2021 CAFF CONFERENCE – Building Sustainable Food and Farming Systems

The 2021 CAFF (Community Alliance with Family Farmers) conference was held the week of 21 February 2021. It was a very well organized zoom conference and the attendance was high. CAFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build sustainable food and farming systems through policy advocacy and on-the ground programs that create more resilient family farms, communities and ecosystems. CAFF was instrumental in April 2020 in getting the State Water Resources Control Board to allow easy on-site composting for California farmers.

• We picked three interesting questions that were asked during our video presentation filmed on the Frog Hollow Farm. Here are our answers.

• How do we know when the compost at FHF is cured? In other words, how do we know when the compost is stable and ready to be spread in the orchard? The compost temperature has to drop below 110 F (ideally to ambient temperature) after it has been turned according to NOP regulations. The compost is analyzed for the release of two gases made by microorganisms by a simple chemical procedure (Solvita) which shows that it is stable. Finally and most importantly, the microorganisms (four types) in the compost are identified and counted with a microscope and shown to be present in the right numbers.

• Is the horse manure mixed in the compost free of drugs that are used to treat horses for common equine ailments or infections? As far as we know, drugs that are used to treat horses on well-managed ranches are destroyed by the heat generated in the compost and metabolized by microorganisms. Thus, any drugs used on horses are destroyed by the composting process.

• What are the FSMA regulations governing the production of worm compost? We use red wrigglers (Eisenia fetida) to decompose coffee grounds and fruit residues. The worm piles or bins have to be well aerated (this is checked with a simple cheap oxygen meter) and the moisture content (70%) has to be monitored. Periodically, selected batches of the worm compost should be sent to a lab and tested for human pathogens.