When we moved our composting operation from Burlington’s Intervale to the green hills of Williston, we changed a lot more than our name. With our 25+ years of experience and a new, efficient facility, we’re building a strong foundation for the future of composting in Chittenden County.
As the first few loads of horse manure and food scraps arrived in July of 2011, our head honcho compost-maker Norman Gordon was all smiles. Our new state of the art facility allows us to make compost more efficiently than ever, which means a smaller ecological footprint and even better products for our customers.
The facility features a large building with rows of covered bays on an expansive concrete pad. Liquid runoff from the process is captured and reused in the process. The compost bays have slotted floors that allow air to be blown up into the piles of compost. This “static aerated” system allows for oxygen to penetrate the piles more effectively than with our former “turned windrow” method. The result is a faster process, drier compost, and less diesel fuel used. Yes!
After aeration, the piles are incorporated into larger piles for curing through maturity. Because this new process produces drier finished material than at our old facility, we are able to screen using a 3/8-inch screen, which means a finer texture than with the previous 1/2-inch screen.
With covered bays, a concrete pad, an aerated system and finer screening, our facility allows us to make compost more efficiently and more effectively. Our winning compost recipe hasn’t changed, but this new technology means higher quality finished products. We think our customers will be pleased with these positive changes.
