Composting is the heart of any land use that aims to be sustainable.

It means that the carbon and nutrients are repeatedly recycled through the whole cycle and not lost to the atmosphere or the water courses.

Compost builds humus, which provides nutrients and clean water to plants, locks carbon into the earth and out of the atmosphere as well as regulating the soil against both flood and drought.

To make good compost a wide range of ingredients is beneficial. This project uses a range of different animal dung, goat and chicken as well as a variety of vegetation from the vegetable growing and bedding.

The compost is made using a New Zealand bin system that is built using wood that would otherwise be thrown away such as old pallets and sawmill off cuts. There are several bays each of about 1.5 cubic metres. The material is turned from one to the other as they fill up to mix it and ensure enough oxygen and water for optimal composting.

In the future, we aim to take some garden waste from households that are part of the project if they are short of composting space.