Top: Compost is spread heavily to focus fertility for row crops on Gardens of Eagan farm in Eureka Township, Minnesota.

The US Composting Council (USCC) has been awarded a grant of $4,400,750 as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2023 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to fund the “Comparative and Ongoing Compost Application Trials to Guide and Incentivize Best Use” project, aimed at enhancing compost application practices across diverse agricultural systems. The USCC will lead this initiative in collaboration with top researchers and implementation partners across three states: California, Colorado, and Washington. A total of 88 Soil Health Demonstration (SHD) trials will be conducted to evaluate the environmental, economic, and social benefits of compost application. The trials will take place across various soil types, compost types/rates, and production systems. Key objectives include: Assessing the impact of compost on soil carbon, water-holding capacity, and overall soil health; Developing accessible compost application guidance for producers and technical assistance providers; Informing potential updates to the Natural Resource Conversation Services’ guidance related to Conservation Practice Standard 336 (that includes compost); and Provide interoperable data to improve the DayCent (measuring soil organic fluxes) and MEMS (measuring ecosystem carbon fluxes) models. “Through these comprehensive trials, the USCC aims to demonstrate the agronomic, social, and environmental benefits of compost, ultimately guiding best practices and incentivizing wider adoption of compost use in agriculture,” explains Frank Franciosi, USCC’s Executive Director.