Master Composter Class tour of the city's compost center

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http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/fieldoperations/solidwasteunit/Compost/Pages/MasterComposter.aspx

Tonight’s Master composter class is to be held starting at 6:30 p.m. (May 23) at the city of Ann Arbor’s Compost Center, 4150 Platt Road. Please park near the area “C” and get into the 2 vans (driven by Chris Simmons and Nancy Stone) for our site tour. Don Butanski will be our tour guide, representing WeCare Organics, which operates the Compost Center on behalf of the city. The map to the center is included in your class manual, handed out last week, and is located online at: http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/fieldoperations/solidwasteunit/education/Documents/fieldoperations_solidwaste_wheelerservicecenter_map_2009_03_10.pdf

 

If the weather is pouring, we will reduce our time at the compost center and move indoors earlier.

 

Following our narrated tour of the municipal compost center, we will all drive to the city’s recycling plant (materials recovery facility/MRF) and have the rest of our class in the second floor MRF education center. Lots of fun things are planned—see the outline below.

 

Past Master Composter class attendees may join us tonight as well.

 

The following information is posted with live links/attachments at: http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/fieldoperations/solidwasteunit/Compost/Pages/MasterComposterclassupdates.aspx

2011 Master Composter Class Notes Bibliography of great books related to composting and soils (2-page pdf) 2011 Suggested reading list (pdf) Session 1: Composting basics, types of bins  (pdf) Session 2: Healthy soils, Jon Dahl, Michigan State University (pdf) Home soil test web link. Session 3 Yard waste reduction, mulching, trench/pit composting. Chris Simmons PowerPoint (pdf). Plus Healthy lawn care program for homeowners from SOCCRA (37-page pdf)  Session 4: Worm bins, special composting, compost teas (Jessie Raudenbush of Starr Valley Farms).Jess's handout (pdf). Plus Wonder Worm Bins - Directions to make a home worm bin. (4-page pdf) Session 5: Tour of the municipal compost center, 4150 Platt Road map to the Compost Center (pdf). Class will meet at gate marked C at 6:30 and we'll get into two passenger vans to drive through the site together. Following the compost site tour, we will all drive to the recycling plant/MRF education center, on the same road about 1/4 mile away at 4150 Platt Road. Municipal Compost test results posted online. Hands-on activities. Open book exam (pdf)  distributed. Soil test demonstration (pdf).   Session 6: Volunteer opportunities,(new Web page). Open book exam corrected together. Presentations and discussion about volunteer options for Master Compost certification.