Gday JohnPaul from Queensland, Australia. I’m enjoying your videos. I’m a row crop farmer who dabbles in vermicullture and Johnson/ Sue compost . What interests me the most about your ASP system is replicating fungal dominant J/S compost on scale using a front end loader. Would you be able to provide some content on this. Thanks. George.

@TransformCompost

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Thanks for your question George. By front end loader, I assume that you are still referring to an aerated system, but just using a loader to move product around?

@georgewalker2077

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That’s right. Essentially I’m looking for a system that makes a quality, diverse and fungal dominant compost using your forced air windrows. Loading and the initial mixing of the the windrows with a tractor front end loader . The feedstock would be municipal green waste, spoiled hay and animal manure. As the compost is fungal dominant the C/N ratios would be skewed towards the browns/ carbon side? How long would you run the air pumps for if the compost is then matured for 12 months. The compost would be then used as a liquid extract during planting of crops. While the Johnson/Sue method is popular in Australia, it’s drawbacks include hand loading, small quantities and potential anaerobic pockets of compost. Thanks JohnPaul👍 George Walker.

@JohnPaul-vs8gx

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@@georgewalker2077 Thank you for the additional information! I have no experience with the Johnson/Su method, but a quick look suggests it could be a lot of work! Yes, normally if we want to encourage the fungi, we include more browns/carbon. The aeration at the beginning of the process does a great job of getting rid of readily available carbon, and stabilizing the material to allow the fungi to flourish. The one challenge with aeration at the beginning is that you will have to mix and add water to maintain adequate moisture. My experience is that fungi don't thrive very well without oxygen, nor do they care for free ammonia. The beginning of the compost process is normally dominated by bacteria of various kinds, however with good aeration we want to encourage the actinobacter. After this first phase, I have observed an amazing flush of mushrooms in material if there is enough moisture. How long do I recommend running the aeration? It depends on the amount of air you add, the size of the particles being composted, and the amount of energy in the material. I find that normally three to four weeks are adequate, however you may have to mix and add water during this time. I have experienced composting material drying out in less than a week. I hope that this is helpful? Thanks, John

@georgewalker2077

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Thank you John Paul. That gives me the information I need to get started.👍