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became a pretty obvious place to do our
own composting, not only because we
needed to rehab the soil but because
we now had the land,” Carse said about
the 68-acre commercial nursery they
converted into a popsicle farm.
Pauli followed the farm’s progress
as his business needed a site for a large
compost facility to service restaurants,
cafes, universities and other commercial
clients.
“I don’t even know who said it
first — we have the space, you have the
infrastructure, so let’s try it out,” Carse
recalled.
From there, King of Compost was
born. Fruit waste from the farm, King
of Pops production and Compostwheels
deliveries are placed in long rows set
atop two large clay pads. Woodchips
and sawdust from sawmills and tree
companies are added to introduce
nitrogen. The last step of this giant
chemistry experiment is to mix the
ingredients to introduce oxygen, which
breaks it all down into the desired soil
amendment.
To maximize their efficiency and
impact, and make a better product,
King of Compost needs specific
equipment and favorable regulations.
At a hefty price tag of $50,000, a
windrow turner rides behind a tractor
and more evenly turns the piles than
the scoop-by-scoop approach by
a tractor alone, and cuts down on
processing time.
“Right now, we turn food waste
to finished product in three to four
months. We could get it down to six
weeks if we had the proper equipment,”
Carse said.
A recent fundraising campaign
raised more than half of their $120,000
goal-
“It gave us a good start. We’ll be
able to fund more of the equipment
that we need in a more traditional way,”
Pauli said.
Securing regulations to expand
composting efforts has been another
journey. For more than a year, Pauli
built community support to update
the solid waste handling regulations to
allow small farms to compost materials
from outside sources. They explained
that expanded composting efforts
would revitalize agricultural land,
improve soil, protect water and generate
jobs. Last month, those efforts paid off.
State officials listened.
“The newly passed regulations in
Georgia will allow King of Compost
to compost more material and provide
a rule framework that supports the
growth of our business and our mission.
We are greatly appreciative of the EPD
and all other stakeholders. This is a
big deal for community composting in
Georgia,” Pauli said.
King of Compost goes even further
by showing Atlanta what’s possible on a
larger scale when food waste is handled
well to make beautiful soil and produce.
“For us it’s telling that full story.
We can grow the produce, put them in
the pops and then compost whatever is
left over. The fruit and the sticks can all
go back into the compost and be turned
back into the soil, which can grow more
fruit to make more pops,” Carse said.
For more information, visit
kingofcrops.com and compostwheels.
com. 03
Green Cleaning in the Spring
By Kristen Sumpter
UGA Cooperative Extension Agent
After you add up the amount of time
you spend inside working, sleeping and
relaxing, it’s not surprising to learn that
people spend an average of 90 percent of
their time indoors. The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has found
levels of several common pollutants to
be two to five times higher inside homes
than outside. Yikes!
Many of these pollutants come from
chemicals that are found in our very own
household cleaning products.
We can reduce the chemicals in our
homes by replacing cleaning products
with homemade green cleaners, store-
bought green cleaners or just by using
a bit more elbow grease. With spring
cleaning on our minds, now is the time
to start making the switch.
Here are a few green cleaning facts
to get you started on your journey to a
healthier home.
■ Alkalis such as baking soda and
borax scour off dirt and grease. If you
need a stronger alkali, find a recipe
with washing soda to get the job
done.
■ Both vinegar and lemon juice can
be used to remove hard water stains.
While lemon juice smells great, be
sure not to use it on silver.
■ If you want to disinfect a surface,
you must consider its “dwell time.”
This is the amount of time the
solution must be in contact with
the surface; it can be found on the
product’s instructions.
■ One of the best ways to select
a store-bought green cleaning
product is to look for a third-party
certification, such as Green Seal or
EPA’s Safer Choice.
Please note that eco-friendly
disinfectants can be used at home, but
always read the instructions carefully to
make sure you’re using them properly.
It’s important to know that these
disinfectants should not be used in
childcare facilities or commercial food
preparation sites. 03
Do It Yourself
Try making your own green cleaning products. Here are a few recipes to get you
started.
Most ingredients can be found in area stores. Borax and washing soda are
usually stocked in the laundry aisles. Vegetable oil-based liquid soap (commonly
called castile soap) is available at many natural food stores.
The Green Cleaning Booklet, by Sharon Gibson & Pamela Turner, has more
recipes and suggestions. Find the pdf at fcs.uga.edu; type “Green Cleaning Booklet”
in the search bar.
All-Purpose Cleaner
■ 3 Tbsp. white vinegar
■ Vi tsp. washing soda (sodium carbonate)
■ Vi tsp. vegetable oil-based liquid soap
■ 2 cups hot water
Mix ingredients in a spray bottle or bucket. Apply to surface and wipe clean.
Wood Cleaner
■ 2 Tbsp. olive oil
■ 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
■ Va cup lemon juice
Mix ingredients. Use a soft cloth to rub into the wood, going in the direction
of the grain.
Oven Cleaner
■ 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil-based liquid soap
■ 2 Tbsp. borax (sodium borate)
Mix the soap and borax in a spray bottle. Fill the bottle with hot water and
shake well. Spray on oven surfaces and leave for 20 minutes. Scrub off. 03
AtlantalNtownPaper.com
April 2018 | INtOWn 13