Composting today is fairly similar to yesteryear, when families piled table scraps, yard waste and farm debris in a mound at the edge of the yard. Ingredients were added and mixed and eventually it turned into rich, black composting material to be spread around plants and trees in the yard. Bob Wackernagle is one of many Michigan farmers realizing the benefits of composting manure on his 110-head dairy farm. Federal regulations required Wackernagle to have a waste management plan for the large volume of manure his cows produce. With the help of the Michigan Integrated Food and Farming Systems, the University of Nebraska and local agriculture agents, Wackernagle designed a secondary composting operation on his farm.
Microorganisms feed on organic matter and consume oxygen.
This causes large amounts of heat, carbon dioxide and water vapor to build up inside the compost piles. As piles are turned, the material is mixed and the process restarts itself until the organic material is decomposed and nutrient-rich compost remains. There are variations on composting methods, but the concept is the same. Wackernagle's recipe for turning manure into profitable compost.