What is Compost?

Webster’s Dictionary defines compost as the following:

 Pronunciation: 'käm-"pOst, esp British -" past Function: noun ”A mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing and conditioning land”

The On-Farm Composting Handbook states that compost is:

"A group of organic residues or a mixture of organic residues and soil that have been piled, moistened, and allowed to undergo aerobic biological decomposition."

The Practical Handbook of Compost Engineering defines the composting process as:

"The biological decomposition and stabilization of organic substrates, under conditions that allow development of thermophilic temperatures as a result of biologically produced heat, to produce a final product that is stable, free of pathogens and plant seeds, and can be beneficially applied to land."

The US Composting Council defines compost as:

Compost is the product resulting from the controlled biological decomposition of organic material that has been sanitized through the generation of heat and ‘processed to further reduce pathogens’ (PFRP), as defined by the U.S. EPA (Code of Federal Regulations Title 40, Part 503, Appendix B, Section B), and stabilized to the point that it is beneficial to plant growth. Compost bears little physical resemblance to the raw material from which it originated. Compost is an organic matter source that has the unique ability to improve the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of soils or growing media. It contains plant nutrients but is typically not characterized as a fertilizer.

J. I. Rodale of the Rodale Institute eloquently states that: "Compost is more than a fertilizer or a healing agent for the soil's wounds. It is a symbol of continuing life . . . The compost heap is to the organic gardener what the typewriter is to the writer, what the shovel is to the laborer, and what the truck is to the truck driver."

Novozymes Nature’s GREEN-RELEAF™ Certified Compost is comprised of nutrient-rich enzyme production residuals, yard trimmings, hardwoods, sawdust, food waste and other organic recyclables. A specific recipe of these ingredients is developed based on each components' makeup. The components are then batch mixed in a commercial grade mixer and tracked by batch number for quality control.

The active phase of composting is achieved through the management of a turned windrow system. We monitor the time, temperature, oxygen, moisture content, and turning frequency in our windrow system to achieve optimal results. After the active phase of compost is complete the compost is allowed to mature and stabilize. This product is then tested under the US Compost Council’s Seal of Testing Assurance Program. Participation in this program along with our in-house monitoring program assures that you receive a high quality “Certified Compost” product every time.

For more information on the USCC-STA program click here.