October 2, 1995 Contact: Jennifer McNulty (408/459-2495)

UC SANTA CRUZ SPONSORS ON-FARM COMPOSTING WORKSHOP OCTOBER 18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ, CA--Farmers are showing a growing interest in compost, and cities are under court order to reduce the volume of material sent to landfills. As part of a research project to explore the viability of a partnership between farmers and municipalities, the University of California, Santa Cruz, is sponsoring a free on- farm composting workshop on Wednesday, October 18. The workshop will take place at the Herbert Ranch in Hollister from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Workshop participants will include: Marc Buchanan, an assistant professor of environmental studies at UCSC, who will describe the effect of compost on plant diseases, based on his on- farm compost studies in the Monterey Bay region; UC Cooperative Extension farm adviser Richard Smith, who will discuss his work with local growers and what they are learning about compost's effect on soil and plant nutrient levels; growers Phil Foster and Brian Ziemann, who will discuss on-farm compost production and use from their positions as an organic grower and a large-scale conventional farm manager; and Wesley Chesbro of the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), who will give an update on the board's efforts to encourage the use of composted materials in agricultural operations. Pat Herbert, an organic vegetable grower who is hosting the event, is a collaborator on the project.

The workshop is part of a two-year project to reduce the volume of organic materials going into landfills. Cities and counties are working with farmers to turn these materials into a valuable soil additive through on-farm and municipal composting. The project is being coordinated by Buchanan; it has been funded by CIWMB.

To reach the Herbert ranch, follow Highway 156 north from Hollister to Highway 25. Take Highway 25 two miles to McConnell Road. Make a left onto McConnell Road, and follow signs to the Field Day site. The event is sponsored by UCSC, the CIWMB Compost Demonstration Project, and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers Foundation's Lighthouse Farm Campaign.

For more information, call Martha Brown at UCSC's Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, (408) 459-3376, or Sam Earnshaw of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers at (408) 476-6432.

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