“Kinney Compost”—Knox, Maine
Turned Windrow System, Wes Kinney-Owner/Operator
Wednesday Afternoon
Maine Compost School—2013 (Photos by Mark King, Maine DEP)
This operation is based on an organic livestock and crop farm in Thorndike, Maine. The inputs include animal bedding, sawdust/shavings, food scraps, and fish processing by-products.
A simple windrow process is used in which the material is turned with available farm equipment. In the past most of the product was sold in bulk, but recently, a bagging operation has been added. The product is sold under the name ‘Kinney Compost’.
Receiving Area-Seafood and grocery store produce discards are received and immediately amended into a pile of sawdust shavings or Horse bedding in the facilities’ receiving area. Additionally, animal manures are added to provide further bulking of the compost mixture.
Composting Area-The Compost blend is transferred to the facilities’ asphalt composting pad where it is formed into large windrows and turned weekly over a 6-9 month period during the composting/curing phase.
Once the compost is finished, it is screened and then transferred to a mechanized hopper which leads into the facility’s bagging system. Wes Kinney sells his compost for a premium price as a bagged product or in bulk quantities.
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