Management Plan for Food Scrap Feeding &

Composting with Laying Hens

Version 1: November 2014

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Management Plan for Food Scrap Feeding &

Composting with Laying Hens

Table of Contents Introduction 2 1. On-Farm Feeding and Composting System Components 2 2. Chicken-Feeding, Feedstock, & Compost Management 6

A. Equipment 6 B. Chicken Feeding 6 C. Feedstock Management 7 D. Pile Blending 8 E. Windrow Composting 9 F. Aerated Static Pile Composting 10 G. Monitoring 11 H. Pile Management 12 I. Compost Curing and Storage 14 J. Odor Control 14 K. Vector Control 16 L. Litter Control 17 M. Conservation Measures 18 N. Contamination Control 22

Appendices

A. Livestock Mortality Composting 22 B. Invasive Species Composting 23 C. Testing of Feedstocks 25 D. Quality Controls for Sale of Finished Compost 25 E. Working with Food Scrap Generators and Haulers 27

to Minimize Vectors and Contamination F. Fire Prevention 28 G. A Guide to Monitoring Compost Windrows 29

Acknowledgments 39

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Introduction This Management Plan Template has been written as a resource for egg farmers

who will be feeding Source-Separated Organics (SSO), also referred to in this

document as “food scraps,” to their laying flock as a primary feed source. As

increasing tonnages of organic materials in Vermont are diverted from landfills in

accordance with the 2012 Universal Recycling Law, recycling SSO as animal

feed on farms is seen as a viable recycling strategy, although much is still not

understood about this as a practice. The Management Plan describes the basic

physical facilities and management protocols for operating a chicken-feeding and

composting operation in accordance with Best Management Practices on farms.

Farmers can use this plan as a reference for planning and managing an on-farm

feeding/composting operation. Sections 1 & 2 describe general Best

Management Practices central to feeding, handling, and composting SSO.

Appendices A-G that follow contain specific information related to issues that

may arise or be of interest to operators.

1. On-Farm Feeding and Composting System Components The physical site is divided into seven parts; (a) Carbon Materials and

Feedstocks Storage Area, (b) Receiving and Mixing Bay, (c) Chicken Housing,

(d) Chicken Feeding Area, [(e) Aerated Static Pile Composting System-where

applicable] (f) Windrow Composting Area (g) Compost Curing and Storage Area,

and (h) Vegetated Stormwater Treatment Areas.

a) Carbon Materials and Feedstocks Storage Area – To ensure

sufficient dry matter for chicken bedding and in the compost recipe,

dry carbon materials will be stored under cover when possible. If

cover is unavailable, dry feedstocks will be managed to shed water

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and maintain low surface-to-volume ratio. Other feedstocks such as

manure and yard waste will be managed in the same manner.

b) Receiving/Mixing Bay – Receiving and blending of food scraps will

generally take place in a designated, contained area which has an

adequate working surface for tractor operation and which is, ideally,

impermeable to liquids (e.g., leachate and storm water). Food scraps

and any other high moisture, high nitrogen feedstocks, such as dairy

manure, will generally be handled here; however, the operator may

receive and blend materials directly on the Active Composting Area,

or in the Feedstock Area, at their discretion. Food scraps will be

combined with the dry carbon materials. Additionally, after the totes

and trucks containing the food scraps are emptied in this area, they

may also be cleaned here. After being fed to the laying flock, residual

food scraps and blended materials will be moved to the Windrow

Composting Area with the bucket-loader.

Leachate capture is further detailed in Section D: Conservation

Measures (p.19). The Receiving/Mixing Bay will be designed to either

contain leachate where it can be absorbed with sawdust or another

dry material, or shed to a vegetative treatment area.

c) Chicken Housing – In the winter months, chickens will be housed in

a stationary structure such as a high tunnel or wood-frame coop. The

interior square footage of the coop will provide 2 sq. ft./bird, in

accordance with 2011 NOSB recommendations. Access to an outdoor

area equivalent to 2 sq. ft./bird will be provided. The housing will

provide draft-free shelter to the flock in inclement weather. Chicken

Housing will be adjacent to the Feeding Area in order to facilitate

efficient feeding. Fencing surrounding the Chicken Housing will serve

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to exclude the chickens from composting areas and neighboring

properties.

The Chicken Housing may house the laying flock year-round, at the

operator’s discretion. If the laying flock is rotated on pasture during

the growing season, alternative mobile shelter will be used during that

time, and feeding practices will be adjusted accordingly (see 2-B:

Chicken Feeding).

d) Chicken Feeding Area – Food scraps blended with amendments will

be fed to chickens daily in a designated Feeding Area. The area will

be constructed of like material to the Receiving/Mixing Bay in order to

provide an adequate working surface. At the operator’s discretion, the

chickens may be fed directly in the Receiving/Mixing Bay, effectively

consolidating the Receiving and Feeding Areas into one space. If this

method is used, care will be taken to ensure that the flock is provided

with access to adequate daily rations of food scraps equivalent to 2

lbs/day per bird.

The Feeding Area will be sized in order to store a minimum of 1 week

of blended food scraps and amendments at the determined feeding

rate.

Fencing surrounding the Chicken Feeding Area will serve to exclude

the chickens from neighboring properties and actively managed

compost areas.

If the laying flock is housed in the Chicken Housing area year-round,

the Feeding Area will also be used year-round. If the laying flock is

rotated on pasture during the growing season, alternate feeding

methods will be utilized accordingly (see 2-B: Chicken Feeding).

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ASP Operator’s Note:

e) Aerated Static Pile Composting System – After blended compost

has been made available to the laying flock as feed, residual compost

will primarily be composted in an Aerated Static Pile (ASP) System.

The ASP system will be aerated with an in-floor aeration system.

Aerated static piles may also be constructed with above-grade

perforated pipes. Blowers will push air through the compost (positive

aeration) to maintain aerobic conditions throughout the material.

f) Windrow Composting Area – Once a compost batch is blended and

removed from, it will be formed in windrows in the Windrow

Composting Area to undergo active composting. Windrows will be

formed and managed with the bucket-loader. The working surface of

the Windrow Composting Area will be constructed with a firmly

packed aggregate product or other impermeable working surface.

g) Compost Curing and Storage Area – Compost that is no longer

actively heating will be cured in the Compost Curing Area. At this

stage, piles may be consolidated and stacked higher in order to

minimize wetting and freezing from inclement weather conditions.

h) Vegetative Treatment Area – All non-contained composting areas

are graded to allow any potential leachate, nutrients, or storm water to

flow towards a vegetated treatment area. Any liquids that flow to the

vegetative treatment area will be retained and treated there. Clean

storm water will be diverted wherever possible from composting

areas.

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2. Chicken Feeding, Feedstock Management and Compost Management

A. Equipment

! Wheeled loader or tractor-mounted bucket-loader

! Aerated Composting System

! Pressure Washer

! 36” Compost Thermometers

! Hand tools: shovels, hayforks, etc.

B. Chicken Feeding

! Food scraps will be capped with high-carbon feedstocks promptly after

tipping to deter odors and scavengers. Following that, food scraps will

be made accessible to the laying flock.

! Chickens will be given daily access to amounts of food scraps

equivalent to 2 lbs food scraps/bird/day or greater. The operator will

establish regular tipping of a generally specified amount of food scraps

in order to ensure adequate supply of feed for the laying flock. Weekly

loads will be procured in amounts sufficient to meet the flock’s daily

requirements.

! Assuming the laying flock is housed in the Chicken Housing area,

feeding will take generally place either in the Receiving/Mixing Bay or

in a designated Feeding Area directly adjacent to the Receiving/Mixing

Bay.

! If the flock is fed in the Receiving/Mixing Bay, the pile of blended feed

will be managed with the bucket loader to expose fresh feed in

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amounts equivalent to 2 lbs/bird/day. If the laying flock is fed using this

practice, measure will still be taken to empty and prepare the

Receiving/Mixing Bay in order to receive regular loads of food scraps.

! If the laying flock is rotated on pasture during the summer months, the

food scraps will need to be brought to the flock, rather than the flock

eating in the Feeding Area. This will be accomplished by loading daily

rations in a wagon, manure spreader, or other mobile container.

! The Feed Pile will be capped with high-carbon amendments as

necessary in order to control odors and vectors. Any pooling or flowing

leachate in the feeding area will be absorbed with dry material such as

sawdust.

! Care will be taken when operating the tractor around the flock to

ensure that chickens are not injured. Extra care will be taken in the

winter when chickens move more slowly due to cold temperatures.

C. Feedstock Management

! Incoming food scraps will be delivered to the Receiving/Mixing Bay;

however at the operator’s discretion these materials may be received

and blended directly in the Windrow Composting Area (or ASP Area)

or in the Feedstock Storage Area.

! Food scraps will be capped with adequate carbon materials and

manures to control odors and vectors. Refused food scraps will be

incorporated to achieve a proper composting recipe.

! In winter months, blending biologically active feedstocks such as

manures or actively decomposing woodchips and bark will assist in

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thawing frozen food scraps and making them more available to the

flock as a feed source.

! Dry high-carbon materials will be used as bedding in the Chicken

Housing. Spent bedding will be utilized as a compost feedstock when

cleaned out of the coop, either on a regular or seasonal basis.

! Dry carbon and bulking materials will be managed to protect them from

moisture as much as possible. Large volumes of carbon and bulking

materials may be stored and blended on the Windrow Composting

Area at the operator’s discretion.

! If the farm is able to utilize delivered or on-farm-generated manures in

the compost, handling and storage of livestock manures and other

farm wastes will be contingent on the character and volume of the

material, and the need for that material at the time of blending. These

materials may be delivered to the Feedstock Storage Area, the

Receiving/ Mixing Bay, or the Windrow Composting Area (or the ASP

Area) at the operator’s discretion.

D. Pile Blending

! A compost recipe will be developed based on the aerobic management

of food scraps and manure, which are both high nitrogen, high

moisture feedstock. The mix will be achieved by blending the food

scraps with dry high-carbon materials, based on analytically developed

recipes, to achieve a Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio of between 25:1 and

40:1, a Moisture Content of between 50% and 65%, and a bulk density

between 600 and 1200 lbs/cubic yard of blended material.

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! Blending to achieve the compost recipe will take place in the

Receiving/Mixing Bay either prior to or after feeding, at the operator’s

discretion. If the recipe is achieved after feeding, sufficient

amendments will still be added prior to feeding to control leachate,

odors, and vectors. The combined feedstocks will be thoroughly mixed.

! Because the laying flock will consume a significant quantity of the

received food scraps, the compost recipe will be based on the

estimated amount of residual food scraps after feeding.

E. Windrow Composting ! Compost will be stacked in windrows on the Windrow Composting

Area. Windrows will be built 5-7 ft High and 10-14 ft wide at the time of

construction. At this time, other amendments may be blended in, as

necessary to ensure active composting. Windrows will be actively

managed and turned as needed to maintain aerobic internal

conditions.

! Once stacked in windrow formation, fresh piles will be capped as

necessary with well-bedded manure, finished compost, or other

compostable material with good potential for odor absorption, to

prevent odors and vectors. Compostex compost covers or a like

product may also be used, if needed to mitigate vectors.

! Windrows will typically be constructed of batches over a 1-8 week

period. After initial volume losses and temperature goals are met, piles

of similar age (3-4 month range) may be combined to conserve space.

Placement of piles in pairs will facilitate organized and effective pile

consolidation and tracking.

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ASP Operator’s Note:

F. Aerated Static Pile Composting ! After feeding and prior to windrow composting, residual blended

materials will be stacked 5-8 ft high in the Aerated Static Pile

Composting Bays (height depends on the system’s capacity). These

materials will be retained in the aerated system, and then moved to the

Windrow Composting Area to continue composting in windrows and

finish the active composting phase.

! The Aerated Static Pile system contains aeration channels capable of

pulling or pushing air through the composting materials at a rate

adequate to maintain aerobic conditions. The operators will use their

discretion to increase or decrease the frequency and duration of

aeration in order to maintain optimal composting conditions.

! The contents of the Aerated Static Piles will ideally be turned after 2-4

weeks by rotating the material from one aeration zone to another, to

ensure the compost has been re-homogenized during the mostly static

process. This mixing process discourages preferential air channels and

promotes even composting. After compost has completed the static

process, it will be moved to the Windrow Composting Area, where it

will be formed into windrows and managed.

! Aerated Static Piles will be managed to achieve 131 degrees

Fahrenheit for 3 days throughout the pile, during which time even air

distribution and pile activity will ensure all materials are exposed to

thermophilic temperatures.

! ASP piles will be capped (covered) as necessary with well-bedded

manure, finished compost, or other compostable material with good

potential for odor absorption, to prevent odors and vectors. Compostex

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compost covers or a like product may also be used, if needed to

mitigate vectors.

G. Monitoring

! Monitoring of the active composting materials will inform the operator

of the piles’ biological activity, as well as physical and chemical factors

affecting the pile’s health and function. Monitoring will ideally occur at

least twice per week.

! Temperature – Three-foot temperature probes will be used to monitor

the compost piles. Temperature checks will be done in the middle of

the pile (height) every ~10-15 feet on windrows, and distributed across

the side and tops of ASP piles every ~10-15 feet. Temperature

readings will be taken at depths of one and three feet. Temperatures

will be recorded and used, in part to determine when to aerate.

! Squeeze Test – The operator will use a common field assessment for

moisture known as the “squeeze test,” to monitor the moisture of the

piles (Appendix G: Monitoring Compost Piles: Why & How). The

squeeze test has been documented as a reliable field method for

assessing pile moisture. The operator will manage the windrows to

maintain 50-65% moisture. If significant moisture issues are noticed,

the cause will be identified and the issue will be addressed promptly.

! Sniff Test - The operator will observe and monitor any odors

generated by the site and/or individual piles. This can be done every

time the site is visited. If significant odors are noticed, the cause will

be identified and the issue will be addressed promptly. Generally most

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odor problems can be addressed by correcting pile moisture and

carbon-to-nitrogen ratios.

! A visual inspection of the site and the piles will be conducted

whenever the operator enters the site. Such inspections will note if

there is excessive moisture on the site and where it is coming from, the

conformation of the piles, signs of vectors, visible food scraps, and any

other signs of potential problems. If significant problems are noticed,

the cause will be identified and the issue will be addressed promptly.

! Moisture issues deriving from excessive pile moisture will be

addressed by correcting pile moisture with the addition of dry

amendments. Leaching will be addressed by correcting pile moisture

and by capturing leachate, by building berms of sawdust or wood chips

around the pile to absorb the leachate. Saturated berm contents will

eventually be incorporated back into the pile.

! Specific monitoring protocols are outlined in Appendix G: Monitoring Compost Piles: Why & How. Please refer to this guide for how to

conduct monitoring and how to interpret monitoring results.

H. Pile Management

! Compost will be managed to maintain optimal microbial activity,

aerobic conditions, and minimal trash contamination.

! Active compost piles will be tracked by pile name, recipe, starting date

and finishing date. Recording monitoring data and management notes

assist in assurance of temperature treatment and in tracking any

potential management or contamination issues.

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! Windrows will be aerated by turning. Turning of material will in large

part be based on pile age and temperature as an indication of

microbial activity, as well as other monitoring information gathered.

When a windrow’s temperature peaks and starts to go down, or when

there is a 20 degree difference between one foot and three foot

temperature readings, the pile will be turned to restore the availability

of oxygen, or in some cases, to release heat to cool the pile.

! Piles may also be turned to adjust moisture content, improve the

homogeneity of the mix, integrate additional materials, or ensure

efficient management of the composting area and process.

ASP Operator’s Note:

! Aerated Static Piles will be managed to achieve 131 degrees

Fahrenheit for 3 days throughout the pile, during which time even air

distribution and pile activity will ensure all materials are exposed to

these temperatures.

! Windrowed piles will be managed so that all of the material achieves

131 degrees for at least 3 days. This would involve sufficient turning

to ensure all materials are adequately exposed to thermophilic

temperatures. This is known as the Process to Further Reduce

Pathogens, or PFRP. This practice should meet organic standards,

but refer to your local organic regulations to ensure your practices

meet their guidelines.

! Chickens will be excluded by means of fencing or other deterrent from

all compost piles that have begun tracking temperatures to meet

PFRP, in order to avoid contamination of compost with freshly

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deposited manure. (This is especially important if the compost is used

as “compost” on an organic farm vs applied as a manure.)

I. Compost Curing and Storage ! If cured compost is a goal for the farm, curing of compost will occur

after the thermophilic composting process is complete and temperature

has dropped below 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

! The curing pile can be 6-10 feet high by 14-20 feet wide at the base.

Curing piles do not require workspace around them and may overlap at

their bases.

! The compost will generally be allowed to cure 1 - 3 months. Cured

compost will typically exhibit temperatures at or near ambient

temperature, and not re-activate after aeration. After curing, compost

will be stored on-site until it is used. If the compost will be sold, it can

be screened, bagged and sold after curing. Cured and stable compost

may be stockpiled in large piles up to 15 feet high and as wide and

long as necessary, provided the moisture of the material is below 55%.

Active aeration is not necessary at this time to maintain aerobic

conditions in the compost, due to the low levels of biological oxygen

demand.

J. Odor Control

! Rapid, same-day incorporation of food scraps with high-carbon

feedstocks, to achieve target recipe parameters when they are

brought to the farm, will prevent putrefaction, stabilize odor-causing

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compounds, and ensure rapid establishment of active aerobic

composting.

! All piles containing food scraps will be “capped” as needed with an

odor absorbent material such as well-bedded horse manure or

finished compost. This practice is applicable from the point at which

the food scraps are received in the Receiving/Mixing Bay to the

point at which the compost pile has met PFRP.

! The operator will pay attention to odors when around active piles.

! The operator will utilize regular monitoring practices and review of

monitoring results to effectively manage aerobic composting, thus

preventing strong odors.

! The operator will take prevailing wind direction, atmospheric

conditions, time of day, feedstocks, and pile conditions into account

when making decisions regarding mechanical blending, moving, or

aerating.

! The operator will maintain a clean composting area, ensuring all

food scraps are incorporated into piles, and that organic materials

are scraped from the compost pads with the tractor bucket

regularly.

! If odors are present, the operator should refer to Appendix G: Monitoring Compost Piles: Why & How, and/or address the

issue with the following basic strategies. Odors will be addressed

through corrections in the compost recipe, aeration, and pile

capping. For example:

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o If fresh food scrap odors are strong, piles will be capped with

a compostable material that has a high odor absorbency

capacity, such as well-bedded horse manure.

o If ammonia odors are an issue, the operator will incorporate

more available carbon materials into the pile, such a hay,

office paper, or sawdust.

! If odors persist after preliminary efforts to remediate the problem, or

if experiencing odors not addressed here, the operator will seek

technical assistance.

K. Vector Control

! Vector control will be addressed through preventative action, and

begin at the place of generation. The operator will work with

haulers to ensure that measures are taken to prevent fly access to

the food scraps, generally through frequency of collection, or food

scrap capping with sawdust between collections in the summer

months. Applied at least four inches thick, sawdust will prevent the

infiltration of flies, thus eliminating the presence of maggots in the

food scraps when they are collected.

! Attention to proper recipe development, handling and mixing will

reduce most concerns associated with vectors.

! Food scraps will be capped with dry, high-carbon feedstocks within

the same day as receiving, if not immediately upon receiving, which

will greatly reduce any odors that will initially attract vectors.

! After being fed to the laying flock and stacked, compost will be

capped as necessary to minimize attraction of vectors. Capping

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piles with a porous yet absorbent material, such as horse manure,

will minimize pile odor and exposed raw materials.

! Proper mixing, pile making, and monitoring outlined in this

Management Plan will rapidly achieve thermophilic conditions in the

piles, and thus will alleviate odor and environmental conditions in

the pile that might be attractive to animals, and will begin degrading

the food scraps.

! Careful control of moisture both in the piles (through mixing,

moisture balancing, and bulking) and on the site (through scraping,

grading, and otherwise preventing ponding) will limit fly breeding

potential.

! Pile covers will be used when possible or necessary on outdoor

windrows containing fresh food materials, in order to prevent vector

access to food material.

L. Litter Control

! Control of trash contamination starts in the businesses and schools

separating their food waste for collection. Ensure that businesses

and schools participating in the food scrap collection program will

have effective employee and student trainings in proper source

separation procedures, to prevent the contamination of food scraps

with trash. Participant education and awareness have been shown

to dramatically reduce the presence of trash in organic materials.

! Require haulers collecting and hauling food scraps to the facility to

visually screen loads prior to accepting them. Contaminated loads

may be rejected at the source of generation and the hauler can

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provide feedback to the business and schools with contaminated

loads.

! Should trash be identified, it will either be removed or the load will

be rejected. Active communication with farmers, residents,

landscapers, haulers and other partners will ensure that

expectations regarding feedstock quality are clear.

! Any trash that makes it to the site will be handpicked, as it becomes

apparent. A barrel with a lid will be kept on site for collecting trash

on each pad, including the Receiving and Mixing Bay.

! All trash and recycling and other discarded materials will be

managed in accordance with local municipal, state and federal

laws.

M. Conservation Measures

Protection of surface and ground water will be generally achieved through

effective site planning, materials management, windrow monitoring, and

effective pile management. Test pits dug on the site to a depth of at least

72” should show no signs of seasonally high ground water or bedrock. The

operation will not be sited in a flood plain, in a well protection area, or in a

Class I, II or III wetland.

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The following measures will be implemented to manage specific moisture concerns:

Storm water

! Clean storm water will be diverted away from all composting areas

wherever possible.

! The Active Composting Area will be graded at a 2-4% slope, which will

drain storm water to a vegetated treatment area along the edge of the

pad. No storm water should accumulate on the Composting Areas. The

vegetated treatment area will absorb moisture, nutrients and sediment.

! Compost windrows will be oriented with the slope of the Composting

Areas, in order to facilitate the movement of storm water off the pads, so it

will have the least contact possible with the windrows, and therefore, the

least contamination possible of the storm water.

! The operator will maintain all areas free of debris and organic matter, to

minimize contact between these materials and storm water.

! Clean storm water will not comingle with storm water from the composting

areas (leachate). The vegetative treatment areas will facilitate filtration to

ensure treatment and sediment retention, prior to infiltration and recharge

to localized groundwater.

Ponding

! Ponding will be avoided through good site maintenance. After turning

active piles, the operator will scrape the site with the bucket blade or

scraper/leveler in order to level any ruts and prevent potential ponding

sites.

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! Due to the slope of the compost pad and the low permeability of the

packed aggregate material, little moisture is anticipated to accumulate on

the site surface. If ponding does occur, the pad surface will be repaired to

eliminate low spots.

Leachate

! Control of leachate will be largely achieved through prevention, via proper

recipe development: sufficient amounts of dry, absorbent feedstocks will

be used to create a compost blend with ideal moisture content (50-65%).

During periods of excessive rain, recipes will reflect lower starting

moisture content (MC), in order to increase pile capacity to take up

precipitation without releasing leachate.

! Moisture content of the piles will be monitored regularly using the

squeeze test method. High MC will be addressed before the piles reach

saturation, to prevent the movement of free moisture from the piles. Pile

moisture above 60% will be closely monitored and the operator will add

dry matter to the pile if MC exceeds 65%.

! Careful and regular visual inspection of the piles will alert the operator to

the presence of any leachate, and will further allow the operator to

specifically identify the source of leachate in order to remediate it.

! If leaching does occur, the operator will construct a berm of sawdust or

finished compost immediately downslope of the pile, or specific locations

on the pile from which leachate is originating, to absorb the leachate.

Saturated sawdust or compost will be incorporated into the windrow after

the event, and composted.

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! The use of windrow covers (Compostex or a similar product) will be

considered to minimize additional precipitation onto the piles, if leachate

does become an issue.

ASP Operator’s Note:

! The Aerated Static Pile System will ideally be under cover and protected

from influxes of precipitation into the pile, a circumstance that can lead to

leaching.

! The Aerated Static Pile System may have an impermeable floor, which

channels any pile leachate on slope through a sealed leachate collection

system. The leachate collection system will deliver any leachate to a

holding tank, where it will be retained, and reincorporated into a fresh

blend of mixed compost to meet PFRP.

! Any Aerated Static Piles constructed outdoors and not drained into an

operable leachate collection system will be sited on a grade which allows

leachate to sheet-flow from the ASP pile towards a vegetated treatment

area.

Livestock Exclusion

! Chickens will be excluded by means of fencing from any surface waters

or seasonally high water tables to avoid nutrient runoff and groundwater

pollution.

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N. Contamination Control

! Efforts will be made to source contaminant-free materials as feedstocks

for composting. For control and prevention of trash as a contaminant,

please refer to section L: Litter Control of this plan.

! Incoming agricultural manures and beddings (especially horse manure)

will be sourced in a manner to avoid contaminating the compost with

persistent herbicides. All efforts will be made to trace the manure back to

the original feed source to ensure absence of pyralid-type persistent

herbicides.

! Any trash that makes it to the site will be hand-picked, as it becomes

apparent. A barrel with a lid will be kept on site for collecting trash on

each pad, including the Receiving and Mixing Bay.

Appendices Appendix A

Livestock Mortality Management

! If the farm needs to compost large animal carcasses, mortality piles will be

built to Vermont Agency of Agriculture’s standards of 2’ of coverage with

carbon-based feedstocks on all sides of the carcass.

! In the case of avian disease affecting the laying flock, several chicken

carcasses may be composted in the same manner to a large farm animal,

according to the management practices as follows. Individual chicken

carcasses may be added to new active compost piles.

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! Chicken mortalities will be inspected to assess the risk of disease within

the laying flock, and appropriate remediation measures will be taken as

necessary.

! Mortality piles will be managed as a static pile to reduce odors for the first

2-3 months (based on species and size of animal and pile monitoring) and

aerated at 3 months. After three months the piles will be actively

managed for aerobic conditions as needed, following the initial

thermophilic stage.

! In the occurrence that there is detection of odor from the mortality piles,

the operator will cap the pile as necessary with additional absorbent

carbon material or bedded manure to suppress the odor.

! Mortality piles will be monitored for temperatures, odor and leachate

weekly, and any problem with odor or leachate will be rectified by capping

with wood chips or sawdust, if deemed necessary. Severe leaching will

be remedied by reconstructing the pile with more adequate dry matter in

the base, if necessary.

! Finished mortality compost will be blended with fresh active compost piles

and will go through a secondary thermophylic process, where it will meet

PFRP while being actively turned.

Appendix B

Invasive Species Composting Management

! The farm may accept and compost invasive species such as Japanese

knotweed and Eurasion Milfoil at the discretion of the Facility Operator.

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! Class A and B Noxious Weeds on the State Quarantine List will only be

accepted and composted with the approval of the VT Secretary of

Agriculture. (Check VT AAFM for most Current List)

! The operator will make efforts to ensure that any accepted Invasive

Species can be effectively managed through thermophilic composting

conditions.

! If a significant volume of invasive species plant material is expected,

feedstock analysis will be performed and a recipe will be developed to

ensure active composting, as with any other new material.

! Invasive weeds will be received and blended in the Receiving/Mixing Bay.

Material will be managed as with any other material, to ensure complete

inactivation of potentially harmful plant parts, such as the rhizomitous

roots of Japanese Knotweed.

! The facility operator will not accept any invasive plant materials that have

gone to seed, if that seed may disperse from the plant’s seed heads.

! Compost piles containing invasive species as a feedstock will be tracked

distinctly from other compost, and a germination/root growth test will be

performed prior to distribution of the finished product. If any viable seed or

plant parts remain, the material will be re-composted.

! The operator will require that haulers delivering these plants conform to

Best Management Practices, including keeping vehicles hosed down and

plant matter contained by a tarp.

! Equipment used for handling invasive plant materials will be visually

inspected for seeds and plant matter after handling occurs, and cleaned

accordingly.

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Appendix C Testing of Feedstocks

! New feedstocks or existing feedstocks whose characteristics have

changed significantly should be analyzed for %C, %N (total, organic and

nitrate), C:N, % Dry Matter, Conductivity, pH, bulk density and other

characteristics as needed to ensure effective recipe development.

! Feedstock sampling will be done according to industry standards for

sampling protocol, ensuring a representative sample.

! On-going testing of feedstocks is not required once the basic recipe has

been established (assuming feedstock streams are consistent); however

periodic testing is recommended.

! Penn State, University of New Hampshire, University of Maine and Woods

End Lab, as well as other university and private labs, all provide feedstock

analyses that provide sufficient information for the purpose of recipe

development.

Appendix D

Quality Controls for Sale of Finished Compost

! Compost will be deemed finished when the temperature throughout the

pile is less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point it may cure for 1-3

months.

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! Monitoring records will be kept for the purpose of documenting sufficient

heating for the purpose of pathogen and weed seed destruction. All

monitoring will occur at least twice per week. Monitoring records will be

stored in a safe, dry location for five years.

! Solvita Maturity Testing, Dewars Self Heating test, or other maturity tests

will be conducted on a representative sample of finished compost at least

2 times per year.

! Finished compost will be analyzed at the operator’s discretion for the

purpose of assessing product quality.

! Finished compost for sale may be analyzed periodically for the presence

of the contaminants shown in the table below:

Parameter Maximum Total Concentration

(mg/kg dry weight)

mercury 10

cadmium 10

nickel 200

lead 250

chromium 1000

copper 1000

zinc 2500

PCB, total 1

Fecal Coliform 1000 MPN/g total solids (dry weight)

Salmonella 3MPN/4g total solids (dry weight)

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! Penn State, University of Maine, University of New Hampshire, and

Woods End Lab all provide compost analyses that provide sufficient

information for the purpose of assessing the presence and load of

contaminants in the finished compost.

! Routine testing of finished compost should include % N – total nitrogen,

% N - nitrate, % N – organic nitrogen, % P, % C, pH, conductivity, bulk

density, and stability. Other nutrients of interest include Ca and Mg.

! Weed seed germination tests will also be conducted regularly to assess

the efficacy of weed seed destruction.

Appendix E Working with Food Scrap Generators and Haulers to minimize Vectors and Contamination

! Efforts to achieve vector and odor control for food scraps begin at the

source of generation

! In most instances, collection from commercial and institutional food scrap

generators should be on a weekly or bi-weekly basis

! In warm weather, food scrap generators should be provided sawdust to

cover full totes of food scraps to prevent odors. Generators are also

encouraged to store their totes in shaded or cooled areas.

! After the generator’s totes have either been removed or emptied, the

empty tote is lined with an absorbent material, such as sawdust, during

the summer season and in some cases throughout the year. This material

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absorbs free moisture, which tends to accumulate at the bottom of the tote

and produce odors.

! Litter control will be focused in the businesses and schools separating

their food waste for collection. All businesses and schools participating in

the food scrap program will be trained in proper source separation

procedures to prevent trash contamination of the compost. Participant

education and awareness have been shown to dramatically reduce the

presence of trash in organic materials.

! Require haulers collecting and hauling food scraps to the facility to visually

screen loads prior to accepting them. Contaminated loads will be rejected

at the source of generation and the hauler should provide feedback to the

business and schools with contaminated loads.

! Incoming loads of other feedstocks, including manures and landscaping

debris, will be inspected by the operator upon arrival. Should trash be

identified, it will either be removed or the load will be rejected. Active

communication with farmers, residents, landscapers, haulers and other

partners will ensure expectations regarding feedstock quality are clear.

Appendix F

Fire Prevention

! Careful and consistent monitoring of piles during their thermophilic stages

will help the operator identify any concerns of potential combustion. The

pile volumes and material characteristics of this operation are such that

fire is very unlikely. Measures to minimize fire concerns include:

! Feedstocks and compost piles will not be piled higher than 12 ft.

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! In the case of extreme heating and low MC in a pile, the operator will

apply water to the pile and turn it to dissipate the heat and combustive

conditions.

! If piles exhibit potentially combustive factors and the step above is either

not possible or shows little effect, the pile will be knocked down until it has

been adequately reduced in mass to eliminate the potential for

combustion.

! The composting operation will be equipped with fire extinguishers.

Appendix G

Monitoring Compost Piles: Why and How Introduction Monitoring compost piles is done for several reasons. Primarily, monitoring is done

to provide the composter with insight as to what is happening in the compost pile

during composting, such as the microbial activity and other pile conditions that will

impact microbial activity. This information can in turn impact the management

choices you make in your composting operation, regarding the specific piles you are

monitoring and/ or how you make and manage compost in general. Monitoring

provides you with a feedback loop for maintaining optimal composting conditions

and producing a quality product. For example, temperature monitoring can be very

useful in determining when a pile should be turned to sustain optimum microbial

activity. Additionally, monitoring also provides some information and documentation

regarding the finished product and how it can be used. For compost used within 90

days of the planting of Certified Organic edible crops, documentation is required that

demonstrates the compost reached specified time/temperature requirements. These

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regulations are designed to ensure pathogen-free compost to protect consumer

health. Meeting these criteria may be of interest to Certified Organic farmers wishing

to apply compost within 90 days of planting edible crops or composters who sell to

such growers. Either way, monitoring is a simple process that provides the

composter with practical information that will help to improve and/or maintain a high

quality of composting.

When to monitor Monitoring is something that should be done to one extent or another every time you

walk by your compost piles. To paraphrase an old Chinese proverb, “The best

fertilizer is a farmer’s footsteps.” The composter’s attention is the best ingredient for

making good compost. In fact, good compost will require a little more than attention,

but attention will be a primary factor of ensuring good quality composting, as it will

help you correct small issues before they become big problems, as well as helping

you learn from your piles and refine your practices. Monitoring your piles, for specific

feedback such as temperature, or informally by taking notice of them and being

aware of changes, is a good management practice. Monitoring is most important

during the first two to three months of pile activity, and should be done on farms at

least weekly. Since monitoring should inform your management decisions, more

regular monitoring is useful if it can be integrated into your farm system.

How to monitor your compost In building and managing compost, you are primarily trying to ensure that you have

created suitable habitat for the decomposer organisms that you want to decompose

your feedstocks. Likewise, your pile monitoring is designed to assess the health of

the pile habitat. There are four primary monitoring practices that you should employ

to one degree or another. These are: pile temperature; pile moisture content; pile

odor; and a visual inspection of the site and piles. These monitoring techniques are

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listed below, with a short description as to why the specific monitoring practice is

performed, the tools required, how the monitoring is performed, and general

recommendations for the operator response. When monitoring, it is important to

consistently monitor the pile in the same locations, to provide the operator with an

accurate picture of the pile over time. While not discussed here, monitoring pile

oxygen is also a useful practice to consider.

Pile Temperature:

1. Function – The pile temperature is primarily a product of the microbial body heat

being generated in the pile from microbial activity. Pile temperatures can also be

affected by the physical characteristics of an individual material (more versus

less insulating) and the pile, as well as chemical reactions and external

environmental variables. Pile temperatures are an imperfect but useful indication

of microbial activity. Newly formed piles commonly reach or exceed 130 degrees

within several days to several weeks of pile construction. Piles constructed

during extremely cold weather or with frozen feedstocks will take longer. If you

are trying to ensure weed seed and pathogen destruction, you will need to obtain

130+ degree temperatures for several days, and obtain these temperatures again

following at least two turnings.

2. Field Tools – Compost temperature probe. We recommend using a 3’ probe with

a 5/16” stem. In colder climates or on large sites, temperature probes with quick

response stems can be useful.

3. How to measure – Pile temperatures should be taken roughly every 5 – 25 feet

along the pile, depending on the total pile length. Additionally, temperatures

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should be taken at depths of 12” and 36”. The probe should be left in place for at

least one minute, or until the dial stops moving.

4. General Responses – Temperature will impact your decision to turn or not turn

a pile, as well as whether factors in your pile recipe need to be adjusted. There

may be a number of reasons for depressed temperatures, such as a C:N ratio

that is too low or too high, high or low moisture content, compaction in the pile, or

excessive pile density. Low temperatures that correlate with a high or low

moisture content, determined through moisture monitoring, can be addressed

generally by addressing the moisture issue. If you are experiencing low pile

temperatures and moisture is not the issue, your C:N ratio or the pile density are

the next issues to explore. If everything in your pile recipe seems fine, try turning

the pile once to mix and aerate it.

If your pile is heating, your temperature monitoring will help you determine

when to turn the pile. Based on temperature, you will want to turn your pile after

your pile’s initial heating has peaked and is beginning to decrease, or if your pile

temperatures at 12” are consistently 20 degrees different than those at 36”

throughout the pile. Additionally, if your pile is heating very well and your

temperatures have gone above 150 degrees, you should consider turning your

pile to cool it down and leverage the microbial activity most efficiently to prevent

excessive loss of nitrogen and, potentially, spontaneous combustion if the mix is

dry and high in carbon.

Pile Moisture:

1. Function – Moisture in the pile is a critical factor regarding the pile conditions for

microbial activity. If you have too much or too little moisture, microbes cannot

survive or function effectively. You are targeting a moisture content of roughly

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60%. Pile moistures of 50-65% are okay; however moisture levels beyond these

two parameters should be addressed. Moisture surrounding the pile can also

adversely affect the composting process, as it will inhibit the oxygen intake of the

pile through its sides. Standing water around the piles will result in the saturation

of the pile base, creating undesirable, anaerobic conditions. Anaerobic

conditions, in general, can cause odors, losses of nitrogen and carbon, the

development of phytotoxins, and reduction of product quality (especially for

seedling and transplant applications).

2. Field Tools – Hand, eyes.

3. How to measure – Take a handful of compost in one hand, remove excessively

large particles and squeeze the material. Watch for water dripping freely from

your hand, and observe the space between the fingers, looking for signs of

excess moisture. If the contents in your hand begin to drip moisture from

between your fingers, the moisture content is likely above 65%. If there is no

dripping, but the moisture glistens between the fingers, the moisture content is

roughly 60-65%. If no moisture is seen, open the hand palm up so that the

contents remain on the palm. If the contents remain in a ball, depending on how

tightly they remain in their form (as well as the pile ingredients and the age of the

pile), your moisture content is 50-60%. If the contents fall apart, your moisture

level is below 50%.

A visual inspection of the pile and the surrounding site will also provide

you with feedback regarding moisture. Site moisture and pile moisture may be

connected or not, and therefore clarifying where the moisture is originating, from

the pile or the site (including water coming onto the site from the surrounding

environment), is important.

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4. General Responses – If your moisture content (MC) is high (above 65%), you

need to dry out your mix. If the mix is not significantly greater than 65%, simply

turning the pile may achieve the desired drying effect. Turning, as well as general

exposure to dry climatic conditions, can reduce pile moisture over time, and in

dry climates, operators may mix to a higher than optimum moisture content to

offset the drying effects of the air in the feedstock mixing and pile formation

process. One further step along these lines that can be taken is to simply open

the top of the pile up with the tractor bucket and allow the air to dry it for a couple

of days before reforming it (this basically creates more surface area from which

the air and wind can wick away moisture from your mix). If the mix is significantly

more moist than 65%, the addition of dry matter is usually required (though in

some cases, multiple turnings over several dry days may be sufficient, if the

weather is dry). This can be done by opening the top of the pile with the bucket,

forming a trough, adding some dry matter, and then rolling or otherwise turning

the pile to incorporate the material. Windrow turners are particularly effective for

drying the pile mechanically.

If your pile moisture is below 50%, the addition of moisture is required. In

some cases, impending rain may sufficiently wet the pile. When you are adjusting

pile moisture up or down, you need to be careful not to adversely impact the pile

recipe in other ways, such as C:N ratios. If you are bringing the MC down, the

use of neutral C:N ingredients (those around 25-30:1) with low MC will help.

Ingredients like dry, heavily-bedded horse manure, hay or small ruminant

bedding often meet these criteria. If you are bringing up your pile moisture, water

may be an effective way of increasing the moisture while not impacting the C:N

(rain may easily suffice). This can be a good use for leachate or dirty storm water

collected from the site, if the pile is still actively achieving thermophilic

temperatures (to ensure pathogen destruction). If other indicators of pile health

are good and your MC is on the low side, but within the acceptable range (50-

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55%), minimizing pile agitation will help to retain as much moisture as possible

until the pile is naturally moistened by rains.

Site moisture resulting from the pile, or leachate, is indicative of excessive

pile moisture, and the pile moisture requires significant adjusting. Site moisture

from rain, runoff or flooding may also impact your pile management. Ponding on

the site is problematic and can limit site access, turning capabilities and reduce

the pile’s ability to passively respire. Addressing the reasons for site ponding is

important to prevent on-going issues. Pile orientation should be roughly with the

slope of the site to prevent ponding. Site management practices, such as

scraping ruts on the site after working on the site, will reduce low spots where

moisture will accumulate.

Pile Odor:

1. Function - Being aware of odor occurring in the pile will provide the operator with

indicators of the internal dynamics of the pile and may direct management

choices. Odors from compost piles and composting feedstocks are commonly

associated with the release of nutrients or carbon in their gaseous form, Volatile

Organic Acids (VOAs), or other chemical compounds. VOAs are a natural

byproduct of microbial decomposition; however, they have a high odor potential

and can accumulate in excess (becoming phytotoxic) under air-limited and/or low

pH pile conditions.

2. Field Tools – Nose

3. How to Measure – Take note of the smell of the site and individual piles by

consciously breathing in through your nose while working around the piles,

including during monitoring and turning. You may be able to isolate the odor to a

certain portion of a pile.

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4. General Responses – A compost pile should generally smell earthy. Subtle

odors from the pile may indicate potential problems or areas to improve upon in

the next batch of compost, but may not be of specific concern. Additionally, some

odors may be noticeable when raw feedstocks are combined, as well as when

fresh compost piles are first turned. While these unsubstantial odors may not

require an operator’s response, they should also not be ignored. When odors are

distinct, strong, and/or present when the pile has not been agitated, they are

commonly an indicator of a problem in the compost pile and should be

responded to. Common odors from compost piles include ammonia, methane

and sulfides (“rotting garbage” smell).

Most odors are indicative of one of two things – either the pile is low in

carbon (microorganisms therefore do not have enough carbon to consume in

proper proportions with the available nitrogen, and nitrogen is released as a gas

– nitrous oxide), or the pile is low in available oxygen/high in moisture. If the pile

is low in carbon, steps should be taken to incorporate additional carbon material

into the mix. If the pile is low in oxygen, it may be the result of one of two things:

excessive moisture or a high bulk density/pile compaction. For suggestions to

reduce pile moisture, see the “General Responses” recommendations in the

“Moisture Content” section of this primer, above.

If the pile is too dense, the best response is to incorporate a bulking

material, something with a large enough particle size to allow more airflow in the

pile. This can be done in a similar manner to adding carbon or dry matter. If such

a material is not immediately available, several successive turnings may suffice

to elevate pile oxygen sufficiently.

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General Pile Conformation: 1. Function – The conformation of your pile is the result of how the pile was

constructed, the ingredients, and what is occurring within it. Pile conformation

impacts how well the pile will be able to passively aerate. Additionally, the size of

the pile will determine if the operator is able to combine piles to consolidate

materials and free up additional site space.

2. Field Tools – Eyes

3. How to Measure – There is no measurement for assessing pile conformation.

Simply observing piles visually will give the operator an indication of the pile

shape, size and overall appearance. The operator should also look for surface

crusting on the piles.

4. General Responses – If a pile is slumping, it will result in increased pile density

at the core of the pile, thereby diminishing the availability of oxygen to that part of

the pile. Slumping piles should have more bulking material incorporated into

them, and should be reformed. Additionally, if the piles were large to begin with

(8+ feet tall), then the operator should consider reducing the pile size. All

compost piles will reduce in size. This is not an indication of pile slumping, but

rather volume reduction through moisture loss. Small piles of similar age can be

combined to consolidate biomass and pile management tasks, as well as make

space available on the pad for new materials.

Crusting on pile surfaces will reduce air exchange in the pile. Efforts

should be made when constructing and turning piles with a bucket to limit

compaction. Additionally, if high moisture materials are being added to the pile,

they should not be “dumped” onto the pile and left. This excessive surface

moisture will cause surface crusting. High moisture feedstocks, such as dairy

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manure, need to be thoroughly mixed with other ingredients to prevent these

issues.

___________________________________________________________________

Responses to any problems encountered during monitoring can often be determined

by crosschecking the indicators from the various monitoring practices. For instance,

if a pile is generating an ammonia smell, the operator may be able to determine that

it is a result of excessive pile moisture because their squeeze test showed similar

results. While individual monitoring measurements can provide the operator with

valuable information, the results of the combined monitoring techniques collectively

portray the internal pile conditions and should be assessed in this way.

Monitoring Compost Piles: Why & How was created by the Highfields Center For Composting - Hardwick, VT.

Management Plan For Food Scrap Feeding & Composting With Laying Hens was based off of Composter Management Plans originally created by the Highfields Center for Composting and developed by:

www.CompostTechnicalServices.com

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Acknowledgments This Management Plan for Food Scrap Feeding & Composting with Chickens was funded by a grant from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and the Working Lands Enterprise Board with the VSWDMA as grantee. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Grantors.