Compost making – an environmental service?; a profitable business?; or food for the plants? Richard Wallis, the composting guest speaker, has convinced us that HCFA can manage its composting facilities with all three objectives in mind.

The bank holiday weekend meant that numbers were thinner on the ground than normal. Those who did attend were treated to an amusing and informative demonstration on the art of composting.

Richard explained the essential components of good compost – aeration, layering green (grass cuttings, hedge trimmings etc) and brown (wood chippings, bark etc) materials, heat retention and moisture. These factors all improve the structure of the compost and the microbial activity necessary for breaking down the organic matter into essential elements (nitrates, phosphorous, potassium, calcium etc) for plants.

We then set about turning…….. the theory into practice (and the compost pile). Richard showed us how to layer, turn/rotate and insulate a composting heap.

HCFA would like to thank Richard for his expert guidance. We were all left wondering why such beneficial materials are called a waste at all – as they say one mans waste is another mans compost.