North Star Farms has been composting since we began in July 2004. We encourage others to compost lawn clippings, autumn leaves, cereal grain straw, kitchen scraps, coffee grinds, etc. It dramatically reduces refuse in a landfill and becomes beneficial to any farm.
Starter soil
All of our transplants in 2010 started in the greenhouse included composted farm soil. Nothing has been added except water and since we've had success the past two years, we expect the same this year.
Manure
Livestock manure, mainly from cattle, is also used on our fields to enhance crops, but in a sustainable and safe system, manure must be completely composted to be safe and effective.
Green Manure
This is another form of composting, which is often used as a fertilizer in certified organic crop rotations. Crops such as buckwheat, rye, clover, switch grass and others are grown during the off season and plowed under in the spring to help fragile seeds germinate and sprout.
Recycling
Each form of "recycling," including common trash, newspaper, beer bottles, motor oil and other items, is effective and saves hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on an annual basis that can be used to enhance our farm and the environment.