Static Aerated Composting System For Organic Farms

Static aerated composting (aka an aerated static compost pile or ASP) is a system by which the composter does not need to turn the compost, but rather uses pipes and a blower to oxygenate the system.
In this video I show you a design for our static aerated compost system. Addressed in this video: How to build a static aerated compost system, what is a static aerated compost pile, what is ASP, aerated static composting, no turn composting, making compost on farm, certified organic compost rules, organic composting, Organic compost, composting for beginners, manure in organic certification, and more.
Growing For Market Article on Jay Armour's System: www.growingformarket.com/arti...
Troy Hinke: www.livingrootscomposttea.com
The Living Soil Handbook:
www.notillgrowers.com/livings...
OUTSIDE OF United States: just get the book from local retailer because shipping is outrageous and you can instead, support our work through one of these methods 👇
Support our work at notillgrowers.com/support
or
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Parts:
~17' of large PVC (4" or 6" for better airflow)
2 corresponding 90º elbows (4" or 6")
3 corresponding T couplings (4" or 6")
Four 12’ lengths of 4" or 6" drainage pipe (or something like that)
Outdoor Extension chord amzn.to/3mfdBnz (IF YOU NEED IT)
Some sort of housing (like a tote or doghouse)
1HP Bouncy House Blower: amzn.to/3GSaL1C
Timer: amzn.to/3MinNGs

[@notillgrowers]

Y’all… we all know what static means haha My argument is simply that Aerated Static Pile is not only an awkward construction phonetically (there’s a reason we don’t call it Jerry and Ben’s Ice cream or Clifford the Red Big Dog) but - and this one is admittedly a bit subjective - I also believe the meaning is more clear with “static” in the front. And again, it’s easier and more satisfying to say. Lastly, SAP > ASP. -Jesse

[@JeffsAquaponics]

I agree it sounds better. But isn't there already a thing called Static Pile Fungal composting? Maybe the guy who came up with the term wanted to keep Static and Pile in the same order? Or perhaps he didn't want to be sued for using the trademarked company name SAP? I find myself calling it a Static Aerated Pile as well, so you're not alone. By the way, your video was perfect timing. I've been looking for ways to make compost faster to feed to my worms, and for use on my farm. You inspired me to try adding a bouncy house blower and some pipe to a couple compost bins I have.

[@rockwiththeuniverse]

Thank you. I enjoyed your video. I noticed your concern about Nitrogen. Many of those aerated bacterias bring nitrogen from air into your compost even if you initially you don't supply enough nitrogen sources. Read that from various sources on the subject. It is worth checking it out.

[@Freakhealer]

static with a pump isnt really static, static IMO would be something like a bunch more pipes with wholes/net and no pump forcing the air, i think a no till compost would be aproppriate

[@m.j.debruin3041]

If you put the compost in a big barrel the you could roll it to mix it.

[@donjohnsen6052]

@@rockwiththeuniverse kk

[@gwenbocci959]

We have been making our own compost for 30 years, there is nothing like it, not only do you know the integrity of the ingredients but you have the satisfaction of knowing you are creating your own fertility. We live in far North Queensland Australia, have been certified biodynamic for 20 years but have let it go due to many restrictions which seem to have no relevance to growing great food full of life force energy. For me making compost is like making wine, it is an art, it takes time and needs passion. If you see it as hard work, it will be hard work and your compost will represent the negative energy that you fed it with, so love it or pay someone else who does to do what you don’t, simple.

[@zjmorris1]

Rad 🤙

[@soilbellefarm3710]

Beautiful!!

[@DarrellBraunsLongThumbNail]

I have 2 piles going. This is my first time making compost, and it's been really cool. It's fascinating to me to see the heat rising out of a pile of plant matter and wood chips. lol

[@deborahmorcom9278]

Well said by a fellow Queenslander! I am still learning with each pile but like you said it is an art and becoming an good artist takes time.

[@sergiocazun5514]

Hi from the USA

[@l.dschick-inn-palacecrafts6174]

For my very small scale garden, with 25 hen's, i keep my coops/runs very clean. Using washed construction sand as litter. Using a kitty scooper to sift out droppings every morning and scrape off droppings from the droppings board every morning. Takes 5 minutes and done. Chickens don't spend much time during the day in there due to free-range unless its extreme weather which i will sift 3-4 time a day if cooped up. Those buckets get full in a week. I start my compost by added wood chips (my local arborist guy drops off) add the droppings, by then the good grass is in need of a cut, i add that, kitchen scraps or garden scraps are full and ready to add on. And repeat this process for about 5 months then i stop adding. In TX so it needs my watering attention. Water, turn, water. Every 3-5 days for the first month. By then im tored 😂. Then it sits getting my attention once a month. 6-8months its dark and smells earthy. No bad smell. Then i use it in my veggies garden. All the while that pile is being tended to, another pile is being created. My local extension office told me "as long as it doesn't have bad smells,its good." Thats how my small scale operation goes.

[@1voluntaryist]

In the '50s (I stared gardening at 12) I had access to grass clippings + horse turds for compost to feed my garden. It took 2 weeks except once, 11 days. My piles started out about 5'x5'x10'. The compost lasted about 2-3 weeks, so I was constantly busy. In the 2000s I stopped composting, mostly, and used grass clippings as mulch because I had no manure. It worked. But the best soil builder was shredded leaves, which I applied every fall. Then, one year I was too busy to tend to my garden in the fall and I just let it go. In the spring, I planted seed + my own transplanted "starts" into thick winter growth that "volunteered". That turned out best. I didn't work nearly as hard, but the garden did well, even as I planted very closely to block out weeds, and companion planted. The #1 soil builder: KEEP ROOTS IN THE GROUND ALL YEAR + stager/mix plants. I stopped composting. I stopped tilling in the '80s after studying "The One Straw Revolution" by Masanobu Fukuoka.

[@grantperkins368]

You jus need to go to a natural area to see how nature does it perfectly every time :-)

[@loubob21]

I just ordered that book based upon your comment. Thank you.

[@growingoutthebox]

What are your thoughts on leaf mold and grass clippings as a soil amendment. I have just a small backyard garden but this year I didn’t buy any compost. I added a wheelbarrow to each 25sf bed almost everything is still growing from my spring crops.

[@thecampfirechef8531]

I’m starting to cover crop this year just to keep a living root in the soil. It is much too hot this time of year where I am for veggie plants. So a cover crop, even if it’s crappy, will have to suffice. I also compost but suck at it. But it’s better than nothing.

[@1voluntaryist]

@@growingoutthebox Be careful not to use clipping from neighbors who spray chemicals of any kind. Plant closely. Mix up the crops. Keep an eye out for organic refuse that looks clean. I once found a lot of wood trimmings, leaves that were put out as garbage. I shredded the leaves and mixed with the wood.

[@loganozarks4102]

If you decide to go a different route you could always repurpose that blower to run one of those wild arm waving guys from the car lot. Real morale booster on a tough morning, learned that from some old timers

[@markm8188]

😆

[@19723020]

Do wild arm waving guys work as scarecrows?

[@loganozarks4102]

@@19723020 yessiree, and if you lay it horizontal I'tll even swat skeeters for you while you work

[@jameskniskern2261]

A quick way to make "holes" where you want them on the corrugated pipe. Set a circular saw at about 1/8 inch depth, run the circular saw lengthwise down the pipe where you want holes. It will cut a series of grooves in the outer corrugation, but not the inner one, and is quick and simple. And maintains the integrity of the pipe. Also good idea to put a few holes in the bottom of your pipe so there is drainage for condensate or leachates. But fewer of them would be needed I think.

[@notillgrowers]

Thanks, James, and good point on the leachate!

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

Or, you could just buy drainage pipe, which has a ton of holes in it already...

[@YoooItsRex]

Micro plastics…..?

[@jameskniskern2261]

@@YoooItsRex Yes. I'm not saying that this is the best way to do manage plastics. But have you been to a modern construction site? Microplastics are just buried in the soil where they fall. Often times mixed into the gravel and forgotten about. Sad, really.

[@bjorknasty2870]

Now THIS is a pro tip!

[@mike-ology22]

Hi mate, thanks for sharing. Just a tip for welding the pvc joints, if you put solvent on both the outer pipe and inside the fitting it will glide in better. You can then also spin the pipe a little to get the glue to flow around the joint properly. If you only glue one side of the pipe or fitting and try to squeeze it in, the friction will warm the glue and make it set quicker, so it won't fit properly or you have a hard time pushing the pipe in the fitting. ;)

[@davelaycock5016]

Thanks for the valuable information mate!

[@FantailValleyHomestead]

oh I always wondered why people always did both, thanks for the tip

[@EDLaw-wo5it]

My first two piles didn’t do well so am going to reconstitute them. I live in north central Kansas and we have experienced quite a bit of freezing temperatures already so it may be a slow go at this time of year. The compost that I applied came from a municipal compost site and smelled manure. I used it to cover my cover crop seeds only at this time. I am a new gardener,older so I am not as able to perform a lot of manual labor but I am not going to just sit and die. I have a new love. Gardening. Just wish me luck. I am ordering your book today to learn faster I hope. Y’all havagudun.

[@colesbradley6688]

Good for you

[@garrettscott4094]

I have been looking forward to this for some time now, and you didn't disappoint. I am totally trying it.

[@agdayem]

Great work 👍👍👍 We really need more focus on creating compost for small scale growers. Thank you!

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

I don't bother with "certification" but follow the "rules". Glad you explained this, since I do everything by hand.

[@SwissFrogGuy]

I’ve been making compost all my life, and turning the pile is just one of those things that I enjoy doing! It’s fun to try to push the temperature as high as you can go 😊

[@billlundeen2411]

My experience with working with the black flex hose in french drain applications, is to buy the fine mesh netting to wrap around it before burying it...That really helps to keep any dirt or fine organic material out of the flex hose and clogging it over time. I've seen larger systems like this on my sisters Organic potato farm in the long term storage sheds under tons of taters. Works like a charm...😎

[@markm8188]

Are you saying that her stored taters are kept aerated? Why?

[@tracycrider7778]

@@markm8188probably to keep moisture out? Idk

[@willemvergouwen5699]

@@tracycrider7778 and cooling

[@MrJlcurl]

And if it’s a big enough pile the air can’t get through by it’s self and the potatoes need to respire. They are alive. Same with apple storage. No air then the cells die and rot.

[@ricsgarden7394]

I decided to video my garden this year. Its a traditional garden with lots of weeds and grass but made tons of food.

[@ing.pagano]

If you make it so that you can pull out the pipes, including the manifold, you could set up a new pile in a new location once the first pile is past the aeration phase

[@kathynix6552]

If you have the space, that seems like a more efficient way

[@bevsurbangarden]

Thank you Farmer Jesse. I am learning to make compost for my small garden use and this was very enlightening.

[@BrightestBlessings7899]

You guys roq!! I do not till. Only did it once to dig in a new garden. Now we dig them by hand. We begin with a hole about 14" down, where we want to garden. I lay hard wood in the hole first, folliwed by soft woods, then manure and grass clippings and mulch and then topsoil. I put my plants in there. They have done great! This fall I will dig another garden , 13' x 6', on my North side. I will plant peas, zinnias, dahlias and brassicas. Brightest blessings.

[@Michaelh217]

I've thought about this combo of layering when making beds as well. I personally think biochar as a layer might help too. I personally think between the hard wood bottom and the biochar that the leaching of nutrients through the soil might be mitigated a ton.

[@myjunkmail007]

This is great! I plan on doing something similar on a much smaller scale, my home compost bin. I've been using a couple of long stakes to maintain air/water holes. They reach the bottom of the bin and I wiggle them periodically when I add water. It works fine and my compost is always completely broken down by autumn, when I spread it. But for an even more passive solution, I plan on swapping out my stakes for some perforated PVC. I'll be able to spray my hose down them for easier watering and they will allow for better airflow compared to what I'm doing now.

[@NickleJ]

I do something similar, my compost is next to my brush/burn pile, and any time i mess with it ill grab a few of the thickest limbs (like small tree tops) and stick them in and on top of the pile. I can still toss in my household waste and it get to the pile but it keeps the bigger critters out. I recon the dead sticks help with aeration as well as moisture distribution.

[@Estm451]

Hey Jesse, I’m a veggie farmer from France, I’m experimenting with living soil practices and I enjoy watching your videos so thanks a lot, they’re great and you’re awesome. I now understand a bit more why you spend time and energy making compost for your gardens, about organic certification etc. My approach as much as possible is to use the freshest organic matter to spread on my gardens. If the soil isn’t very alive yet and especially if it might have issues of compaction and flooding I would add smaller amounts more often and use a lower C/N ratio to minimize nitrogen tie up and poor plant growth. In very alive well drained soil, I find that even large amounts of very carbonaceous fresh matter causes no problems if just deposited and not mixed into the soil. The theory as I understand it is that compost feeds microbes and fungi but is not good for worms and other critters of the soil. They need fresh matter for food, and as they increase their numbers, they create structure, aeration, drainage… and compost which will be later mineralized by bacteria and used by plants to grow. That theory doesn’t say that one should never use compost, but one should always make sure that a good amount of fresh organic matter is fed every year to every square meter of soil, which may be mulch or cover crops or veggie residue (but that’s normally not enough) ; otherwise there is a risk of reduction in soil macrofauna activity and eventually compaction. French studies suggest 20-40T/Ha/year (dry matter) for an intensive system.

[@Estm451]

One can understand plants as energy producers, while we humans are energy consumers. Fresh organic matter contains a lot of energy, which can be used by soil life to grow and multiply. In compost a lot of that energy is lost during the composting process (as gasses, heat, respiration..) and will not be available to the soil.

[@colesbradley6688]

I learned of this method of composting yesterday. Thrilled to see if we should implement in our 100% donated food garden

[@robertling9872]

Thank you for sharing your compost method and the certification issues.

[@ayelean9397]

Love the music at the start! Got me pumped for some composting fun lol as always, very informative and helpful videos. Thanks for sharing!

[@GetFiredUpBBQ]

Fellow KYian here. Looking at potentially composting our mill’s secondary wood products. Fine dust, chips and bark. This is very intriguing.

[@ttb1513]

Such an informative video, Jesse. I appreciate all of the background on commercial composting operations and standards. I was really bothered that the recent touting of a book on composting totally trashed (ha!) commercial operations, instead of describing what to look for and avoid, along with how they are constructed and operate. There are poor quality sources, but also very consistent, large and quality operations. And they can supplement important needs that can exceed the scales of individuals.

[@premnoorie4456]

Thank you for sharing this new technique Plus your funny presentation makes it easier to be understood

[@thepragmaticfarmer6308]

A follow up video on this would be awesome.

[@jeffbreneman6095]

Thanks for your video! I speak not from the prospective of an experienced composter (yet), but that of a process engineer with yrs of experience with leak testing. Not to be negative, just something to consider... in a pressurized system the flow is going to go where it has least resistance. Basically, if you leave 1 of your drainage tiles uncovered, with no resistance from compost covering the holes (which your video shows you did), almost all of your air is going to leak out there and not go into your pile. You would be better to remove the drainage tile and cap your PVC branch or make your grid smaller to begin with. I wish you the best.

[@stephaniecrocker2494]

in that case, would adding a valve to close off the unused/uncovered areas make sense?

[@jacobbrizammito7187]

Jessys “No till growers handbook” is jam packed with well referenced information.

[@KamranHaider]

Thanks a lot for such an informative video. Love a respect from a small scale farmer, from the other side of the globe 😊🥰🙏

[@jacintoalvarez1447]

Love the open mindness of it all. 😁👍

[@MrDavyg83]

I'm so glad I found your video! I've been experimenting with this idea starting this year. I'm using a much smaller pipe with holes drilled in it and much higher air pressures (215 cfm air compressor). I'm also pumping water into the pile through the pipe occasionally. In the future I'd like to add organic liquid nitrogen if needed and possibly inoculate the pile with fungi and bacteria through the same pipe. The possibilities are endless!

[@grantperkins368]

Will fungi and bacteria survive if you inject them into a hot pile?

[@sirsanti8408]

Liquid nitrogen? I assume you’re not talking about the cryogenic liquid haha

[@sirsanti8408]

@@grantperkins368maybe at the end they inoculate it before harvesting the compost

[@markwisdom9869]

The Book's great, and I love dropping by for some new ideas

[@notillgrowers]

Awesome Mark thank you 🙌

[@livetom2020]

I like the concept, I like the less labor aspect. I have tried many composting methods. I think I'm going to give this one a try. Right now I have a few Johnson Su bioreactors going But I Really like this method to easily to produce a large amount. I also think if you tweaked it a little you could produce very high quality compost. The one thing I would change is, I would put all the holes on the bottom of the pipes. By putting the holes on the bottom of the pipes and only on the bottom. 1. Your materials can not fall in to the pipes, the air will defuse regardless of the placement of the holes. 2. by putting the holes on the bottom, the pipes can not take on the ever important water where it could puddle especially if you are using Corrugated Perforated Pipe. The water could puddle and become stagnant. Then it could become a breading ground for bad anaerobic bacteria and pathogens. That's my 2 cents. going give it a try come spring. Thanks. Livetom.

[@highroad3580]

I’m a lazy gardener who makes aerobic compost natures way. Using just cleanings from a goat barn, I dump what I don’t use directly on the food forest in a 3x6 pile at the edge of some healthy woods near the barn. The cleanings are manure and spent hay. We do have plenty of rain here so the piles go on a hillside which prevents too much water. Then in three to six months I have rich black sweet compost. Once a year we scoop up the composted part of the neighbors horse manure and hay for our larger garden. We have watched these areas gain fertility over the years from plain red clay to many inches of rich soil.

[@wildedibles819]

Another disadvantage of turning your pile is the nutrition leaving into the air The outer layer oxidizes and makes chemical reactions off gassing some different gasses i believe So the less we turn it the better If your blowing air through it might still off gass some but i believe it be less than turning it And this could be used in a way to capture gasses coming off... maybe.... Thats why its cool to share ideas brainstorming towards something even better possibly Good luck its cool pile.....my nitrogen green go to is coffee my garden is going to think its in the tropics or something lol Much love xoxox

[@JimNichols]

A couple of minutes in and I was thinking that this cat has missed his meds and has found a go-pro.... but the odd presentation kinda grew on me and I listened to the whole video. Very informative and correct information given in a very interesting manner :) I started composting as a way to get all the wood from a tree trimming service I took all as in ALL of his garbage (to him it was as he had to pay the landfill to take it) but out of the deal he had to supply x amount of saw timber quality pine, oak or cedar and he could dump on my farm 24/7. I used thermosyphoning to power the air movement ducts and added aerobic bacteria and earthworms. The ignorant rules were not in place back then and I used 25% horse and cow manure to speed the process. I did have a machine to turn the piles as they were 200 Ft. long and 6 Ft. tall.... lol. I made a bunch of money cleaning out barns, sawing timber, heating my house with the scrap off cast wood and selling compost all for basically free on my end. (free being the most relative term evah used..) Thanks for the memories this brought back and thank you for the time and effort in capturing, editing and ULing these vids. Static aerated composting.......STATIC it doesn't move or need turning. AERATED..... you move air through it... COMPOSTING..... what you are doing using aerobic methodology ... so the way it is worded is correct.

[@psbjr]

i feel like you'd want to use PVC for the aerated segment as well, as the corrugation slows the flow of air. They sell pre-drilled PVC french drains pipes you could use for that, and ofc you could drill it yourself. I also wonder if you could combine this with underground pipes to use the temp differential between ground and pile to passively drive air flow...sort of like they do in some passive cooling for earthships. It might also help moderate and passively control the pile temp.

[@AT-rw3ou]

Thx for the very useful and in-depth info!

[@Dallas76JJ]

First time viewer. Instant fan! Great video. Very informative. New subscriber.

[@angelawillis145]

That you can trust , was the most important part of that opening. I’ve bought contaminated hay and cow manure the same year. And last year I got 2 dump truck loads of what was supposed to be composted garden soil that was as dead as could be. The very few things that didn’t die right off when transplanted, curled, yellowed, and was stunted. I don’t trust ANYTHING I didn’t do myself . Challenging to try to make enough to make a difference

[@c3mac55]

To your point about the glue, using Teflon tape will give you a good seal and allow for taking it apart. Maybe gluing the central connection to the blower and allow the rest to come apart for storage/cleaning. There are rigid perforated pipes that could work as well.

[@tomfromoz8527]

You might find Ruth Stout's books and another called Lasagne Gardening interesting. Also take it from an _old_ market gardener, get a hay fork with nice sharp tines, keep them and all your shovels sharp with a file. Also, buckets full of dry sand will keep your tools clean, sharp and rust free if you store your tools in them! Tom's Ukrainian/American wife Pam

[@pier-annelachance4960]

I have the same system! I love it. I used the tote as well to protect it. I am still working with the times as well. I have the same issue. I do not have a good source for compost.

[@growingwithfungi]

Jesse you are a great gift thank you so much 😊🌱💚🙏✨🔥🍄

[@Mommy2Gav05]

BRO! I AM ALWAYS FALLING ASLEEP OR BORED OUT OF MY SKULL BY 3MINS IN. YOU HELD MY ATTENTION AND MADE ME LAUGH! SO LONG AS YOU KEEP RECORDING THE VIDEOS ILL STAY SUBSCRIBED THANKS FOR THE INFO!

[@notillgrowers]

🙌

[@oxenforde]

Rather than move the entire compost heap, you could move the blower-tote down the row 20 feet; and create a new compost heap. You would need a new piece of corrugated for each compost heap location. But duplicate corrugated is relatively easy (compared to moving an entire heap by hand, or renting a skid-steer). One long piece of corrugated (in a serpentine pattern) would probably be easier/cheaper/better.

[@chefgiovanni]

I approve this message. Nice compost ideas. Let us cook.

[@brianguetzlaff2761]

Very awesome! A thought on nitrogen (apologies if already mentioned in comments): Chickens (just a few, especially egg-layers) may be of use here. You can use start off some of the wood chips as bedding under their roost to collect poop (give them the kitchen scraps), and then use that as a mix-in when building your piles. You mentioned rules around manure, but it sounds like you already know what's required there. You can also use surplus eggs (cracked) in the middle of the pile to really get the heat going. All that carbon you have piled on top ought to soak it up nicely to help reduce smell. If you are wanting to pre-heat the air going in, you may wish to build a solar heat collector somewhere along the line (probably after the blower but before the manifold) just to help condition the air so it's not cooling the core of your piles. That should especially help in colder weather as well. You don't need anything fancy -- more undrilled drainage pipe wound through a large flat solar oven type of build ought to work beautifully.

[@sartorialsolutions3376]

I think the air temp isn't nearly as important to the pile getting hot as the oxygen itself being pumped in to the pile

[@juliawargo745]

Hi Jesse, You mentioned feeding your compost to your worms. I will say in our experience the worms have found our curing area and set up shop like none other. Actually, we get a lot of worms coming out of the initial aerated bins as well. Not sure where they hang out when it's "cooking" at 150-160. So I think we get a lot of the microbial activity added there. I like your system and hope you get the results you want. It's been hard for us to dial in the right ratios of c:n and moisture but after 2 years we are getting decent product for our food gardens! Plus reducing carbon emissions from our food waste for our 18 household community.

[@kdegraa]

Worms move somewhere a bit cooler when things warm up. They get around.

[@NortheastHobbyfarmer]

Liked the vid, good info. Love your style. I'm just getting started but I think compost may be my best answer over time for fertile soil. I am also trying vermicompost on a small scale this year. Blessings.

[@cheeseymccheese7249]

A tip for you, go to your local sawmill and buy sawdust vs wood chips. Wood chips take forever. I got away from them years ago. Also if you can find an old sawmil site there will always be piles of sawdust....thats where i get mine from. I have 2 acres of grass with a sprinkler system so it get mowed every 5 days. I catch it all and do a 50/50 mix with sawdust. Week 1 ill make my tower, week 2 ill make another but mix in the previous weeks tower in week 3 (14days) ill mix all my grass into the previous 2 towers. Then i start the process over again. Every 14 days ill end up with a hot pile as tall and big as my skidsteer and it gets very hot. After 1 month i add both piles together mixed with grass again and then turn that pile once every 2 weeks. In 2 moths i have half a dumptruck load of compost Then every month after another half a load. Thats the cycle i use. I love it, its very fast. Now adding manure and whatever else you do can easily double your output on your end but im happy with my operation. I live in a small town and get someone daily that wants a truck load. I tried chips and it takes years for them to fully decompose. Most mills sell sawdust cheap, im lucky that i get mine free and also work at a mill. Hope that all made sense. I have to one more time say ditch the chips if you can, your output and quality will be so much more and better. Cheers

[@cheeseymccheese7249]

Oh and the worms that come into these piles are massive, i live in a sandy area and it only took a year for my soil to completely change with this method. My grass grows thick, strong and fast. I do not add anything to my compost other than grass, sawdust and water

[@notillgrowers]

I don't have one nearby but I'm willing to give saw dust a shot some time. Lots of surface area so quick decomposition makes sense.

[@johansnyman7921]

@@cheeseymccheese7249 Hi. I would like to get more detail on your sawdust project. I have tons of sawdust available to turn into compost. What ratio grass to sawdust works best?

[@SeattlePioneer]

For my home compost piles, I use a piece of 3/4 inch steel pipe to punch holes into the compost pile which provide an easy means to add water and should provide ventilation as well.

[@JacobTiffin15424]

Very interesting. 👍 I love the idea. Been dealing with this issue. To much work turning buy hand all the time.

[@75blackviking]

This is excellent content. Very well presented. The subject of composting is more important now, than ever in history. Any gains we can make in terms of composting technology and awareness are of paramount importance to our survival as a species. Subbed and thumbed.

[@ArieSlik]

Find a local brewery and relieve them of their spent grain. Brewers spent grain is a perfect nitrogen source for composting as it comes fully saturated and is a great fungal food source. It also contains a lot of silica as well as PGR’s. I’ve used it extensively in different compost styles such as piles turned by a front loader, Johnson-Su’s, bokashi, and even raw, shallow tilling it into beds a couple weeks prior to planting. All methods have resulted in noticeably faster and larger growth in side by side comparisons.

[@kathynix6552]

I was thinking maybe Coffee grounds

[@TheVigilantStewards]

Look forward to more on this!

[@growingoutthebox]

Super interesting. Lots of food for thought.

[@l.skipallen9080]

I like easy -- load food grade barrels with the C:N "stuff," roll a little to mix, let the microbes work, and roll each time cooled down (3 days?). Open after 2 weeks for a visual & temp check, if necessary, continue rolling every few days until no heat is generated = ready to use. They are easy to fill, easy to roll and easy to empty close to where the finished compost is needed.

[@icarus901]

Jesse, just wanted to say that a) I really enjoy the video style and b) love the eager citations of others' work. Too many summarize/regurgitate as if their own invention without giving credit, but you don't.

[@quraibawentzel4143]

It's such an important topic.I only have a no till garden but am constantly thinking over the amount of compost I need ,or need to turn,hoping/worrying that it's pure enough etc...and yes all done by hand it's exhausting.I'm thinking of doing a Johnson Su reactor system.That also serrated the pile.Good luck Farmer Jesse.

[@quraibawentzel4143]

*aeretes the pile.

[@notillgrowers]

I intend to build a Johnson su and compare, for sure

[@CelticDruidess1]

I haven't read the other comments so sorry in advance if I'm being redundant - the aerated part is obvious and the static merely means "stationary" - doesn't move. We've assisted some industry with this for soil remedial purposes where they used our wind turbines to do "off-grid" style aerated static composting piles. We do liquid composting with our equipment as well but that's a whole other story.

[@Fizzbann]

I just layer compost. I even throw meat in my pile. I turn it maybe once or twice a year at most. Last time, pile was only a few weeks old I already had black soil on the bottom. Currently it's black soil, pine needles, leaves, coffee grounds/kitchen scrap, used cat litter, grass clippimgs, pine needles. Mixed in those layers is meat scraps, nut shells, ash and burn pile charcoal, and sticks and limbs, and a few rotting pieces of soft and hard wood from the trees. I can turn it now and know the lower layer has even more black earth under it since my latest pile turning after the pile was about 6 months old for my mid summer turning. Hole I started with was about knee deep on me, now you'd never know a hole was there. I've always been able to make the pile heat properly with just rain water hydrating the pile. Not worried about certification as I'm only going to be planting for my family. Good system setup none the less though.

[@Marshall_Weber]

Awesome Video as Always!!!

[@ganaelschneider]

super interesting please keep us informed!

[@Jimbojoebob]

Great idea. I have an extra leaf blower and old drain pipe. Timer + bin. I’ll try it.

[@flatsville1]

Charlotte drain pipe may be a better alternative to the black corrugated drain pipe. Charlotte pipe has pre-drilled holes on 2/3-3/4 circumfrence of the pipe. Just turn the blank (no holes side) to the bottom. You can always add more holes if needed. Charlotte drain pipe is likely more robust & less prone to crushing/smashing than the black stuff. May be easier to yank/slide out as well.

[@notillgrowers]

Great, good to know

[@jonathantodd9019]

@@notillgrowers the smooth wall will provide a lower pressure drop in the system allowing more air (oxygen) to get to the end of the ducting. A 'Y' connection at your header will also provide a lower pressure drop than the 'T'. Great system!

[@rumi885]

oh man ! if this works and that I manage to install it, my arms and back would be so grateful!

[@BlueSpoonFarm]

I have been raising sheep and goats for years and consequently have a lot of composted manure. I hadn't heard about these organic standards for compost and this year will try to learn a few things to make it easier to get rid of some. I always find it odd that people prefer to buy compost instead of getting it for free from a Neighboring farmer. Perhaps I just need to charge more!

[@sebastienloyer9471]

Thanks for the jumping to the how to!

[@swordtoplow]

Jesse, got your book, amazing work.

[@notillgrowers]

🙌

[@stevenmshantz]

I put a dead skunk in a very hot stirred pile. It was gone in 6 days, not taken by preditors. Left behind just a small whiff of skunk, not a problem at all. It seems to me a good way to recover the fertility of road kill.

[@brianwhite9555]

Watched video to see what this was all about. Interesting! But I'll never try it because I'm a small time composter, only needing enough to top off a few raised beds every year. I sure appreciated your style of humor though. :)

[@TheEmbrio]

Using straight pipes would make sliding them out of the pile easier, to set up a new pile for example. They have thicker walls too, might last longer. I always have straight pipes put it for drainage or water diversion (roof water infiltration, etc) because it can be maintained, pressure washed, de-clogged, etc. Sorry for my approximate english

[@Noidfpv]

Very meticulous. Dig it!😉👍

[@brianmiller1149]

Awesome video!!

[@gfirebunny]

Thanks for not being annoying on yourube. How refreshing.

[@WeDewey]

❤ I'm always speechless watching these videos. So from now on, I'll just use 1 emoticon ❤

[@carlitomk]

Awesome, dude … as always .. thank you

[@GoGracefully]

Good info! You won a new follower. Let's figure out how to get you something that uses hydraulics. Lol. At age 58 my shoulders just decided that working as hard as you do on those piles is no longer on the "To Do" list. I love my front end loader for compost making!

[@danielstevenson3543]

Really great content as always btw y'all 🙏🖖🤙🤯

[@notillgrowers]

🙌

[@yepyep7036]

Love the soliloquies !!

[@tannerfrancisco8759]

I've been thinking about McGyvering together some different wind-powered or solar powered fans and aerators for various applications. Might work for doing this on a smaller scale. But I can already crank out all the compost I need in 2-3 months per batch. It's not finely finished compost but its adequate for mulching/top dressing beds, fed to worms, or easily sifted for finer applications.

[@notillgrowers]

Nice, yeah this system will be going solar soon

[@convers_vlog]

Greate job🔥! youre video was very inspiring 👍🙂⚡

[@jeradcunningham3657]

I know this question has nothing to do with farming/composting but I was wondering if you could tell us what camera and audio equipment you use to make your videos. Great work by the way and thanks for sharing your organic farming/gardening knowledge!

[@djssquibbs3295]

you seem really cool, have subed and will keep watching your videos. I was very interested in the tubing and the pump. I am trying to lay out a aquaponics system/ponds etc but I also want to have the run off water fall into some garden beds where the excess water will go into my garden. right now it's the rainy season. I also am trying to harvest rainwater or collect and keep the rainwater. I hate having a downpour and seeing water run off my roof down my gutters and into the street

[@giholdaway]

Thanks. Very interesting. One comment on what you said about not having a tractor and FEL. I got myself a 10 year old tractor 20 years ago and then increased the base cost by 50 % when I put on a good FEL. I have never regretted the decision. I still use it most days. I’m hopeful it will see me out. I’m determined enough that I can do things with hand tools. But I still remember the first time I used the FEL - and did a job in 10 minutes - and thought how long it would have taken without …. Of course it can’t do everything. But it can do a lot. Just a suggestion.

[@landontesar3070]

and better for your physical health

[@luqmananugrah3693]

Wow. good job !!! Thanks

[@russeellbowman9498]

My eventual plan is to mow the bahia grass, nut sedge, and other dense greenery and vacuum it up as it is being mowed, then grow worms under the piles. The worms do the work in time, seeking ideal places in the pile and working their way through it. This green stuff is denser than fine grass and it seems to be more permeable than straight normal grass clippings. Also, micro clover could be added to the grass so more nitrogen gets into the mix to keep it all growing well over time. In the south, pine needles work well as a natural aerator. We have lawns anyway, so why not use them for the garden?

[@drakekoefoed1642]

if you are doing a small pile, like under 3 yards (pickup full) it can be very helpful to tarp the pile. this holds in heat and water and ammonia. if the material is fairly coarse like horse manure, etc, there will be enough oxygen. that is not true of grass clippings. i would just turn them. if you can get the pile to heat well once you get rid of a lot of weed seeds. this static pile works all right even 18' high. but you will almost always have some unfinished stuff on the outside. you can just peel it off and start a pile nearby and use the center stuff. let the outside stuff be in the center next pile. don't work hard with compost.

[@shawnstone4949]

I’ve always wanted to see that steam!!!! Haven’t made it there yet…

[@audreybarnes6527]

Hey Jesse, really pleased to see you've got a great result after only three goes. My recipe for woodchips includes calcium sulphate, crushed eggshell - calcium etc, plus grit for the worms, and pigeon manure (racing pigeons). Does that make sense, bird roosting in trees, dropping poop and eggs, eggshell in the forest? 1m2 done in 4 months, even when started in January. I'd love the pump air but I have to turn by hand. I've done piles up to 4m2 when rowing the pipe with the fork makes sense. As you appreciate, the calcium really gets the fungal element moving, mushrooms appear within a week. After four months the pile is brimming with worms and as its for me, I can add vegetable matter to suit.

[@ahmadatlam]

That’s a fantastic idea … I wonder how long it would take before pipe clogging problems start occurring

[@johnhansen8272]

7:10 or so after the various important disclaimers on organic rules and relative items related to those. Organic rules are critical for organic gardening when produce is sold to the public and for individual health if you feel eating healthy is an important aspect of your lifestyle. I found the information critical to what I do but home gardeners might have a different perspective. Fantastic video on mass compost options however!

[@BrixThePlanter]

One of my favorite ways to increase the speed of your pile is call your local coffee shops T brewing places and collect the tea and coffee grounds and then make tea and coffee Bokashi it’s free it’s easy and they’ll call you whenever they have full bucket

[@peterlanglands2482]

Thanks Jesse, great stuff! I just got my hands on a second hand blower and about to start experimenting. Do you have any lessons learned since then? Ideas for improvements? Keen to hear the results. Cheers

[@TanCreti]

Thank you for getting me thinking of a small-scale aeration solution. I have soft (no wood) matter that I inject with water with a 3/8 sprayer pipe. I will try to inject compressed air (regulated to 30psi max for safety - and with goggles) every foot. A hand valve will release air on the way up. I am thinking that a small amount of air punched through matted material delivered every few days will assist the living precesses. This will not cool the pile and not take too much time or equipment. Do not try this without determining it is safe for you to do so!

[@tolbaszy8067]

I think some sort of conveyor belt loader, like a hay elevator, would be useful for making and turning compost piles. The only problem would be getting a short enough one so the resulting pile was reasonably close. Walls would also make the pile more compact.

[@grantperkins368]

I like the conveyor idea, a small, wheeled unit with a battery powered motor would probably be quite sufficient :-)

[@kdegraa]

You’d be better off buying a little tractor with a front end loader. A little Kubota BX would be ideal.

[@sarahboyce1662]

This was great!! Is there an updated video on how it's going now, a year later? I would love to see your progress!

[@japlektv]

❤️❤️❤️worthy of an example and a try

[@walterzielezinski3579]

If you are looking composting materials check the county where you live. Most counties have a leaf and brush dump where they grind everything up and give it away free. Man I live in that leaf dump!

[@dedriannehartgers629]

Fascinating! Also...as a note, the reason a human needs to drink a lot more water than modern society says is for the same reason compost requires lots of water.