Yard debris from area residents, plus manure from the cows on their own farm and from three local horse facilities, are combined to make the compost on the Granville, OH, farm of Suzanne Allison Lees ’69 and her husband, David.
Serious Composters For nearly 10 years, Suzanne Allison Lees ’69 and husband, David Lees, have dedicated a part of their 300-acre farm near Granville as a compost facility. A grant through the Coshocton-FairfieldLicking-Perry Solid Waste District allowed them to purchase the necessary equipment, and after a few classes at the OSU Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, they were soon up and running. The Solid Waste District has designated their farm a drop-off location for yard waste. The yard debris from area
residents, plus manure from the cows on their own farm and from three local horse facilities, are combined to make the compost. According to the West Virginia University Extension Service, composting is beneficial to farming in two key ways. First, it creates a marketable product from agricultural waste. Second, it provides valuable nutrients and organic matter to soil, which improves moisture retention and plant establishment, suppresses soil-borne diseases, reduces the needs for
pesticides and fertilizers, prevents erosion and safeguards water quality. Depending on moisture and air temperature, it normally takes six months to break down the compost. During that time, the original pile shrinks by 50 percent, removing the smell and becoming a natural fertilizer for garden soil. Spring is the busy season for composting, and the Lees sell to gardeners throughout the county. According to Suzanne, the compost adds nutrients to the soil and helps loosen it up. Ironically, in all the time they’ve been composting, the Lees have never had the chance to use it on their own farm. “We never have any excess because we sell out every year,” commented Suzanne. The farmland not being used for composting is dedicated to raising beef cattle, as well as growing corn, soybeans and wheat. While not able to use the compost, “this year we planted peas to use as a cover crop,” Suzanne noted. “It adds nutrients to the soil so we don’t have to use as much fertilizer.” These will survive the winter and help retain nutrients for next year’s crops.
Tuxedo Tree Farm The Laurens, SC, tree farm owned by Rachel Siviter ’60 has been in the family since the mid 1800s. It was originally a cotton farm, but the family eventually quit planting the crop and much of the property became overgrown with trees. Nearly 30 years ago, Siviter’s aunt cleared about 75 acres to plant white pine seedlings and renamed the property Tuxedo Tree Farm. The planting of pines is a “good way to preserve the earth,” noted Siviter. “It’s good for the soil and for the air.” The roots help prevent soil erosion and improve water quality. The pines also provide food and shelter for the birds and animals on her property. She often spots turkey and deer, along with numerous types of birds.
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Growing up in Pittsburgh, Siviter hasn’t done much farming, but she consults a forester on caring for the pines, which are fairly maintenance free. They reseed themselves and they grow quickly, so no further planting on her part is needed, and they “self-prune.” The trees have been thinned twice since her aunt first planted them. An area timber company removes the trees from the property, using most of the wood as pulp for making paper. Some are also used for furniture, flooring, and paneling. Although she did not live on the farm, she and her family visited
| O t t e r be i n To w e r s | Spring 2013
often, and she has wonderful memories of her stays. “My mother grew up on the place with nine brothers and sisters, so they all told wonderful stories,” she recalled. “Everything about this place is stories.”