From BioCycle Magazine
July 2000, Page 30

GROWING MARKETS
NEW TRENDS IN SUSTAINABLE FARMING BUILD COMPOST USE
As large-scale growers seek better ways to control pathogens, meet consumer demand for “cleaner” food and improve profit margins, the market for composted products expands even faster.
Christy Porter Humpert

ON A RECENT morning in California’s Salinas Valley, over 150 growers packed the auditorium at the local farm advisor’s office for a workshop on sustainable wine grape growing. Growers who previously embraced conventional farming practices are turning to sustainable agriculture, providing an expanding market for compost and mulch.

Sustainable agriculture involves practices that preserve natural resources and biodiversity, while still being economically viable. These practices may include the use of beneficial insects, the planting of cover crops, and/or the application of compost or mulch. Farmers who commit to sustainable practices don’t necessarily give up all pesticides and herbicides. However, prior to spraying a pesticide, they are more likely to try ecologically sound alternatives, such as beneficial insects and pest monitoring.

This article first explores the reasons for the increase in sustainable farming. We’ll then consider the best approach for promoting compost and mulch use to this expanding market.

WHY THE SUDDEN INCREASE IN SUSTAINABLE FARMING?

Many growers, large and small, who have traditionally grown their crops with regular applications of chemicals are now turning to sustainable practices for a number of reasons. These include pesticide restrictions, consumer demand for “cleaner” food, increased awareness of the soil foodweb, environmental pressures from the public, saving money and building profits.

Impending restrictions on pesticides — Growers who have traditionally relied on pesticides and herbicides are seeing increased restrictions on chemical use. In the case of methyl bromide, a widely used soil fumigant that has been shown to deplete stratospheric ozone, U.S. EPA regulations are reducing use each year with the ultimate goal of eliminating use by 2005. Growers who rely on methyl bromide, especially strawberry growers, are actively searching for alternatives with fewer environmental impacts.

In addition to the restrictions on methyl bromide, the U.S. EPA is also reassessing the safety of many other commonly used agricultural chemicals, including a review of the allowable limits (tolerances) for pesticide residues in food. By August 2006, the EPA will complete its review of all tolerances that were in effect in August 1996 when the Food Quality Protection Act was passed. Many growers are concerned about restricted use of pesticides, especially organophosphates that are in the first priority group of pesticides to be reviewed. Growers are starting to plan and experiment now for the loss of chemical tools in the next few years. And because compost and mulch have been shown to reduce the incidence of many plant pathogens, including Phytophthora, growers are looking to these soil amendments as a possible alternative to pesticides.

Consumer demand for “cleaner” food — Demand for organic food has grown an average of 24 percent per year since 1990 and is predicted to continue to increase at a rate of over 20 percent per year. And it’s no longer just natural foods stores that sell organic produce; 30 percent of organic food sales are to mainstream grocery stores. In addition, some major grocery retailers have nonorganic produce tested to ensure there are no detectable pesticide residues. Because sustainably minded growers tend to use fewer pesticides, they are responding to consumer demand for cleaner food.

Increased awareness of the soil food web — Many university cooperative extension advisors are now educating growers about the importance of organic matter in healthy soil. Exclusive additions of chemical fertilizers are no longer considered the best method to feed the plant and keep plant pathogens under control. Growers are understanding that they must add some type of organic material to soil, whether it be cover crops, compost, or another type of organic amendment. This organic matter increases microbial biomass and helps maintain these beneficial bacterial and fungi populations.

Environmental pressures from the public — Agriculture is under attack by environmental groups who see farmers as the cause of polluted water ways, clear-cut oak forests, and pesticide plumes near schools and other urban areas. As urban areas encroach on traditional agricultural lands, the urban population is making increasing demands on growers. In response, many growers are forming voluntary sustainable farming groups that teach their members how to farm in an environmentally responsible manner. These groups, such as California’s Central Coast Vineyard Team, conduct field days and workshops for growers, in addition to acting as a liaison to environmental groups and the media.

Makes good business sense — In many cases, growers are finding that sustainable practices can actually save them money. For example, sustainable growers are taught to monitor crops for pests through traps. Farm advisors set tolerance levels for pests; at or below the tolerance level, the crop loss is estimated to cost the same or less than applying pesticide. Through monitoring, growers sometimes save money on pesticides.

WHY ARE SUSTAINABLE GROWERS USING COMPOST?

Attend a sustainable agriculture workshop and a variety of topics will be on the agenda. While pest management is one of the most popular issues, interest continues to grow in the area of soil quality. Compost is one tool for improving soil quality and growers cite a number of reasons for its use: Increases soil organic matter (feeds soil microorganisms, and increases water and nutrient holding capacity); Suppresses plant pathogens; Reduces erosion; Provides an alternative to the use of raw manures that may introduce pathogens; and Provides a slow-release source of nutrients

Sustainable growers have a number of “tools” for improving their soils. Cover crops are extremely popular, and many growers see compost and cover crops as an either/or choice. There are some definite advantages to cover crops. They provide between one to five tons/acre of dry organic matter with negligible transportation costs. In addition, the seeds typically cost less per acre than compost. However, there are also disadvantages to planting cover crops. They can complicate planting schedules and cause land to come out of production. In addition, some cover crops may require extra water.

Dr. Louise Jackson, a researcher at the University of California at Davis, has been studying the synergistic effects of compost combined with cover crops for the past few years. Preliminary results have shown that pairing compost with cover crops significantly increased soil microbial biomass and vegetable crop yield over almost a year. Jackson notes that soil microorganisms increase immediately after a cover crop is incorporated into the soil. This increase in microbial biomass typically disappears in four to six weeks. However, when compost was added to the soil prior to incorporation of the cover crop, microbial biomass was sustained. Jackson suggests that compost may provide a “slow-release” substrate that sustains microbial activity over longer periods than would have been possible with the fresh residue alone. Jackson plans on continuing her research on compost, cover crops, and soil nutrient cycling with recent funding of $80,000 from the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB).

LARGE COMMERCIAL GROWERS ARE USING COMPOST

Several large commercial growers are beginning to experiment with compost. Others, like Mike Clay of Whitehills Vineyard, are already convinced of the benefits of compost. Clay spreads 2 tons/acre on every vine row of a 3,000 acre vineyard located in Santa Maria, California, and cites several reasons for his dedication to compost. While he believes that compost increases the soil’s water-holding capacity and reduces erosion, one of his primary reasons for using compost is to feed and restore soil microbial populations. Clay tries to time his applications of compost to follow herbicide or fungicide treatments since the compost helps replenish soil microorganisms.

The Salinas Valley’s Tanimura & Antle (T & A) is another large grower committed to using compost. Don Cranford of Cranford, Inc. in Spreckels, California has been supplying T & A with compost since 1993. T & A’s processing plant is adjacent to Cranford’s operation, where he composts vegetable culls from the plant along with yard trimmings, manure and straw. T & A then applies the compost at 3 to 4 tons/acre to its 3,000 plus acres of fields. This progressive grower is committed to sustainable practices and has been participating in Louise Jackson’s cover crop/compost study discussed above. T & A also recently merged with Natural Selection, the parent company of Earthbound Farms, which is the nation’s largest organic products brand, and will be transitioning some of its acreage to organic in the summer of 2000.

HOW TO INCREASE GROWER INTEREST IN COMPOST

The CIWMB has been taking advantage of the sustainable agriculture movement as an opportunity to market compost and mulch to growers. Compost producers and local government can take similar steps to increase grower interest. These include:

Creating partnerships with agricultural organizations and advisors — Over the past few years, the CIWMB has developed successful partnerships with statewide and regional agricultural organizations. Because growers view these organizations as credible sources of information, the compost message is often better received when it comes from these groups. The CIWMB has teamed with organizations such as the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, the Committee for Sustainable Agriculture, the Central Coast Vineyard Team, several Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs), and several University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisors. In August 1999, the CIWMB approached the RCD of Monterey County about cosponsoring a workshop on increasing organic matter in agricultural soils. The two agencies received a small grant from the Compost Education and Resources for Western Agriculture (CERWA) project and hosted a successful growers workshop. The CIWMB acted solely as a behind-the-scenes facilitator of the event. Tom Lockhart of the RCD served as the moderator and speakers included farm advisors, growers and compost producers.

Before approaching agricultural organizations, it is critical to compile information on local growers dedicated to the use of compost and their specific reasons for using compost. For farm advisors or academics presenting scientific research supports credibility. The USDA will soon be launching a new feature on its Compost Central Web site — a searchable database of research on compost and mulch. The address for the site is www.barc.usda.gov/nri/smsl/compost.htm

Conduct demonstration/research projects — Most growers do not want to be the first in the neighborhood to try out a new practice. Even though encouraging data exists on the benefits of using compost, most growers want data that is local and specific to the type of crop(s) they are growing. Consequently, demonstration projects that show the benefits of compost and mulch use may encourage more growers to experiment with these products. The CIWMB has sponsored numerous demonstration projects throughout California since 1994 (www.ciwmb.ca. gov/Organics/Processing/Results.htm).

A key to project success is the involvement of farm advisors and local growers on the project team. Follow-up workshops and field days aimed at local growers are key to sharing positive project results.

Understand and be responsive to grower needs — Despite being open to sustainable practices, growers don’t necessarily like to make major changes in the way they do business. As marketers of compost, we need to be sensitive to grower needs and demands. Until the recent concerns about pathogens in raw manure, many growers hired manure spreading companies to supply the manure and perform the application. However, many compost producers do not provide spreading services. If a grower does not own the equipment necessary to spread compost, he or she may not purchase the product because of the added inconvenience of renting equipment.

It is also important to recognize that compost acts differently in the soil than raw manure or chemical fertilizers. Conventional growers are accustomed to fertilizers that have a guaranteed amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK). Marketers of compost need to help growers interpret lab analyses of compost regarding the bioavailability of nutrients. For example, only 10 to 15 percent of nitrogen is likely to be mineralized (in a plant-available form) during the first year after application. A grower who is relying on compost to provide a specific amount of N may be deficient if this mineralization rate is not considered. And it is unlikely that this grower would return for more compost the following seasons. This is especially important for organic growers who may not be adding any chemical fertilizers.

Note that while some growers use compost as a source of nutrients, the nitrogen content in compost is relatively low compared to commercial fertilizers. When selling compost to a grower, don’t focus on the nutritional value. Rather, focus on the other benefits that compost offers, especially the increase of organic matter and the ability to suppress plant pathogens.

Farmers are willing to invest in compost if they believe it will improve the health of the plants and the productiveness of their crops. Growers who own the land, rather than lease it, are more likely to invest in soil improvement. And because growers see their land as their most valuable asset, they do not want to be seen as a dumping ground for municipal yard trimmings. Avoid using the word “waste” when speaking with farmers. Use terms such as “yard trimmings” rather than “yard waste” and “wood chips” rather than “wood waste” when referring to compost and mulch feedstock.

Creating custom blends of compost may appeal to some growers. For example, a grower may ask for a blend of 75 percent compost and 25 percent gypsum. The grower would then be required to make only one pass in the field as they apply the material.

Learn to think like a farmer — Growers seem to respond to relationship building just as much as they do to solid facts. Learning to think like a farmer helps to build these relationships. Compost producers and marketers who understand the current issues in agriculture, and some of the basics of soil science, have a better chance of communicating to growers.

Sustainable agriculture will continue to grow as farmers discover that environmentally friendly practices can be effective and efficient. Become familiar with the concerns of growers in your area and show them how compost can fit into their sustainable agriculture system.

Christy Porter Humpert promotes the use of compost and mulch in agriculture for the California Integrated Waste Management Board. She can be reached in her Sacramento office at (916) 255-2410 or by e-mail at cporter@ciwmb.ca.gov.