{"id":954,"date":"2018-11-29T14:59:11","date_gmt":"2018-11-29T22:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/?p=954"},"modified":"2019-03-13T13:00:18","modified_gmt":"2019-03-13T20:00:18","slug":"central-coast-organic-amendment-workshop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/index.php\/central-coast-organic-amendment-workshop\/","title":{"rendered":"Central Coast Organic Amendment Workshop"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Saturday, November 17, 2018 the University of California Cooperative Extension presented a workshop alongside Monterey County Resource Conservation District and the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA). The Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) attended this workshop along with approximately 50 other participants interested in learning about or using organic amendments in their production systems. Over the course of the day-long workshop, attendees learned about organic amendments, observed a compost application on a farm block, and had the opportunity to network with representatives from various organizations. While a variety of themes arose, the presenters and facilitators enriched the attendees understanding of organic amendments with important takeaways that participants could apply to their daily work.<\/p>\n

Workshop Takeaways<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1 What is an organic amendment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

An organic amendment is any material, of plant or animal origin, that can be added to the soil to improve its physical characteristics or increase the efficiency of nutrient and irrigation management practices. Some examples of organic amendments include, composted and raw manures, green waste and agricultural waste, biochar and cover crops. The use of compost in the Central Coast and the Central Valley is growing and most of the workshop focused on compost applications in agriculture.<\/p>\n

2 What limitations exist for the application of organic amendments?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Central Coast grower Christian Morales commented on the limitations that exist for their farm. As organic growers, they try to incorporate both cover crops and compost applications into their management regime, but timing between crop rotations and food safety concerns creates limitations. According to the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (LGMA), fully composted material must be applied to the soil at least 45 days prior to harvest and raw manure is not allowed. This gives growers like Morales a narrow window to get into the field to incorporate cover crops and apply compost.<\/p>\n

3 What food safety concerns exist and how can growers minimize risks?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many growers have a concern for the food safety aspects of organic amendments, specifically composted manures. Under improper management conditions, pathogens can be present in composted materials. Maintaining high temperatures for the appropriate amount of time can kill pathogens and produce a stable product. Testing for fecal coliforms, E. coli and Salmonella is required in addition to other standards set by the LGMA. Additional management practices that can help ensure a safe product include maintaining proper moisture levels and providing adequate turning and mixture.<\/p>\n

4 How can growers assess compost quality?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cA good compost should smell like dirt\u201d -Johnny Massa<\/p>\n

According to speaker Johnny Massa of Comgro Soil Amendments Inc., growers should look for a composter who has a turning program longer than seven weeks, cures their compost for 30-45 days at a minimum moisture level of 35%, and pulls testing samples from the batches more than the required amount. To determine this information, growers can request Standard Operating Procedures and turning records from the producer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Compost<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more information on resources and upcoming compost related events,\u00a0visit the UCCE Santa Clara County Compost Education Page: http:\/\/cesantaclara.ucanr.edu\/Home_Composting_Education\/<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Saturday, November 17, 2018 the University of California Cooperative Extension presented a workshop alongside Monterey County Resource Conservation District and the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA). The Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) attended this workshop along with approximately 50 other participants interested in learning about or using organic amendments in their production systems. Over the course of …<\/p>\n

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The conference presentations covered a wide range of nutrient management topics including education and outreach, soil microbiology, government regulations and irrigation,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nutrient Management Events"","block_context":{"text":"Nutrient Management Events","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/index.php\/category\/nutrient-management-events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Conf-Key-Learnings-Banner","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Conf-Key-Learnings-Banner-1024x330.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Conf-Key-Learnings-Banner-1024x330.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Conf-Key-Learnings-Banner-1024x330.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":195,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/index.php\/now-accepting-concept-proposals-for-2017-fertilizer-research-and-education-grants\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":2},"title":"Now Accepting Concept Proposals for 2017 Fertilizer Research and Education Grants","author":"Brooke Elliot","date":"December 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The California Department of Food and Agriculture\u2019s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is currently accepting concept proposals for the 2017 grant cycle. FREP\u2019s competitive grant program funds research that advances the agronomic and environmental performance of fertilizing materials. The 2017 Request for Proposals (RFP) includes several initiatives put forth\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "FREP Grant Program"","block_context":{"text":"FREP Grant Program","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/index.php\/category\/frep-grant-program\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":212,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/index.php\/events-for-march-2017\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":3},"title":"Events for March 2017","author":"Brooke Elliot","date":"February 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Efficient Irrigation and Nitrogen Use Workshop What: Hosted by the California Almond Sustainability Program, this workshop gives almond growers an opportunity to learn about tools and techniques to increase irrigation efficiency through Almond Board of California\u2019s (ABC\u2019s) Irrigation Continuum, and to improve the accuracy of nitrogen applications through the use\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nutrient Management Events"","block_context":{"text":"Nutrient Management Events","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/index.php\/category\/nutrient-management-events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":72,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/index.php\/cdfa-accepting-concept-proposals-for-2016-fertilizer-research-and-education-grants\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":4},"title":"CDFA Accepting Concept Proposals for 2016 Fertilizer Research and Education Grants","author":"Brooke Elliot","date":"December 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The California Department of Food and Agriculture\u2019s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is currently accepting concept proposals for the 2016 grant cycle. FREP\u2019s competitive grant program funds research that advances the agronomic and environmental performance of fertilizing materials. The 2016 Request for Proposals (RFP) includes several initiatives put forth\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "FREP Grant Program"","block_context":{"text":"FREP Grant Program","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/index.php\/category\/frep-grant-program\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":242,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/FREP\/index.php\/research-update-new-fertigation-book\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":5},"title":"Research Update: New Fertigation Book","author":"Brooke Elliot","date":"October 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Research Project: New Fertigation Book Status: Last year of a two year study Issue: There are many fertilizer publications and research papers. 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