Otter Creek Farm – Greenville, North Carolina
10 horses on wood pellets
This bin system processes 8-10 cubic yards of manure every two weeks. It has been in operation since March 2004 and produces excellent quality compost that is used on an adjoining organic farm. The compost will be sold to landscapers and homeowners beginning in Spring 2005.

Robert and Teri Garofalo - Poughquag, New York
3 horses on chipped corrugated cardboard
The Garofalos live in a very cold winter climate. Their successful 3-bin system is a testament to the fact that compost is self-insulating and largely unaffected by the cold weather when the airflow is properly adjusted. Robert has been extraordinarily diligent at monitoring temperatures in his compost system and at sending his data in for my review. His efforts have paid off.

Bowling Farm – Eureka, Missouri
6 horses on wood pellet bedding
An existing shed roof along side of an existing barn was used to cover an aerated 3-bay compost system. A corn elevator is used to efficiently transfer raw manure and bedding from inside the barn to the compost bays (right). The finished compost is refined using a soil shredder and the finished product is used in a local nursery.

Trueblood Stable – Santa Ana, California
2 horses on wood pellet bedding
This aerated bin system was scaled down from our 5-10 horse system. Each bin has a 2.5 cubic yard capacity to accommodate approximately two weeks’ worth of manure. It is constructed out of masonry block and has a retractable wooden lid. It stair steps down to conform to the slope.

Canterbury Farm - Morrisville, Vermont
3 horses (soon to be more) on Comfort Stall flooring and minimal wood pellet bedding
Sharon Ahern found O₂Compost through Karen Hayes' book, "How to be the Perfect Horsekeeper". The "old timers" in her area thought that she was "nuts" for designing her facility using the Perfect Stall approach, especially when it came to composting the manure. But now, everyone wants to know how she figured it all out and she loves giving tours. Sharon has been instrumental in helping O₂Compost design for extreme cold weather conditions and in 2008 wll be one of our training facilities in the New England states.

Mary Wright's Farm - McLendon Hills, North Carolina
3 horses on wood pellet bedding
Mary Wright recently moved to North Carolina to realize her dream of having a small barn in her back yard, adjoining miles of equestrian trail. In designing her barn, she wanted a convenient and effective way to manage manure and spent bedding, to control odors and flies, and to produce a finished compost that she could use to amend her sandy garden soil. With the help of her barn builder, Mary constructed a 3-bay system immediately adjoining her barn. Now, with the help of O₂Compost, she is producing high-quality compost.

Smoky Hills Farm - Salem, Oregon
3 horses on wood pellet bedding
Fred and Helen Dalzell have recently completed this 3-bin system and have assisted in continuing to refine our approach to designing and constructing these systems. Their hope is to utilize the finished compost in developing a vermicompost (worm compost) operation.

Chakola's Place - Goshen, New Hampshire
5 horses, 1 mule, and 14 miniature donkeys on wood pellet bedding
This aerated 3-bin compost system was constructed under an EQUIP Grant through the Walpole County Conservation District. The design took into account heavy loads for both snow and wind and it is now successfully composting. The plan is to utilize the finished compost on an area recently put into pasture.

Linda O'Neill and Al Smith – Canning, Nova Scotia, Canada
8 horses on wood pellet bedding
This is a top-down aerated bin system constructed into the hillside using concrete counter forte walls and the blower, which is mounted in the roof structure, provides the aeration to each of the three bins. Linda and Al are currently experimenting with negative aeration, wherein fresh air is drawn into the mix from the top of the pile, thereby pulling the heat-front down toward the base of the pile.

Tim Gross – South Carolina
6 horses on wood pellet bedding
This aerated bin system accommodates 8 cubic yards per bin and each bin takes between two and three weeks to fill. Process time is less than four weeks and the finished compost is used around the farm. Plans are to sell the finished compost beginning in Spring 2005.

Piper Farms – Arlington, Washington
3 horses on wood pellet bedding
This is the simplest, least-cost aerated compost bin to date. The total cost was under $150 (plus equipment) and it works great. Prior to setting up an aerated compost system, the piles of manure got soaking wet and leached into a nearby creek.

Ross Farm Museum - New Ross, Nova Scotia, Canada
Ross Farm Museum is a small farm that demonstrates historic farming practices. Part of their mission at the museum is to demonstrate sustainable, organic farming practices, including the reuse of manure that is generated by draft horses as well as other livestock on the farm. Barry Hiltz, farm manager, constructed their 3-bay compost system with lumber that had been milled from trees that came down in a large storm. Even with significant temperature swings during the winter months, this system has operated continuously since construction in 2004.

Abercrombie Farms – Maltby, Washington
3 horses on wood pellet bedding, plus chickens and geese
This newly constructed system was built with non-treated wood and stair steps down to conform to site grades. Each bin has a 10 cubic yard capacity and takes approximately three weeks to fill. The finished compost will be used throughout the one-acre garden.

Farnham Farms – Snohomish, Washington
3 horses and 12 sheep on wood pellets
This bay system incorporates aeration in the concrete slab and it takes approximately two weeks to fill each bin. The owner says “Process time is four weeks and the worms love it. As soon as a batch is finished, all of my neighbors come and get it. I can’t make it fast enough.”