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On-Farm
Composting in Washington
Progressive On Farm
Composting in Snohomish County
In 1998, Snohomish County
Solid Waste Management
Division launched an on-farm
composting initiative as a
means to increase the number
of smaller scale compost
facilities handling yard
debris. The program was the
direct result of the 1997 odor
situation at Cedar Grove
Compost which at the time was
handling over 60% of the
region's composting capacity.
Snohomish County realized that
they needed to look at
encouraging more
decentralization of facilities
and capacity in the future.
For several years, the
County's Surface Water
Management Division staff were
asking public works staff if
they could do something to
help promote farm composting.
There was an incredible need
for programs to help farmers
compost their own wastes, for
their own economic good
(including liability) and to
protect water resources from
contamination.
Bailey Compost, a facility
which composted the waste from
the Bailand Dairy Farm, began
its interest in composting due
to its own manure waste
problems. Don Bailey
researched the situation more,
hired Peter Moon (an on-farm
composting expert) as a
consultant, and became
interested in getting permits
to compost yard debris also,
which is a regulated material
defined as a solid waste.
Peter Moon worked with Don and
the Snohomish Health
Department to make Bailey
Farms the first permitted
on-farm compost facility
handling yard debris in
Snohomish County. If you would
like additional information on
on-farm composting in
Snohomish County, please
contact Sego Jackson (425)
388-6490.
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King
County
Lack of, or improperly
managed agricultural waste
(manure and bedding) is a
serious problem that impacts
water quality and fisheries
habitat throughout King
County. With substantially
heightened attention towards
water resource issues due to
the Endangered Species Act
Chinook Salmon listing, and
the January 1999 enforcement
date of the King County
Livestock Management
Ordinance, it is certain that
proper management of
agricultural waste will endure
an increased level of scrutiny
by the public.
In response, a King County
Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) staff team
underwent a review of
agricultural waste issues to
document the extent of the
problem and provide a series
of strategies to appropriately
handle these materials using
an on-site/off-site approach.
The County created and is now
in the second year of an
on-farm composting training
program with the assistance of
consultant Peter Moon.
In King County there are
approximately 20,000 horses on
10,000 small farms, who
generate 290,000 tons of
manure and bedding annually.
When the DNR staff team
estimated the volume of
organic materials in Seattle
and King County, separating
out the total tonnage of
livestock organic, the
magnitude of livestock waste
becomes clearer. Proper
management of these materials
is critical to protect the
environment, comply with
requirements of local
ordinances and capture a
beneficial organic material in
a sustainable method or
process.
DNR's on-farm program will
offer livestock owners a range
of both on-site and off-site
management strategies. With
these strategies, livestock
owners will have a variety of
means to manage the waste
materials produced by
livestock in a compliant,
feasible and responsible
fashion. If you have any
questions or would like
additional information on
these agricultural waste
programs in King County,
please contact Josh Marx (206)
296-4429, project manager
Solid Waste Division, or
Laurie Clinton (206) 296-1471,
livestock program coordinator,
Water and Land Resources
Division.
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Resources
Washington
Conservation Commission
State legislation mandates
the Washington Conservation
Commission, through local
conservation districts, to
provide for the protection and
conservation of the renewable
soil resources of this state,
including protection of both
agricultural and
nonagricultural lands from
erosion and flooding, and
protection of water resources
from sediment damage, and
there helping to protect fish
and wildlife. They do this in
a non-regulatory form of
government that matches local
resource needs with financial
and technical resources so
landowners have the tools
necessary to put sound,
sustainable conservation
practices in place.
Their website
has listings of all the
Conservation Districts in the
State.
ATTRA
Appropriate Technology
Transfer for Rural Areas is
the national sustainable
farming information center
operated by the private
nonprofit National
Center for Appropriate
Technology (NCAT).
ATTRA provides technical
assistance to farmers,
Extension agents, market
gardeners, agricultural
researchers, and other ag
professionals in sustainable
farming production practices,
alternative crop and livestock
enterprises, and innovative
marketing.
Horses
for Clean Water
Horses for Clean Water (HCW)
is a continuation of the
environmentally sensitive
horsekeeping education
horseowners have known through
the King County Model Horse
Farm Project. In the spring of
1998 this new program, run by
horseowners in support of
horseowners, was awarded a
$30,000 contract by the Puget
Sound Water Quality Action
Team. HCW also receives
support and funding from King
County agencies, local
businesses, horse
organizations, and
individuals. Like the Model
Horse Farm Project, HCW offers
classroom series, workshops,
farm tours and demonstration
farms. For more information
contact HCW Program Manager
Alayne Blickle (425) 432-6116.
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