We create compost using a balanced mix of carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich materials sourced from our home, our farm, and local businesses. We also supplement with locally sourced OMRI-certified compost when establishing new plantings or expanding growing areas. As our on-farm composting and vermiculture systems continue to develop, our goal is to meet more of our soil-building needs directly on the farm.

As part of this process, we also incorporate biochar blended with compost and vermicompost. Biochar adds long-lasting carbon to the soil, improves moisture retention, and provides stable habitat for beneficial soil organisms.

High-Carbon Inputs

• Chipped sunflower stalks

• Ramial wood chips (small hardwood branches chipped on-site)

• Fallen leaves and leaf mold

• Straw and dry animal bedding

High-Nitrogen Inputs

• Rabbit manure, urine, and bedding

• Chicken manure and used coop bedding

• Used coffee grounds sourced from a local coffee shop

• Untreated grass clippings

• Kitchen scraps and vegetable trimmings

• Spent plants and crop residues from the market garden

This balanced blend, combined with the addition of biochar, supports healthy decomposition and a thriving microbial community, forming a strong foundation for soil fertility and structure across the farm.

We maintain a large vermiculture windrow populated with red wiggler composting worms (Eisenia fetida), a species known for efficiently breaking down organic matter. These worms transform diverse organic inputs into nutrient-rich vermicompost that supports healthy soil biology across the property.

A key part of our process is feeding alternating sides of the windrow. By adding fresh material to one side at a time, we encourage the worms to naturally migrate toward the newest food source. This allows us to harvest finished castings from the opposite side with minimal disturbance to the worms and without mechanical separation.

Inputs for the Worm Beds

• Food scraps

• Rabbit and chicken bedding

• Coffee grounds

• Leaf mold

• Chipped sunflower stalks

• Crop residues

• Seasonal surplus pumpkins and other produce

Vermicompost from the Eisenia fetida beds adds beneficial microbes, improves soil structure, and supports resilient plant growth throughout the orchard, market garden, and habitat areas across the farm.

We brew actively aerated compost teas during the growing season to support microbial diversity and healthy soil biology. These teas rely on our own worm castings and farm-made compost, which supply beneficial organisms that help build living soil structure and support resilient plant growth.

Compost Tea Components

• Worm castings

• Farm-made compost

• Non-chlorinated well water

• Continuous aeration using electric pumps powered by our off-grid solar system

Where We Apply Compost Teas

• Orchard tree wells

• Young seedlings and transplants

• Market garden beds

• Mulched areas around shrubs and perennials

• Woodland and wetland edges as appropriate

• As a foliar application to plant surfaces

These teas help introduce beneficial soil organisms, improve nutrient cycling, and strengthen root systems throughout the property.