The SJC Public Works Dept, WSU Extension and the San Juan Islands Conservation District sponsors free composting workshops annually on Orcas, San Juan and Lopez Islands with funding from the Washington State Department of Ecology.
SATURDAY, MARCH 13th
9:00am to 11:30am, LOPEZ ISLAND Elementary School
SATURDAY, MARCH 13th
1:15pm to 3:45pm, ORCAS ISLAND Senior Center
SUNDAY, MARCH 28th,
1:00pm to 4:00pm, SAN JUAN ISLAND Mullis Senior
Ctr
Contact San Juan County Public Works Solid Waste Division
at 360.370-0503 for more information.
San Juan County Composting
Resource List
Environmental
Benefits of Compost
(Source: Environmental Protection Agency)
The following are a
few of the most important benefits:
Compost
enriches soils: Compost has the
ability to help regenerate poor soils. The composting
process encourages the production of beneficial
micro-organisms (mainly bacteria and fungi) which in turn
break down organic matter to create humus. Humus--a rich
nutrient-filled material--increases the nutrient content in
soils and helps soils retain moisture.
Compost
helps cleanup (remediate) contaminated soil:
The
composting process has been shown to absorb odors and treat
semivolatile and volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
including heating fuels, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
and explosives. It has also been shown to bind heavy metals
and prevent them from migrating to water resources or being
absorbed by plants.
Compost
helps prevent pollution: Composting organic
materials that have been diverted from landfills ultimately
avoids the production of methane and leachate formulation
in the landfills. Compost has the ability to prevent
pollutants in stormwater runoff from reaching surface water
resources. Compost has also been shown to prevent erosion
and silting on embankments parallel to creeks, lakes, and
rivers, and prevents erosion and turf loss.
Using
compost offers economic benefits: Using compost can
reduce the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides. It
serves as a marketable commodity and is a low-cost
alternative to standard landfill cover and artificial soil
amendments. Composting also extends landfill life by
diverting organic materials from landfills and provides a
less costly alternative to conventional methods of
remediating (cleaning) contaminated soil.
Links
Here are a few links to composting resources (many of these
will be used during the annual workshops).
4 Easy Steps (PDF 187
KB)
Backyard Composting
(PDF 475
KB)
Composting BMP (PDF 212
KB)
Fact Composting (PDF 140
KB)
Horse Manure Compost
(PDF 212
KB)
HomemadeFoodDigester
Hot Compost (PDF 876
KB)
natural lawn &
garden
Sample Systems (PDF 4.4
MB)
Small Farm Composting
(PDF 900
KB)
Tilth Worm Bin (PDF 160
KB)
Troubleshooting (PDF 32
KB)
Using Compost (PDF 952
KB)
Vermicomposting (PDF 204 KB)
worm casting
harvest
composting farm animals