Is
Available for Commercial and Home Landscaping and Gardening.
How
Safe is Rockwater Farms Compost?
Rockwater
Farms Compost is the byproduct of a composting process that
was developed to solve the problems of managing animal moralities.
That means the compost does contain, along with composted
vegetative material, the composted remains of animals which
died of natural or other unforeseen causes other than disease.
The
composting of animal remains does introduce possible pathogens
into the process, but these are completely eliminated through
the combination of time and high temperatures.
Time:
The 18 month anaerobic (minimal oxygen) composting process
itself coupled with an additional six months of aerobic
composting and maturing time that Rockwater Farms requires
before making its compost available for sale, for a total
of two years.
The
following table shows the survival times of pathogens
Giardia--1
year
Cryptosporidium--over 1 year
Slamonella--13-75 days
Campylobacter--over 112 days
E. Coli 0157--10-100 days
Yersina entercolitica--12-28 days
Sources:
Olson
M.E., Goh J., Phillips M., Guselle N., McAllister T.A.
Giardia cyst and Cryptosporidium oocyst survival in
water soil and cattle feces. J. Environ Quality 1999;
28: 1991-1996.
Olson M.E., Interactions between Pathogens and Swine
Manure, Prairie Swine Centre Focus on the Future Conference
2003 proceedings, Saskatoon, March 25-26, 2003
Study
sponsored by: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
By
aging its compost to at least two years (730 days), Rockwater
Farms assures it is safe to use in any application including
vegetable gardens.
Temperature:
High tempertures reached during both the anerobic (minimal
oxygen) and aerobic composting stages also assure elimination
of pathogens. As reference, the National Organic Program
requires that composted plant or animal material maintain
a temperature between 131°F and 170°F from 3 to
15 days depending on the composting method used.
The
following are data taken at three minimal oxygen (anerobic
stage) sites.
Billy
C. White Farms
April 22 - May 22, 2001
Temperatures taken by Chris White, Manager
100 - 800 pounds of pig added on average every three days
Lowest
Temperature 140°, Highest Temperature 148°
Days at 140° - 2, 142° - 3, 144° - 3,
146° - 3, 148° - 19
Rockwater
Farms
January 1 - January 30, 2005
Temperatures taken Jay
Carter, Owner
Lowest
Temperature 160°, Highest Temperature 163°
Days at 160° - 16, 161° - 4, 162° - 4, 163°
- 5
Warren
Wilson College
November
3 - November 28, 2003
North
Pit
Lowest Temperature 132°, Highest Temperature 132°
Days at 132° - 26
Middle Pit
Lowest Temperature 135°, Highest Temperature 137°
Days at 135° - 5, 136° - 14, 137° - 7
South Pit
Lowest Temperature 141°, Highest Temperature 143°
Days at 141° - 9, 142° - 10, 143° - 7
Berea
College, KY
November 1 - November 30, 1998
Temperatures taken by Arwen Carter
Lowest
Temperature 147°, Highest Temperature 155°
Days at 147° - 2, 149° - 1, 150° - 4, 153°
- 2, 154° - 7, 155° - 14
The
following are data taken during the "curing" aerobic
composting stage:
Rockwater
Farms
February 2 - February 18, 2006
Temperatures taken Jay
Carter, Owner
North
Pile
Lowest Temperature 132°, Highest Temperature 138°
Days at 132° - 2, 133° - 3, 134° - 3, 135°
- 2, 138 - 7
Middle Pile
Lowest Temperature 158°, Highest Temperature - 163°
Days at 158° - 3, 160° - 4, 162° - 3, 163°
- 7
South Pile
Lowest Temperature 140°, Highest Temperature - 143°
Days at 140° - 11, 142° - 5, 143° - 1
