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Getting a Bio-Reaction from Soil

How Farmers Involved in an LSP Project Hope to Use the Johnson-Su Composter to Boost Biology

By Bairet Eiter
January 13, 2022

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Calling all microbe enthusiasts! Looking to learn about better composting methods that encourage the soil biome to thrive, all with minimal effort? Then you may be interested in research the Land Stewardship Project and some of our farmer-members are doing on the “Johnson-Su Composting Bioreactor.”

Developed by molecular biologist and research scientist David Johnson, along with his wife Hui-Chun Su, this system is based on a static aerobic (compost that is not turned and air exchanges evenly throughout the pile) type of composting that takes place in a simple, stack-like structure for 12-18 months. Aeration is provided by a series of pre-set ventilation shafts. One of the benefits of the Johnson-Su Bioreactor is that it is quite scalable — it can be set up in a small space and constructed for under $50. Unlike large-scale windrow composting systems, it does not require a large compost turner or other specialty equipment, and very little labor is required once the system gets going. In other words, this system can be set up in a backyard or on a 1,000-acre farm!

In June 2021, material was loaded into Johnson-Su Bioreactor stacks at the Tom and Alma Cotter farm near Austin, Minn.

Like no-till, the Johnson-Su method models a “minimal disturbance” approach — as in you do not need to turn the material to help it break down. This lack of disturbance allows fungi networks to form, create symbiosis, and maintain a healthy community. Typical large-scale commercial windrow-based composting processes are often designed and operated for speed and maximum product flow, which can result in a product that’s not as “mature” and full of complex fungal communities.

Johnson-Su compost is different — mature compost has complex fungal communities and a balance of healthy bacteria, nematodes, and worms that can be used as potting soil and made into a “tea” to apply on row crops. The compost or tea acts as inoculant for the soil and is best applied with a cash crop or cover crop. Research shows that such an inoculant can produce multiple benefits in crop fields.

The compost from Johnson-Su Composting Bioreactors “improves seed germination rates when used to coat seeds, improves soil water infiltration and water retention by helping to increase soil carbon content, and increases plant health, plant growth rates, and crop production,” according to the University of California-Chico.

Inspired by the work of microbiologist Elaine Ingham, in recent years farmers and others have been investigating how they can use composting to build the kind of soil biome that is self-sustaining and not reliant on a constant supply of chemical inputs. Based on this growing interest in putting all those soil microbes to work, during the summer of 2021 LSP staff worked with five farmers — four in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin — to build and fill the first year’s trial of Johnson-Su Bioreactors. LSP received a grant through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation Program to conduct the first replicated on-farm trial of the Johnson-Su composting method.

The bioreactor stacks LSP has set up on the five farms are constructed of wire mesh, landscape fabric, and PVC piping. They are approximately five-feet high and 12 and-a-half feet around. Two of the farms involved are vegetable operations, one is an organic dairy, and the other two are crop-livestock enterprises.

The goal of this project is to study different recipes that consist of materials which are available on farms right here in the Upper Midwest. The original recipe developed by Johnson and Su in New Mexico is composed of one-third leaf litter, one-third dried cow manure, and one-third wood chips. Our farmer-members tried to create recipes with a similar carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Some farmer recipes utilized different bed packs, hay, straw, animal manure, and old potting soil. A key component of the bioreactor management is moisture control — the material needs to be soaked before it’s added to the reactors (this became a learned lesson in year one).

Each farm has two bioreactors, with each unit testing different recipes, and the stack structures are being housed in locations that generally stay above freezing to prevent die off of the worms that are added after an initial period of high heat — called a thermophilic phase — is over (this high heat period helps kill harmful organisms that may be present in the source material). We are comparing Johnson-Su compost to conventional, commercially processed compost from three facilities to gauge how to stands up in terms of composition and microbial make up. We will continue the work into 2022 and will report our findings in 2023.

Liana Nichols, who works for Wozupi Tribal Gardens, is one of the farmers participating in this research project. She’s excited about the potential for making the vegetable enterprise’s soil more self-reliant through biological activity.

“I see the potential for relying less on off-farm inputs such as purchased fertilizer and potting soil, and it’s just plain exciting to learn more about the tiny life forms underground that are so essential to nutrient cycling and healthy ecosystems,” Nichols told me. “We are transitioning toward a mulch-based, very minimal tillage system with the intention of reducing our weeding workload and protecting our soils. Having the ability to produce microbially diverse compost on-farm is a great next step to ensuring that we have a diverse and functional population of underground life in our vegetable beds.”

Nichols likes that this form of composting is doable on any size farm and that it doesn’t require handling a  lot of material. “Since we transplant so many of our crops, I am hopeful that we can use our compost as potting soil so that our transplants could go out into the field inoculated with a diversity of microbes,” she said.

Bioreactor samples from participating farms have already been taken and sent to our compost consultant, Maks Sandor Kopish, who is photographing the material under a microscope. Samples have also been sent to Soil Food Web Inc. and more samples are being sent to the genomics laboratory at the University of Minnesota  to analyze the species present in each reactor.

Sandor Kopish is impressed with the samples that have been submitted thus far.

Watering a Johnson-Su Bioreactor stack on the Ruth and Jon Jovaag farm near Austin, Minn.

“All appeared to have sufficient oxygen to select for good aerobic organisms over anaerobic ones,” the consultant says. “I saw lots of good fungi, tons of testate amoebae, some nematodes, and many interesting things I couldn’t identify.

There is some concern that during the thermophilic phase high enough temperatures were not achieved to be effective at killing harmful organisms.

“While it’s definitely ideal for the material to go through this hot phase, the bioreactors are unique in that they can function equally well as a cold pile due to their long maturation period and the addition of composting worms,” says Sando Kopish. “Weed seeds typically rot or get consumed over the year-long process and pathogens are easily outnumbered by beneficial decomposing organisms, especially due to the good bacteria and fungi in the gut of the worms which inoculate all of the material that passes through.”

In coming months, check our Microbiology web page for updates on this exciting research. For more information, check out the list of resources below.

Bairet Eiter is a member of LSP’s Soil Health team and can be contacted via e-mail or at 612-767-9881. 

More on the Johnson-Su Bioreactor

• Ear to the Ground Podcast No. 266: Activating Soil Life

• An LSP Slideshow on Johnson-Su Bioreactor Construction in Minnesota

• How to Build Your Own Bioreactor

• Managing a Johnson-Su Composting Bioreactor

Category: Blog
Tags: Elaine Ingham • fungal life • Johnson-Su bioreactor • microbiology • Minnesota Department of Agriculture AGRI Program • on-farm research • soil health • soil microbes

Upcoming Events

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October 2025

Tuesday October 7

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
Tuesday October 7
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Book Event: We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy
The Landing Market, 211 College Dr, Decorah, IA 52101, USA

The Johnson Center for Land Stewardship Policy is excited to share that one of our its primary pillars of work — a published collection of Paul Johnson’s writings —  is set for release on Oct. 2.  The book features a brief biography and a discussion of Paul’s ideas within the historical and future contexts of private lands conservation. Details on the event are available here.

For details on We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy click here.

 

Friday October 10

8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing & Countering Racism in Our Backyard
Friday October 10
8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing & Countering Racism in Our Backyard
111 N 1st St, Montevideo, MN 56265, USA

Join LSP and CURE for a community event at the Land Stewardship Project office in Montevideo (111 N. First St.), from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Friday, Oct. 10. This event includes lunch catered by El Mana; please register by Oct. 3 to be included in the food count.

You can RSVP here.

The Racial Equity Conference, organized by the Greater Minnesota Partnership of the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative, has been specifically designed to bring engaging content to local communities through a unique pairing of online speakers and in-person local sessions. The morning’s online content will include a conversation focused on seeing and countering racism in rural communities, moderated by Eryn Gee Killough, paired with two outstanding keynote speakers, Jenna Grey Eagle and Ron Ferguson, who have experience working in rural communities. 

This online content will be exclusively available to local community gatherings. Each gathering will gear their in-person activity to their specific community with the goal of extending the impact of the conference to others throughout the following year. Join LSP and CURE for this western Minnesota gathering, or if a different location works better for you, check out all the local gatherings on the FREC site,

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out. LSP’s Nick Olson can be reached via e-mail at nicko@landstewardshipproject.org.

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Intensive Small-Scale Market Gardening Bus Tour
Friday October 10
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Intensive Small-Scale Market Gardening Bus Tour
Leatherdale Equine Center, 1801 Dudley Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, USA

Explore profitable small-scale farming (1–5 acres) and soil care. Visit a cooperative incubator farm and a thriving suburban market garden. Learn about cover crops, reduced tillage, high tunnel soil health, and support for growers.

This is the second tour in a three-part soil health bus tour series. Participants can sign up for just one, two, or all three tours. Register at https://z.umn.edu/vegetablebustours. The cost is $15 (flat fee, covers 1, 2, or 3 tours). There are more details in the attached flyer.

Saturday October 11

11:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP-COPAL Visita a la Granja | Farm Tour
Saturday October 11
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP-COPAL Visita a la Granja | Farm Tour
36919 County 57 Blvd, Dennison, MN 55018, USA

Building off the success of last year’s farm event with COPAL in Austin, Minn., this year Land Stewardship Project and COPAL members and supporters will gather at the Young-Walser Family Farm in Dennison, Minn. for a festive and delicious farm tour on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. We invite you to come and meet new folks, learn new skills, and try new food! 
 
This year’s COPAL-LSP farm event offers a little something for everyone: 
 
🍯 Honey sampling and the opportunity to purchase from Homestead Honey Farm. 
 
🍎 Apple cider pressing and tasting. (BTW, we’re still looking for an apple press if you or a farmer friend have one nearby we could borrow for this event!) 
 
🌽 Nixtamalization workshop and fresh, homemade tortillas, made with corn grown by LSP and COPAL members at the Young-Walser Family Farm! 
 
🍅 Salsa making and cricket-eating competitions! Yes, you heard that right —we’ll have the opportunity to sample crickets, a delectable crispy and savory snack commonly enjoyed throughout Mexico and Central America. Stay tuned for details on how to enter either competition. 
 
🥾 A tour of the Young-Walser farm, nestled in the beautiful Sogn Valley not far from Cannon Falls, Minn. Enjoy a tromp through the corn and squash fields and hike in the nearby woods. 
 
🌮 A shared meal and opportunity to hear from LSP and COPAL organizers about our participation in the Immigrant Defense Network. 

Let us know you can make it to ensure we order enough food and supplies! Carpools from Minneapolis and Rochester will be available to all attendees. 

________________________________________________

¡Únete a LSP + COPAL para nuestro recorrido anual comunitario en la granja!
Un espacio divertido para tod@s donde exploraremos la agricultura, aprenderemos sobre el campo y participaremos en actividades prácticas. ¡Uno de los momentos más especiales será hacer tortillas frescas junt@s!

Compartiremos un delicioso almuerzo comunitario, preparando tacos en estilo potluck (tipo convivio). Te invitamos a traer un platillo o acompañamiento para compartir.

También estás invitado@ a llegar temprano (desde las 9 AM) para ayudar a cosechar calabazas que sembramos. Puedes llevarte algunas a casa, y el resto se donará a un banco de alimentos local.

El Land Stewardship Project (LSP) es una organización aliada de COPAL que trabaja por sistemas alimentarios y agrícolas más sostenibles y justos. LSP y COPAL están unidas en su lucha por instituciones democráticas sólidas, comunidades saludables y acogedoras, y una ética de cuidado hacia la tierra y las personas que nos alimentan.

Tuesday October 14

11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm
Tuesday October 14
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm
Online

This 10-lesson Wild Farm Alliance virtual course teaches agricultural professionals and farmers how to support beneficial birds and manage pest birds on farms. By learning how to assess the farm’s avian needs and opportunities, farms can be designed to provide for a diversity of beneficial birds. 

If pest birds are a problem, they can be discouraged with specific practices during the shorter periods when they cause damage. The sessions cover the latest research, tools and resources, and are given by experts in avian pest control, entomology, ornithology and conservation. While many topics and species are specific to the Midwest, most of the principles discussed are applicable across regions. 

Continuing Education Credits have been requested and are expected to be approved from American Society of Agronomy.

For details and to register, click here. 

The Course Schedule:

LESSON 1

Why Birds Belong on the Farm: Biodiversity, Pest Control & A Thriving Landscape

Tuesday, September 23, 2 p.m. CT


LESSON 2

Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm

Tuesday, October 14, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 3

Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types

Tuesday, November 4, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 4

Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation

Tuesday, December 2, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 5

Birds on the Farm: Balancing Biodiversity and Food Safety

Tuesday, January 13, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 6

Beyond the Crop: Birds, Biodiversity, and the Power of Edge Habitat

Tuesday, February 3, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 7

Bridging Forestry, Farming, and Habitat

Tuesday, February 24, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 8

Perennial Pathways: Agroforestry for Birds and Biodiversity on Farms

Tuesday, March 17, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 9

Birds on the Range: How Grazing Practices Shape Habitat for Grassland Species

Tuesday, April 7, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 10

Birds at Risk: How Pesticides Shape Safety on Agricultural Lands

Tuesday, April 28, 11 a.m. CT

View Full Calendar

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