Maine Compost School
2023 Class Schedule
MONDAY
8:00 a.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. Welcome, Introduction of Participants, Introduction to the Course, Mark King, Environmental Specialist, Maine DEP—Director of Maine Compost School
9:00 a.m. Biology of Composting, Mark Hedrich, Nutrient Management Program Manager, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
9:45 a.m. Composting Methods & Systems, Mark King
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Compost Feedstocks – Characteristics, Types, Potential Problems, Complementary and C:N, Mark Hedrich
11:45 a.m. Lunch on-site
12:30 p.m. Compost Feedstocks (Cont.)– Laboratory Exercise, Maine Compost Team
2:00 p.m. Composting Food Scraps within Your Community, Mark King
2:45 p.m. Break
3:00 p.m. Business of Composting, Nick Rowley, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
4:00 p.m. Wrap up
TUESDAY
8:00 a.m. Pile Management, Mark King
9:00 a.m. Break
9:15 a.m. Pile Management – Field Exercise, Mark King
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Compost Equipment – Functions, Types, and Safe Use of Equipment (onsite), Nick Rowley
11:30 a.m. Lunch onsite
12:15 p.m. Leave for Field Trips
Hatch Hill (Community Compost Site)
Rainbow Valley Farm (Farm-based Compost Site)
Town of Farmington/University of Maine Farmington (Town-Gown Food Scrap Composting)
Living Acres (Agribusiness Composting Operation)
5:30 p.m. Return to Highmoor
WEDNESDAY
8:00 a.m. Composting Site Selection and Management-Mike Parker, Environmental Specialist, Maine DEP
8:45 a.m. Math 101, Mike Parker
9:15 a.m. Break
9:30 a.m. Sizing your compost pad—Doing the math, Mike Parker
10:15 a.m. Site Development Outdoor Exercise—Designing your site, Maine Compost Team
11:30 a.m. Lunch – on-site
12:15 p.m. Recipe Development (classroom) – Reading Feedstock Analysis –Hands-On Inside Activity, Mark Hedrich
1:30 Recipe Development (classroom) – Hands-On Outside Activity, Maine Compost Team
2:45 Recipe Development Doing the Math, Mark Hedrich
4:15 Wrap-up
THURSDAY
8:00 a.m. Trouble-shooting the compost piles (Part 1), Mark King
8:45 a.m. Break
9:00 a.m. Trouble-shooting the compost piles (Part 2), Mark King
11:00 a.m. Innovative Uses of Compost (From Mortality Management to Soil Remediation), Mark King
11:45 a.m. Lunch onsite
12:30 p.m. Leave Highmoor for Field Trips
We Compost It (Commercial Food Scrap Compost Company)
Little River Compost (Commercial Food Scraps/Farm By-products Compost Facility
4:45 p.m. Return to Highmoor
FRIDAY
8:00 a.m. Solvita Test – Hands-On Activity, Mark King
9:00 a.m. Compost Utilization in Agriculture, Dr. Peyton Ginakes: University of Maine Research Assistant,
10:00 a.m. Break
10:15 a.m. Compost Application Rates, Nick Rowley
11:00 a.m. Quality, Maturity and End Use Dr. Will Brinton, President, Woods End Research Laboratory
12:00 p.m. Lunch – on-site
12:45 p.m. Laboratory Exercise – Solvita Maturity Test, Mark King.
1:30 p.m. Certification Exam, Course Evaluation
3:00 p.m. Depart for Home!
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