2024 Cleveland Aerated Static Pile Compost Demonstration
May 17 @ 8:30 am - 2:30 pm
Looking to learn more about composting in agricultural systems?
Friday, May 17 | 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Cleveland, NM
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.
Want to know more about composting and how to build a composting system? This workshop will be hosted by Collins Lake Ranch in Cleveland, New Mexico and cover composting principles, uses of compost in agricultural systems, and how to set up an Aerated Static Pile (ASP) on site from expert composters from Reunity Resources. Aerated Static Pile (ASP) composting is a no-turn process that uses the naturally occurring microbial population in the feedstocks along with the appropriate oxygen supply and moisture to rapidly mature and age the organic waste into a valuable soil amendment. ASP is a useful method for agriculture producers or rural area residents who want to transform larger volumes of green waste (manure, wood waste, etc) in an accelerated timeframe. In addition, participants will learn about applications for compost on rangeland and pasture. The workshop will be facilitated by Amy Larsen and Shumaisa Khan of Quivira Coalition and by Trevor Ortiz of Reunity Resources.
This workshop is geared for participants who want to learn how to build an aerated static compost pile (ASP) from experts at Reunity Resources. There is no cost to attend this workshop and lunch is provided.
Contact Amy Larsen with any questions: amy@quiviracoalition.org
Guidebooks & Video Resources:
Rural Dryland Composting
Introduction to Aerated Static Pile Composting
Worm & ASP Composting in Rural Drylands
This workshop is sponsored by a USDA-Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities Grant. Quivira Coalition’s Soil to Supper Project will support producers to get more meat, hides, fiber, and other livestock products into regional supply chains while reducing waste, increasing soil health, and building climate resilience. For more info, visit the Soil to Supper webpage.
More about Collins Lake Ranch:
Collins Lake Ranch is a magical, healing place located in the heart of the Sangre de Cristo mountains in Northern New Mexico. The lake, pastures and mountains create a sense of peace and tranquility for visitors and residents alike. It was here that the vision to create a special community was born.
In 2013, construction began on homes for adults with disabilities. It was a place for them to live, work and play in a safe, nurturing environment. A campground area was added shortly thereafter so that younger individuals could also benefit from the natural gifts the land has to offer. Additional programs were developed, focusing on environmental education and outdoor learning. The wildfires in 2022 accelerated development efforts by creating a laboratory to study and mitigate fire behavior. The therapists that work with residents were called upon to expand their efforts and help the many community members impacted by the trauma of the devastation.
Speaker:
Amy Larsen, Quivira Coalition
Amy Larsen was raised in Taos, New Mexico and has lived near both coasts — Massachusetts for school and Oregon for work. In 2011, Amy returned to northern NM where she and her family now tend a homestead with goats, chickens and parakeets, guard dogs, a small orchard, a garden, and a huge compost pile. Geology is the foundation of Amy’s background in soils, complemented by training in landscape planning and design; commercial compost, compost tea and vermicompost production; and chemical and biological field and laboratory analyses. Composting led Amy to explore the intricate world of microbes, and ultimately to the question of how we think about soil health in arid environments. With the Carbon Ranch Initiative at Quivira, Amy contributes to program management, workshop facilitation, soil monitoring, and whole ranch planning. Amy hopes to better understand the diversity of soils across NM, as well as how we tend the land equitably, with consideration for future generations. When not looking down at the ground, Amy might be gazing up at the stars or galaxies, while serving on the board of a local astronomy club. Inspired by both her mother and grandmother’s passion for education, Amy served as Board Chair of a local public charter school for several years, and strives to be a lifelong educator and learner.
Shumaisa Khan, Quivira Coalition
Shumaisa Khan has been immersed in urban agriculture, eco-social design, and ecology initiatives for over 15 years. Her interest in environmental justice led her to the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, where she did her dissertation research on food sovereignty praxis among community food initiatives in London. Shumaisa taught about environmental inequality at the University of Michigan, urban agriculture at the University of Brighton, and has taught permaculture to Global Majority communities in the UK. In 2019, she co-founded Compost Mentis, a soil care and alternative sanitation cooperative in England. Earlier in her career, Shumaisa worked for three years on the USAID Maternal and Neonatal Health program to reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in Indonesia.At Quivira Coalition, Shumaisa is part of the Carbon Ranch Initiative, where she manages soil care-related technical support and training initiatives and engages in outreach to make these opportunities more accessible.
Trevor Ortiz, Reunity Resources
Trevor Ortiz has been working since 2011 with Reunity Resources, a non profit dedicated to supporting sustainable and regenerative practices. He has helped to expand recycling of organic waste streams including used cooking oil, food waste, green waste and manure. Trevor currently directs multiple programs that upcycle these valuable byproducts into fuel, compost and mulch.
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