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Waste Management and Composting

Introduction:
Waste management is all about how to dispose of all the things you don’t want on the
farm. Composting is a sustainable waste management practice that converts any volume
of accumulated organic waste into a usable product. When organic wastes are broken
down by microorganisms in a heat-generating environment, waste volume is reduced,
many harmful organisms are destroyed, and a useful, potentially marketable, product is
produced. Organic wastes may include manure from livestock operations, animal
bedding, yard wastes, such as leaves and grass clippings, and even kitchen scraps. In the
state of Massachusetts it is required by the Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR)
A Carbon:Nitrogen (C:N) for all agricultural facilities that compost or compost materials other than their own, to
ratio of 30:1 is register with MDAR’s Farm Composting Program. The program is comprised of guidelines
considered ideal. to ensure environmentally sound management practices. Facilities that do not register are
otherwise subject to the Department of Environmental Protection Site Assessment as a
solid waste facility.

What is Composting? Composting is a process by which organic wastes are broken down
by microorganisms, generally bacteria and fungi, into simpler forms. The microorganisms
use the carbon in the waste as an energy source. The degradation of the nitrogen-
containing materials results in the breakdown of the original materials into a much more
uniform product which can be used as a soil amendment. Heat generated during the
process kills many unwanted organisms such as weed seeds and pathogens. Advantages
of composting include reduction of waste volume, elimination of heat-killed pests, and the
generation of a beneficial and marketable material. Adding compost to soil increases
organic matter content. This, in turn, improves many soil characteristics and allows for
the slow release of nutrients for crop use in subsequent years.
How to Compost:
Compost materials must Materials for successful composting are many. In order to facilitate composting, a
be turned frequently to suitable environment must exist. The microorganisms which degrade organic wastes use
provide optimum carbon for energy, and nitrogen for protein. Organic matter contains carbon and nitrogen
temperatures and air in varying amounts and ratios. A Carbon:Nitrogen (C:N) ratio of 30:1 is considered ideal
for microbial activity. for composting. Too much carbon or very large particle size slows the process down.
When too much N is present, the compost may become too hot, killing the composting
organisms. A table of C:N ratios of commonly composted materials is shown in Table 1.
When making a compost “pile”, size determines how the system will be managed. Very
small scale composting can be achieved in a small plastic bucket. Large scale composting
can be done using long rows of waste, moved by tractors using “windrowing” equipment.
In between are piles which can be managed with a manure fork or a bucket loader
attached to a tractor.
Attaining composting temperatures is key to successful composting. The composting
Take care when microorganisms i.e. bacteria and fungi, operate best in a warm, damp, well aerated
considering composting environment. This environment will not likely exist on the very outside of a pile of organic
diseased plants. wastes. Thus it is important a) to have a large enough volume of composting material to
create a warm interior and b) to mix up or turn the pile periodically. A volume of three
feet square is generally adequate. Smaller volumes can be successfully composted in black
containers (earth machines) placed in a sunny location. Larger volumes can be handled in
windrows.
CDLE Pub. 09-57 UMass Extension Crops, Dairy, Livestock, Equine – www.umass.edu/cdl
Mixing/turning strategies depend on volume. Small raise C:N ratios significantly. Look for a mix of materials
black plastic bins may rotate on axles or simply be which will result in an overall 30:1 C:N ratio.
shaken. A larger pile can be turned using a manure fork
What not to Compost (and what do with it):
or bucket loader. Attachments to tractors can be used to
turn windrows of composting materials. Frequency of Many hazardous materials are not suitable for
turning will be a function of materials being composted, composting. A small amount of an unsuitable product
water, aeration, weather conditions, and can destroy a large amount of compost.
microorganisms present. Water is necessary for the When grass clippings are added to the compost pile for
microorganisms to live and work, but too much water increasing N content (decreasing C:N) the lawn should
can create anaerobic conditions which are not conducive be chemical free, otherwise plants receiving the compost
to the composting process. Water can be controlled by may seriously damaged. Plants with especially damaging
either watering the pile if too dry (<40% diseases, such as late blight of tomato and potato, which
moisture=crumbly), or covering the pile loosely if too is caused by the fungus Phytopthera, should not be
rainy. Heat is very important in the killing of weed seeds composted, because if the disease is not killed in the
and other harmful organisms. Heat generation also composting process, the resulting spread of the disease
indicates that the composting process is working. A final can be devastating. If entire plants are plowed under,
temperature of 160o F is ideal. Higher temperatures may the disease likely cannot overwinter in Massachusetts’
kill the composting organisms. When the temperature climate. Burning is sometimes recommended as a way to
reaches 160o F, turn the pile. When the compost texture eliminate late blight. However, burning is not allowed in
is uniform, and turning the pile no longer results in a all areas. Generally a burn permit is issued by the local
temperature rise, the compost should be done! A municipality when there is minimal wind and adequate
compost thermometer with a long probe for reaching moisture in the area to control the fire.
the interior of the pile is useful for monitoring.
Materials such as pressure treated lumber contain heavy
Table 1. Carbon to Nitrogen Ratios for Selected metals (arsenic) and should not be composted. Proper
Materials (by weight) disposal in Massachusetts is described as follows:
Materials with high N content C:N Ratio http://www.mass.gov/dep/toxics/ptwoodqa.htm “Small
amounts” of such materials may be taken to landfills.
Vegetable wastes 10-12:1
Pesticides can only be composted if it is clear from the
Coffee grounds 20:1
label that the material in question will break down into
Grass clippings 12-25:1 harmless components in the composting process and will
not kill the composting microorganisms. Pesticide labels
Cow manure 20:1
should list proper disposal methods.
Horse manure 25:1
Inorganic materials cannot be composted. Plastics must
Poultry litter 13-18:1 be recycled or disposed of in a landfill. Retailers in
Materials with high C content Massachusetts are required to accept used motor oil in
the quantity you purchased from them, BUT ONLY IF
Leaves 30-80:1 YOU HAVE THE RECEIPT. Tires, metals items which
Corn stalks 60:1 cannot be separated according to specific content
(aluminum, steel, etc.), and plastics are difficult to
Straw 40-100:1 dispose of, but hard to manage without. It is possible
Bark 100-130:1 using Internet websites to find businesses which will
recycle tires and sorted metals.
Paper 150-200:1
Meat and other animal products may be composted in
Wood chips and sawdust 100-500:1
some situations. In a large scale system, even large
livestock carcasses may be composted (see
The above table is taken from the publication, FSA-6036, http://www.umass.edu/cdl/publications/a_an_compost.
http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/pdf/FS htm ). However, caution should be taken when
A-6036.pdf , of the University of Arkansas, Division of composting animal products in home compost piles, as
Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service the short-term odors may attract compost-disrupting
Note that the C:N ratios given for cow and horse manure wildlife and dogs.
do not include bedding. Addition of sawdust bedding will

CDLE Pub. 09-57 UMass Extension Crops, Dairy, Livestock, Equine – www.umass.edu/cdl
Resources:
“Composting”. University of Arkansas Cooperative
Extension Service.
http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FS
A-2087.pdf
“Composting Horse Manure”. University of
Massachusetts Amherst Extension.
http://www.umass.edu/cdl/BMPs/Compost%20Horse%2
0Submitted%2008-46.pdf
“Compost Fundamentals”. Washington State University.
Whatcom County Extension.
http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/fundamentals/ind
ex.htm
J.I.Rodale, editor in chief. 1960. The Complete Book of
Composting. Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA.
“Late Blight Occurrence and Management in Potatoes
and Tomatoes in the Northeastern United States in
2009”. McGrath, Margaret Tuttle. 2009. Cornell
University, Department of Plant Pathology. Ithaca, N Y.
VegetableMD.http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.e
du/NewsArticles/Tom_LtBlt_2009.html
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
Composting Program.
http://www.mass.gov/agr/programs/compost/index.ht
m

For more information visit www.umass.edu/cdl

Factsheets in this series were prepared by Stephen
Herbert, Masoud Hashemi, Carrie Chickering-Sears, and
Sarah Weis in collaboration with Jacqui Carlevale and
Katie Campbell-Nelson.
This publication has been funded in part by
Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources in a grant to the
Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, Inc. by
Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection, s319 Program,
USDA-SARE.

CDLE Pub. 09-57 UMass Extension Crops, Dairy, Livestock, Equine – www.umass.edu/cdl