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Central Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council Partnership for
Agriculture and Other End Users CIWMB approved $70,000 at its June 1999 board
meeting to fully fund a compost/mulch demonstration partnership headed by the Central
Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council (CCRC&DC). The CCRCD has teamed up
with a private consultant, Buchanan Associates, compost producers and vegetable growers in
the Pajaro River Watershed to develop much-needed technical and economic data for farmers
in a major agricultural region of the state.
This project is designed to address the needs of the compost processing and
agricultural end-user communities by providing detailed data on soil properties and
processes, and the integration of crop production data with detailed assessments of
organic materials and their fate and impact on soils.
Goals
Develop agronomic and economic data on the effects of municipal organic products (yard
trimmings, manure, and manure compost) used as soil amendments in different soils.
Quantify the impact of using compost on soil nitrogen and crop nitrogen use efficiency.
Demonstrate and analyze the cost-effectiveness of using yard trimmings mulch for erosion
control.
Work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation
Service and local Resource Conservation Districts to define a role for municipal organics
products in their nutrient and soil conservation planning efforts.
Partnership Organization : Central Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council.Partnership Manager: Jeff Rodriquez, CCRC&DC Area Project Coordinator.Project Manager: Marc Buchanan, Ph.D., Buchanan Associates.Sponsoring Partners: CIWMB, Central Coast Resource Conservation and Development
Council, Zanker Road Resource Management, Sunland Garden, five area grower co-operators.Outreach Activities: The partnership will hold two field-day events targeted to
growers, appropriate local agencies, municipal organic processors, and other land managers
during the project term.
Project Components
- Development of Work Plan.
The project manager works with the CIWMB to develop work
plan. The work plan identifies the specific roles for each of the major partners and
defines the shared coordination responsibilities.Develop and Disseminate Information. The project manager works with the local
Resource Conservation Districts (RCD), County University California Cooperative Extension
offices, and local composters to develop an outreach program which targets growers and
other land managers in the region.Conduct Field Days and Workshops. The partnership holds two field-day events
targeted to growers, appropriate local agencies, municipal organic processors, and other
land managers during the project term.
Evaluation of Project. The project manager assesses impacts of compost-mulch to
evaluate potential benefits [nutrient use efficiency, soil stabilization] or negative
impacts [nutrient supply] on soil and crops in the region.Write Final Report. The report will be in the form of an executive summary
describing methodology, data, analysis, findings summary and recommendations.
Purpose
- Analyze the impacts of manure, manure composts, and yard trimmings composts on crop
productivity, crop quality, and soil properties on three distinctly different soil types
(sandy, loamy, and clayey.)
- Analyze compost produced by combining yard trimmings and manure composts on crop
productivity, crop quality, and soil properties.
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