Latest composting Stories

Programs Provide Training, Hands-On Activities for Students, Others HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's students, teachers and community groups will be able to take field trips, study alternative energy, restore ponds and wetlands, and use worms to create compost with the help of 60 environmental education grants by the commonwealth to schools, colleges, county conservation districts and local non-profit organizations. Environmental Protection...

A Pennsylvania dairy farmer said his farm and several local homes are all powered by the same source -- droppings from his cows. Shawn Saylor, 36, of Rockwood, said rising energy costs led him to become interested in a process called anaerobic digestion, which involves manure heated for 16 days to make methane gas, which is then burned in two engine generators, CNN reported Friday. It's a pretty simple process. There's not really a lot to it, Saylor said. Manure comes from the cows, and...

Waste from the textiles industry could with the assistance of earthworms and some animal manure become a rich compost for agriculture, according to a report in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution.Most gardeners will tell you the earthworm is their best friend as it aerates the soil and helps break down compostable materials so releasing nutrients for improved plant growth. One particular species of earthworm, known as Eisenia foetida, thrives in rotting vegetation, compost,...

Funding Will Reduce Organic Waste Stream, Generate Additional Organic Products HARRISBURG, Pa., May 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Grants totaling nearly $400,000 will allow businesses, colleges and farms in six Pennsylvania counties to reduce their organic waste and put what is left to a better use, Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger announced today. "This is an example of making something out of nothing," said Hanger. "Every year, we simply throw away material that can be...

A U.S. researcher has been awarded a $222,000 grant to reduce bacteria being spread from farms and gardens through the use of manure as a fertilizer. Clemson University food safety researcher, Associate Professor Xiuping Jiang, said a teaspoon of fertile soil can have as many as 1 billion bacteria -- some that can cause extreme sickness and even death. But Jiang's research shows that by raising temperatures and using other approaches, bacterial counts in compost are reduced. The funding --...

First 'Green' Load will arrive at Company's Distribution Center on Earth Day, April 22, 2009 SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- To honor their commitment to the environment, not only on Earth Day but all year round, Stater Bros. has partnered with Community Recycling and Resource Recovery Inc. to turn organic waste into compost that can be sold to area farmers. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030421/STATERLOGO) The first "green" load will arrive at Stater...

Leading Experts Offer Environmental and Gardening Tips to Central Texans AUSTIN, Texas, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- At The Great Outdoors, every day is Earth Day, but to celebrate the "official" occasion, Austin's famed garden center will be hosting a composting class given by local compost guru Patrick Van Haren. Patrick's company, Sunergie, specializes in making the finest compost and compost extract to infuse your lawn and garden with beneficial microbes. "Compost, whether you're making...

SEATTLE, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- To many, the idea of composting sounds like a positive environmental behavior, but according to Dr. Lawrence Green, M.D., Ph.D. and founder of Bokashicycle, it may be doing more harm than good. Bokashicycle is the totally natural way to reduce, reuse and recycle organic waste. It heals the planet by reducing greenhouse gases. What about compost? Compost is a mixture of decaying organic matter used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients. The...

In 1999, more than 30 million acres of agricultural land worldwide were covered with plastic mulch, and those numbers have been increasing significantly since then. With the recent trend toward "going green", researchers are seeking environmentally friendlier alternatives to conventional plastic mulch.Plastic mulch can provide earlier crop maturity, higher yields, increased quality, improved disease and insect resistance, and more efficient water and fertilizer use, but carries a...

New On-Farm Constructions, Expansions Required to Develop Odor Management Plan HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New regulations to manage odors from newly constructed animal barns and certain other agricultural operations will help minimize the potential for conflicts between neighbors, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said today. "With increasing development and urban sprawl, Pennsylvanians are moving closer and closer to their farming neighbors," said Wolff. "These...