures of your system
• Laboratory data

There are no time limits in terms of frequency and duration of calls, or the period of time since you installed your O2Compost system. It is in our mutual best interest for your compost system to work properly.

We work with you (the owner), with your builder, and with ayone who is given the responsibility of operating the system. In situations where a new employee is charged with operating the system, we will train them as well. If you sell your property, we will gladly train the new owner.

All of this is included with the initial cost of the Training Program. Once the Training Program is paid for in full, we never have to talk about money again.

The Sequence of Events

Each of our Training Programs is tailored to your specific needs, and we operate on your schedule.

Most of our Training Programs follow this sequence of events:

• Initial consultation, preferably "in person" using Zoom.
  
  
• If you are interested in learning more, we will send you a detailed proposal for the Training Program that is best suited to your needs.
  
  
• If you decide to proceed with the Training Program, we accept credit card payments on our website, or you can request an invoice link to pay by ACH. We also accept checks.
  
  
• Payments will be acknolwedged with an email that also includes an outline of the next steps.
  
  
• We will schedule a Design Interview to estimate the volume and composition of the feedstocks to be composted on either a weekly (food waste) or monthly (manure) basis.
  
  
• Immediately following the Design Interview, you will receive a PDF copy of the design we have mutually selected from our design library. You will also receive a PDF copy of your Operations Manual.
  
  
• We will ship your equipment package when you are ready to receive it.
  
  
• If we meet separately with your builder (by phone or Zoom), we will summarize the conversation and send it to both you and your builder.
  
  
• When you are ready to get your system up and running, we will email our Start-Up Guide and schedule a time to meet to review the basic parameters for preparing a suitable compost mix. We will also discuss the protocol for monitoring the composting process.
  
  
• We are available to answer any questions that come up and to help troubleshoot your system, if needed.
• We are available to review laboratory data.
  
  
• We are available to offer suggestions for marketing our compost product.