By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Compost is part of what Matthew Bertucci calls “the perfect circle for sustainability.”
Bertucci, an assistant professor of sustainable fruit and vegetable production for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is always looking to find ways that growers can reduce their inputs or environmental footprint while still producing high-quality produce that makes economic sense.
Ph.D. student Rachel Woody-Pumford is collecting samples of the compost to test for nutrients contents and its suitability as a soil amendment for growers. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Matthew Bertucci)
“As part of the NWA Specialty Crops Soil Health Program, I learned that many of our specialty crop growers are using compost as a soil amendment,” he said. “I figured that is a perfect circle for sustainability: compost is produced from yard waste, food waste, and other organic refuse.
“If that refuse can be diverted from landfills and turned into a beneficial soil amendment? You can’t get more sustainable than that!” he said.
During Arkansas Compost Awareness Week May 5-9, Bertucci, along with Division of Agriculture colleague Amanda Philyaw Perez, as well as Regional Food System Partnerships stakeholders and others will be hosting webinars to help gardeners, farmers or anyone with an interest reducing waste or improving soils, understand the utility of composting. Philyaw Perez is an associate professor, food systems and food safety specialist for the Division of Agriculture.
“What really struck me about composting — and why I’d like talk more about it is that compost is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and by the state of Arkansas as a waste product,” Bertucci said.
Why?
“Their regulations are intended mitigate the harm to the environment or to the public,” he said. “Testing requirements ensure that permitted compost facilities do not release any material contaminated with trace metals nor with harmful pathogens like E. coli or Salmonella.
“However, horticulture is the No. 1 consumer of compost, and horticulturists don’t see compost as a waste product,” Bertucci said. “We see it as ‘black gold,’ a soil amendment that can increase soil organic matter, improve soil structure, enhance soil microbial activity, and provide plant nutrients.”
Bertucci said there’s much to learn about the composting process “from the biology to chemistry to the environmental impacts. Composting is actually a lot of fun, and it can be a great educational opportunity.
“We hope that our programming provides a starting point for beginners and offers tips and tricks for experienced composters to improve their composting,” he said.
The effort also aims to better understand the needs of stakeholders and design outreach materials for sustainable agriculture, including videos such as “What is Compost?”
The webinars will be recorded and made available online.
Event schedule
May 5, noon to 1 p.m. — Compost 101 webinar.
“Compost 101” — Colin Massey, Washington County extension agent
“Digging Deeper: Compost as a Soils Amendment” — Bertucci
Update on Compost Week activities — Rachel Woody-Pumford, graduate student
May 6, noon to 2 p.m., in-person event: “Composting at the Union,” Student Union, 435 N. Garland Ave., Fayetteville.
Students will learn about how food and packaging from the Union is composted rather than sent to the landfill. The event offers educational materials about how to compost and information on composting programs offered by the City of Fayetteville and Ozark Compost. Speakers including Bertucci; Faebyan Whittle, environmental educator, City of Fayetteville; Haley Hausam, Food Loops; and Tina Flakowitz, Ozark Compost.
May 7, Noon to 1 p.m., Not for Landfill! Composting for the Environment webinar.
“Composting to mitigate food waste” – Hausam, Food Loops
“Composting with the City of Fayetteville” – Whittle, City of Fayetteville
May 8, 5 to 7 p.m., in-person activity — Compost meet-up at Fossil Cove Brewing, 1946 N. Birch Ave., Fayetteville
A meet-up to network and share ideas, activities, with Bertucci, Massey, Whittle and Flakowitz at Fossil Cove Brewing, 1946 N. Birch Ave, Fayetteville.
May 8, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., in-person activity — Composting social at the Farmers Market at St. Joseph Center of Arkansas, 6800 Camp Robinson Road, North Little Rock
Booths include Man of the Red Earth vermicompost, with a red wiggler demo, and more.
May 9, 1:30 to 4 p.m. in-person activity — Compost in action at the UADA research farm, including a compost giveaway, 2536 N. McConnell Ave., Fayetteville
This is a compost field day at the Washington County Extension Office, Fayetteville. Learn about the Master Composter program, see hands-on demonstrations for home composting systems, and see large-scale composting in action. Bring your own bucket. Five gallons of compost offered per attendee.
May 9, 4:30 to 7 p.m. in-person activity — Rebuilding the UA-Little Rock Campus Garden, 3343 Fair Park Blvd., Little Rock. Composting system volunteer action and networking event. Come out for a hands-on compost bin construction activity.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
