Composting and Compost Use (ENVS2002)

Offered by Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture

Click here for information on how to register

Composting and the utilization of organic matter produced on the farm provide the basis for soil fertility in organic systems. However, potential benefits derived from compost use are often limited by the supply and quality of on-farm produced composts. The objective of this web-based course is to teach composting primarily by providing students with the opportunity to make their own compost. Over a 13-week period and through five stand-alone modules, students will learn:

• Module 1: Composting of Organic Materials
  What composting is, and how the underlying principles of composting are applied when combining various organic feedstock materials.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Module 2: Managing the Composting Process
  How to evaluate and manage an actively working pile or windrow, and how to troubleshoot to maintain optimum conditions for composting.
  
  
  
  
• Module 3: On-Farm Composting
  Why composting is a recommended or required practice in organic farming, and what are efficient, low-cost composting methods for agricultural composting on various scales.
  
  
  
  
  
• Module 4: Compost Quality
  How to evaluate the quality of the finished compost, based on the requirements of various standards, markets, and end-uses for compost.
  
  
  
  
• Module 5: Compost Utilization and Marketing
  Considerations and requirements for using compost, the best uses of compost in organic systems, and factors which are important in the marketing of compost.

Students who complete the "Composting and Compost Use" course acquire a good understanding of compost and composting, from combining feedstock materials, through process monitoring and evaluation, to compost use and marketing. Experience to date has shown that students who have successfully mastered both the theoretical and practical components of this course are well prepared to try their hand at composting at any scale.

Please visit the Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture's Continuing and Distance Education page for more information.