Caption information: photo by Karen Zurawski The Ground Up, 19102 FM 1093 in Richmond, hosted this month a field trip by Master Gardeners who attended advanced training in compost offered in Fort Bend County.
More than 20 people traveled from across the state in early December to attend a three-day Texas Master Gardener’s Compost Advanced Training in Fort Bend County with plans to use what they learned in their home counties.
The training blended classroom learning with field trips and demonstrations hosted by Fort Bend County Master Gardeners and Fort Bend County AgriLife Extension to enable participants to earn advanced certification. Participants learned about Hügelkultur and Vermiculture/Worm Composting from Mary Karish, a Waller County Master Gardener, who was among 15 accomplished presenters. Whole Foods representatives presented a program on how the business is diverting food waste from landfills and Harvest Green Farm managers talked about their vegetable production. Field trips to composting facilities operated by The Ground Up and Farm Dirt Compost let them see firsthand what’s being done as they gained a deeper insight into the what, how, and why of composting.
“A lot of planning went into us hosting this meeting,” said Boone Holladay, Fort Bend County Extension Agent Horticulture. “We really hope that our efforts pay off in these volunteers making positive contributions in their home communities.” At the conclusion, many participants exchanged their contact information to stay connected, learn and be helpful to each other.
Participants said they learned a lot from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Zong Liu, Ph.D, who began the conference with an introduction to compost and the biology of soils and organic matter. Participants found Liu’s enthusiasm contagious. Liu teaches biological and agricultural engineering.
Among the 24 participants from 18 counties was Larry Thompson, a Dallas County Master Gardener. He said he attended the training to learn more about composting on a Master Gardener level, to meet people and to get better resources. “I want to expand what I already know.”
He has several projects he intends to work on after he returns home. They include compost classes at the school-garden level in the Coppell Independent School District where he volunteers and where they’re trying to expand composting. He also has a second project. “I want to help Dallas County to expand their composting program,” he added. “That’s a huge need.” He talked of people composting at home but if city, county and state programs don’t embrace these programs, there’s no where to send it, he said. “That’s a milestone we have to hurdle.”
Workshop participant Sueellen King of Midland County said, “I really feel like I just want to help give back to Mother Earth. We take so much from the earth. I feel we should give back. I love worms. I feel it all starts with the soil,” continued King.
“If you have really good soil then growing whether it’s vegetable or flowers will give you a better opportunity for success. I know that any sort of education to the public is desirable.”
She envisions sharing the composting message through mini-presentations that they will start offering at farmers markets that they attend. She noted people at the market often say they don’t have green thumbs and can’t grow this or that. “Composting is easy,” she added.
Midland County doesn’t recycle a lot, according to King. “Anything we can do to help our county in that regard is going to be great.”
And, Gonzalez County Master Gardener Nanette Monaghan knew how she was going to promote composting on her second day of the workshop. She plans to use the slogan “Come and Compost It” amending the Texian rebels call to arms during the October 1835 Battle of Gonzales of “Come and Take It.” She wants to get people to buy into the composting concept and stressed making it simple.
Fort Bend County was represented by Master Gardeners Barkat Charania and Clarence Gray.