Governors Island, NYC
Saturday, May 11, 2019
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
ILSR COMMUNITY COMPOSTER HOMEPAGE
This full-day training and field day at Earth Matter NY is offered to community composters in and outside NYC as part of the 6th National Cultivating Community Composting Forum.
Earth Matter NY Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the art, science, and application of composting in and around New York City. It accepts and processes food waste as part of NYC Department of Sanitation’s NYC Compost Project (NYCCP) and operates a Compost Learning Center featuring a wide variety of mesophilic and thermophilic composting devices and methods.
Trainers include staff from NYCCP and Earth Matter Soil Start Farm: Charlie Bayrer, Marisa DeDominicis, Steve Affat, Syed Arif Mumtaz, and others. Check out the team here.
Registration fee is $50 per person and includes lunch. Space is limited. Register early to guarantee your participation! You must be registered in advance. No walk-ins allowed.
This event is geared toward community composters (not individuals composting at home) who want to:
• Practice hands-on composting at the community scale,
• Learn how to perform bulk density and porosity tests of compost piles,
• Be exposed to different options for community composting site organizing and set up,
• See and discuss tools and equipment,
• Grasp and/or review the basics of composting, and
• Tour the Earth Matter Compost Learning Center, a showcase of numerous devices and methods for making compost.
Select one among the following three groups for the morning activity:
Compost Promenade: Will practice using 15 micro composting devices (including backyard systems), learn composting 101, and community composting organizing and set ups. Focus will primarily be on mesophilic techniques and routines.
On-farm Composting: Will build a 2 cubic yard batch using inputs from animals, food and farm generated greens and browns. Will cover entry to thermophilic composting and techniques for incorporating tricky materials such as invasive plants, weed seeds, and animal manures to meet PFRP (process to further reduce pathogens).
Aerated Static Piles: Will create a batch using this mid-scale system that utilizes timers and blowers. ASPs do not need to be turned for 2 to 4 weeks.
PLANNED SCHEDULE
(subject to change and updates)
9:00 a.m. Meet and Greet: Board ferry, walk to Earth Matter Compost Learning Center
10:00 a.m. Morning Activities (select one group, see above)
11:30 a.m. Perform and share bulk density and porosity tests
12:30 p.m. Zero Waste Island team orientation & lunch
1:30 p.m. Break into groups for two rotating sessions:
• Tour of Compost Learning Center and Farm with emphasis on site design
• Equipment and tool demos
3:00 p.m. Closure at Earth Matter site, and choice of:
• Further conversation and Q&A, or
• Governors Island walking tour
4:30 p.m. Informal happy hour for networking (cost not covered in registration fee)
USCC Certification
Earn up to 22 continuing education credits towards US Composting Council Professional Certifications. For more info, go to www.certificationsUSCC.org.
