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Giving Back, Paying It Forward: Compost Tea Comes to UC Santa Cruz

August 10, 2012 by Growing Solutions

Donated System25
Richard Slye (left) and Michael Alms with UCSC’s new Compost Tea System25.

Acknowledging one’s roots is something many of us recognize as our careers begin to mature. Giving back to the fertile fields of learning can be as simple as writing a check, or as specific as donating a 25 gallon Compost Tea System. To Richard Slye and his wife Tanya, the latter was the perfect way to express their gratitude for their time spent as Farm and Garden apprentices at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). For Growing Solutions President Michael Alms, it is a “pay it forward” gesture.

UCSC’s Center for Acroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) is dedicated to increasing ecological sustainability and social justice in the food and agriculture system. On the UCSC campus, the Center operates the two-acre Alan Chadwick Garden and the 25-acre Farm. Both sites are managed using organic production methods and serve as research, teaching and training facilities for students, staff and faculty. “My students,” Garden Manager Christof Bernau explained, “are always asking about practical tools and techniques to promote plant health that they can produce on farm/in garden, and compost tea is a clear example of how to exponentially benefit from something already part of the farm and soil fertility management system.”

The CASFS program has graduated 40 students each year for the last 40 years. Eight of the 40 make the cut each year for their role in the second year as staff for the incoming students. Richard and Tanya, both first and second year apprentices in the program between 1998 and 2000, met at CASFS, graduated and went on to manage some of the finest agricultural properties in California over the last 12 years. “To say that the apprenticeship was the single most important part of my career would be an understatement,” Richard explained. “The beautiful, productive farm is much more than a career builder alone. Its energy is the product of more than 40 years of training people to be responsible thoughtful stewards of our planet. That collective soul permeates the farm and influences all its activity. It is something to experience, if only for a day.”

Chalkboard
The Farm’s Crop Planner

The day that Richard and Michael delivered, set up and demonstrated the Growing Solutions Compost Tea System25 on the UCSC campus sparked new energy in Madeleine Morley, a second year apprentice overseeing the fledgling compost tea program. “Maddie was thrilled to learn from both of you and share some of her experiences so far. She’s very motivated and focused on making compost tea a regular part of our fertility, pest and disease and plant health management repertoire,” Christof noted. Growing Solutions has worked with a number of CASFS graduates currently in the industry, many on the cutting edge of sustainable practices. “The quality and discipline the CASFS experience offers is evident, having worked with a number of talented graduates from this program,” Michael said. “We want to support future students who can gain hands-on knowledge working with compost tea, and carry it forward into the industry.”

Field
Vegetable field at the Farm

The joint donation of the System25 from the Slyes and Growing Solutions becomes part of an exceptional endeavor with a longstanding history. “This donation was the perfect opportunity for Tanya and I to help facilitate the Farm and Garden’s desire to incorporate compost tea into their curriculum,” Richard said.  “This machine, in the hands of 40 different apprentices each year, will surely create its own collective knowledge about compost tea.” Christof agreed, saying “this new knowledge and tool will be incredibly useful in training the next generation of farmers, gardeners and agricultural educators. I am really looking forward to seeing it all unfold.”

Filed Under: News, Products, Research Tagged With: compost tea, land stewardship, organic production, soil health, sustainability

UK Seminar: Compost Tea in Practice

April 14, 2011 by Growing Solutions

Eight countries were represented at the recent “Compost Tea in Practice” seminar and workshop held at the Laverstoke Park Education Center. Growing Solutions President Michael Alms was one of four guest speakers at this day long event organized by western European distributor Martin Lishman. Attendees from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Italy, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States participated in this overview of compost tea production in the agricultural, horticultural, landscaping, nursery and municipal sectors.

Compost Tea in Practice Seminar and Workshop 2011
Growing Solutions President Michael Alms emphasizes the critical factors that determine the level of quality in compost tea production.
Compost Tea in Practice Seminar 2011
Michael Alms and Joel Reiten, Director of Seed Production for Seeds of Change, let the Compost Tea System100 do all the work during the field portion of the seminar.

Dave Hutchinson, UK compost tea consultant, chaired the event which included field production of compost tea and a tour of the Laverstoke Park Laboratory. Seeds of Change Director of Seed Production Joel Reiten and Symbio Ltd. Managing Director Martin Ward detailed their experiences with large scale compost tea production and application equipment. Critical factors for producing high quality compost tea were a key focus of the day, with Laverstoke Park microbiologist Vinodh Krishnamurthy leading the tour of the lab’s soil, compost and food analysis equipment and processes.

“Quality was the key word of the day,” Michael explained. “Across the board—from the type of compost to the method of application—there was consensus that using quality ingredients and equipment are the foundation of realizing the greatest cost benefits of compost tea in any sector.”

“Even though the use of compost tea is relatively new, we continue to see more and more segments of the agricultural and horticultural sectors finding success with tea applications,” Joel commented. A 15-year veteran of the compost tea industry, Joel was enthusiastic about the results of the day adding, “It’s exciting for me to see the evolution of the use of compost tea. The attendees, from across the globe, brought new and dynamic ideas to this growing industry.”

Filed Under: News, Products, Trade shows Tagged With: compost tea, How To, organic production, soil health

Pearl Buck Center Receives System10 for Sensory Garden

January 24, 2011 by Growing Solutions

Growing Solutions President Michael Alms and Pearl Buck Center Development Director Dena Amend proudly display the Compost Tea System10 donated by a benefactor for use in the Center’s Sensory Garden greenhouse. The Garden is a part of the Center’s on site preschool program.

Serving people with special needs since 1953, the Center helps adults in the Eugene, OR area develop the skills necessary to become productive in the work force. We’ll blog more about our ongoing partnership with Pearl Buck Center clients soon. In the meantime, we’re proud to be a part of this unique feature that the Center offers parents with preschool children.

Filed Under: News, Products Tagged With: compost tea, school gardens, urban gardens

System10 Tops Off Successful School Worm Program

December 14, 2010 by Growing Solutions

Sharon Tamanaha and a Growing Solutions Compost Tea System10
Sharon Tamanaha puts the preschool's System10 to work.

Growing Solutions’ distributor Mindy Jaffe of Waikiki Worm Company reports on a great story of a process that we hope to see replicated in schools everywhere. It recalls the sagely adage of “it takes a village…”— in this case, a generous donor supplying a System10 to the Calvary-by-the-Sea Montessori Preschool in Aina Haina, Oahu, Hawaii, where organic waste fed to the school’s worm colony is fully recycled to everyone’s benefit.

Assistant teacher Sharon Tamanaha worked with Waikiki Worm to create the vermicompost program. Not only is the school’s garden and landscape benefiting from the weekly compost tea production, the fourth Sunday of every month is dedicated to tea brewed for sale to church members—always a sell out—that brings revenue to help sustain the program.

“We are very, very happy with our brewer,” Sharon says. “It’s easy to use and clean. Every plant is healthy and robust and the entire property just glows.”

Read the full article in Waikiki Worm Company’s newsletter here.

Filed Under: News, Products Tagged With: compost tea, How To, land stewardship, school gardens, urban gardens, vermicompost

Compost Tea for the Home Garden

November 25, 2010 by Growing Solutions

Applying Compost Tea
Michael shows Robin how to adjust the spray nozzle for best coverage of the compost tea on vegetable foliage at Common Ground Garden.

Frothy tea on a chilly fall day? Freshly brewed Compost Tea, that is—applied to the Common Ground Garden during the recent “Compost Tea for the Home Garden” workshop. Michael, with Anne Donahue of the Eugene (Oregon) Friendly Neighborhood Farmers, spoke to a hardy group of inquisitive home gardeners looking for insights on winterizing their gardens.

Michael noted that late fall is an excellent time to apply compost tea to garden beds, turf and general landscaping. “Spraying or drenching leaves, turf thatch and veggie plant material in a state of decay assists organic plant matter to break down, creating optimum soil amendments for the following spring,” he explained as the workshop attendees were visited by some of Oregon’s typical rainfall. “Even in light rain, it’s no problem…the additional moisture carries the good microorganisms further into the soil,” Michael continued.

Growing Solutions donated Compost Tea Catalyst, enough for 500 gallons of compost tea, to the Common Ground Garden. Using a 20 gallon sprayer, workshop participants helped distribute the tea Michael provided, and most took home a container of compost tea from a batch Anne had made using her home compost tea system. Hot cocoa and fresh cornbread fueled the conversation indoors as Michael demonstrated the System10 to gardeners of all ages. Another compost tea application workshop is planned for Spring 2011.

Applying Compost Tea
Using a “drencher” nozzle gives a good soaking to the winter vegetable beds.
Compost Tea System10
Michael explains the mechanics of the System10 to gardeners of all ages.

Filed Under: News, Products Tagged With: compost tea, How To, soil health, urban gardens

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