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Master Composters Column
Following a 2 day training course from Garden Organic – the UKs leading organic growing charity – the County Council recruited 19 Master Composters in January. The team of volunteers have been busy attending roadshows and events promoting composting, writing articles for local newsletters, providing their own home composting demonstrations and even speaking to neighbours about the subject!
To mark Compost Awareness Week – a national campaign to highlight the benefits of home composting - in May 3 Compost Clinics took place in Gloucestershire, at a local garden centre and B&Q in Gloucester and Cheltenham.
The picture to the right shows Master Composters John Stevens (far left) and Vic Rolfe (far right) dealing with some would be composters during World Environment Day in June at an event in Barnwood park in Gloucester.
In July the ‘Recycle for Gloucestershire’ team headed to the Nibley Music Festival in the Stroud district, for the very first time. 70s group Eddie and the Hotrods were the headline act and took centre stage – do you remember their greatest hit ‘Do what you wannna do?’ In the meantime festival goers were encouraged to follow the 3R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Children took part in a weaving activity to highlight how we can all reuse items. In addition, Master Composter Michael Gittins (seen in the picture to the left) on the far right – promoted home composting. Kim Baker – one of our events staff – is on the far left.
Several Master Composters attended the Malvern Spring Show in May. The 3 day event attracts many people from Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. As it is aimed at those with an interest in gardening, it was an ideal place to promote home composting. The Master Composters received many questions from visitors such as why do I have so many ants in my bin and what can I do to discourage fruit flies? The stand at the show on the right revealed the wide range of items you can compost – making sure you don’t have too many greens or browns. As well as highlighting what you can’t put in your compost.
Some Master Composters, such as Mike Sztymiak, have organised their own events. Mike gave a practical demonstration on composting, complete with compost bays. The event took place in Tewkesbury, as illustrated below.
Master Composters day out
Earlier this month, Master Composters were given an insight into how food and garden waste is turned into compost on an industrial scale. They visited Rose Hill Farm near Dymock which processes about 25,000 tonnes of garden and food waste each year by using an in-vessel composter.
Food waste is placed in large concrete tunnels which allow air to be passed through. The waste must hold a temperature of above 60 C for 2 days continuously and it is then transferred to another tunnel and the process is repeated. This takes about 21 days, and the composted waste is left outside to mature. After around 10 to 12 weeks a stable, dried organic soil conditioner is ready to use. Bags of this are currently being sold to the public at Oak Quarry Household Recycling Centre in the Forest of Dean, as part of a pilot project. The aim is to make it available for sale at all 5 County Council Household Recycling Centres later in the year.
Master Composters thoroughly enjoyed their visit and the owner of Rose Hill Farm Mark Bennion very kindly offered free bags of the soil conditioner – so the Master Composters can spread it over their gardens! Many of them would have provided the food and garden waste to make the product in the first place.
The photo on the right shows Master Composter Leo Fletcher (left) sniffing the freshly made compost in Mark Bennion’s hands.
Everyone showing off the soil conditioner (left)!
After Rose Hill Farm, the Master Composters visited Poultry Park near Newent, where the public who wish to have their own homemade eggs, can buy their own hens. Within the grounds, the owners have begun developing a composting demonstration area. They also have a food growing demonstration area – showing people what they can grow by using the compost they produce at home.
Poultry Park were excellent hosts – providing refreshments including strawberries – which went down a storm!
Many thanks to Chris Greenwood and everyone at Poultry Park, as well as Mark Bennion, for an excellent day out. Master Composter Vic Rolfe summed it up perfectly, with the following comments he emailed me:-
“Thank you for organising a very interesting visit to Rose Hill. It was very informative, the public should be more aware of the service these processing operations perform. Please send on to Mark and Chris at Poultry Park our thanks for such warm and enthusiastic visit.”