Properly managing goat, chicken, pig, horse, rabbit, sheep, and alpaca manure through composting helps keep carbon in the soil, keeps excess nitrates and phosphorus from entering our watersheds, and increases the water retention and plant health of your garden! Learn more about how to compost your animals’ manure at our Small–Scale Manure Composting webinar on Wednesday, September 27th from 6 to 7 p.m., in partnership with Solana Center for Environmental Innovation. Please pre-register here to attend: https://bit.ly/3YDt971.

This webinar will address mid-scale composting for farms and ranches with significant quantities of organic materials, including manure. Improper disposal of organic waste is unsightly, breeds flies, and can create health issues for livestock. It can also contaminate local water sources. Using compost on your garden and landscape conserves water, mitigates erosion, sequesters carbon, and can help your plants thrive.

Join us as we virtually visit Ramona’s International Equestrian Center to watch a windrow compost pile build in process and visit with site manager, Nancy Zadrozny. Nancy is a 33-year resident of San Diego Country Estates (the Estates) and the manager of the Estates’ Landscape/Open Space Manager. She has applied her background in horticulture and ecology, along with 15 years experience as vice president of an engineering construction firm, to build a vibrant and successful composting program in her community.

Following County guidelines for environmental compliance, the process in its current form produces 50 cubic yards of finished compost every two weeks. The finished product is made available free to the Estates’ homeowners and is widely used for gardening, mulching and erosion control. This is a perfect opportunity for horse owners hoping to turn their manure into a valuable resource!

Learn more and register here.

This webinar will address mid-scale composting for farms and ranches with moderate quantities of organic materials including manure, crop residue, and food scraps. Improper disposal of organic waste can lead to pest problems, create health issues for livestock, and contaminate local water sources. Adding compost to your soil conserves water, mitigates erosion, sequesters carbon, and can help your plants thrive. For Healthy Soils Program awardees, making your own compost allows for better on-site nutrient cycling and a finished product tailored to your needs. Please learn more and register for the webinar at https://bit.ly/3qurtA6.

What is an Aerated Static Pile (ASP)? ASPs offer a simple and cost-effective method for composting organic materials. These contained systems force air through the compost pile, encouraging rapid decomposition without laborious turning while achieving temperatures needed for safe, weed-free compost. The system we will discuss is perfect for a small amount of livestock (for instance, one to ten horses) and small- to medium-sized farms or orchards.

Come join us as we virtually visit Solana Center’s site in Encinitas and other successful examples of ASP composting throughout the San Diego region. We’ll discuss how Solana Center has integrated ASP systems into our community composting program to enable safe and efficient composting of food waste from over 100 local households into a high-quality soil amendment.

This webinar will be held using Zoom, so please note that you will need to have the Zoom application installed on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) to attend and participate. You will receive an email with the link and password to join upon registering. The webinar will be recorded, and the recording will be shared with attendees in a follow-up email and made available continuously on Solana Center’s Healthy Soils Program page.

In this webinar, we will cover:

• The benefits of composting manure and other on-farm materials
• Using ASPs to minimize labor without costly equipment
• System selection, feedstocks, and preparations
• Managing pest and smell concerns with neighbors
• Ensuring compliance with San Diego County ordinances and/or Healthy Soils Program requirements

Made possible through generous funding by: