Regional Roundup
(May 2009)BioCycle May 2009, Vol. 50, No. 5, p. 12
Germansville, Pennsylvania
COMPOST-HEATED GREENHOUSE
Red Cat Farm in Germansville recently held an on-site workshop showing how it grows vegetables in passive solar greenhouses, one of which uses compost to heat seedling beds. Cinderblock bunkers in the smaller greenhouse hold active compost, which produces heat for sprouting seedlings in the winter months. The bunkers are filled with 2.5 to 3 feet of horse manure and bedding, mixed with wood shavings or sawdust. “I’ve found that this mixture offers a more gentle, long-lasting heat, as opposed to using straw, which creates a rapid heat,” says Tina Bailey of Red Cat Farm. “It can be difficult to control the heat, but after the compost peaks, it maintains about 70°F throughout the Pennsylvania winter. As the plants grow, the compost loses mass and goes down.” Photovoltaic solar panels charge batteries for the greenhouses’ water pump and fans, with excess power sent back to the house. The event was organized by Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA).
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