Land Stewardship Project

Land Stewardship Project
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • Long Range Plan
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Contact Us
    • Past LSP Projects
    • Employment & Volunteer Opportunities
    • LSP Publications
  • The Latest
    • 40th Anniversary Events
    • Tell us an LSP Story
    • Songs for the Soil
    • CSA Farm Directory
    • Upcoming Events
    • News
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • LSP in the News
    • Blog
    • Podcast
    • Land Stewardship Letter
    • LIVE-WIRE Sign-up
    • Myth Busters
    • Fact Sheets
    • Farm Crisis Resources
  • For Farmers & Landowners
    • New Farmers
      • Farm Beginnings Class
      • Journeyperson Course
      • Farm Dreams Workshop
      • Farmland Clearinghouse
      • Accessing Farmland
      • Beginning/Retiring Farmer Tax Credit
      • Beginning Farmer Profiles
    • Retiring Farmers & Landowners
      • Farmland Clearinghouse
      • Conservation Leases
      • Beginning/Retiring Farmer Tax Credit
      • Land Transition Tools
      • Transition Stories
    • Soil Health
      • Cover Crops
      • Grazing
      • No-till
      • Microbiology
      • Soil Builders’ Network
      • Soil Builders’ E-Letters
    • Cropping Systems Calculator
    • Conservation Leases
  • Creating Change
    • Community-Based Food Systems
      • Community Food Webs Learning Circles
    • Policy Campaigns
      • Soil Health & Climate Change
      • Healthcare
      • Factory Farms
      • Federal Policy
      • State Policy
      • Developing Leadership
      • Caucus for Land Stewardship
    • Justice & Stewardship
    • Organizational Stewardship
    • Building People Power
  • Get Involved
    • Take Action!
    • Upcoming Events
    • Land Stewardship Action Fund
    • Connect with LSP
      • Stay Connected
      • Join, Donate, or Renew Today!
      • Shop
      • Employment & Volunteer Opportunities
      • Legacy Giving
    • Network with LSP Members
      • Farmland Clearinghouse
      • Soil Health
  • Join, Donate, or Renew Today!
  • Stay Connected
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
Search
More...

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

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • email

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

×

March 2023

Tuesday March 21

9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Wholesale Readiness Training for Farmers
Tuesday March 21
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Wholesale Readiness Training for Farmers

MISA, UMN Extension, and Renewing the Countryside are offering training and one-to-one technical assistance for farmers who want to grow their operation into wholesale markets. Wholesale isn’t just for large-scale distributors. You can use this training and support team to prepare to sell to schools, restaurants, grocery stores, and hospitals in your community. Participating farmers will be eligible for $500 mini-grants to cover expenses related to launching a wholesale enterprise. 

For details, click here.

Wednesday March 22

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Community Food Webs Learning Circle: Building Equity & Investing in Traditional, Indigenous Culture & Practices for Food Production, Health & Spirituality
Wednesday March 22
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Community Food Webs Learning Circle: Building Equity & Investing in Traditional, Indigenous Culture & Practices for Food Production, Health & Spirituality

Building strong community food networks where we live can move us powerfully toward our vision for functioning local and regional systems that support regenerative farming and provide all people with the nourishing foods they want and need. To explore how communities around the country are making this happen, in March LSP is hosting three learning circles focused on the book Building Community Food Webs, by Ken Meter.

Join us for just one session, or all three! Each session we’ll gather on Zoom for two hours — beginning at 7 p.m. — to discuss major themes from the book and generate ideas for our own communities.

Reserve your spot by signing up on our website:https://landstewardshipproject.org/learning-circles. Questions about getting signed up? Reach out to LSP’s Elizabeth Makarewicz at EMakarewicz@landstewardshipproject.org.

Thursday March 23

9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Ranching for Profit Workshop: 3 Secrets for Increasing Your Profit
Thursday March 23
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Ranching for Profit Workshop: 3 Secrets for Increasing Your Profit

Improving your farm business takes rolling up your sleeves and getting to work … not just IN your business, but ON it too. The Land Stewardship Project is hosting Ranch Management Consultant Dave Pratt, who will give workshop participants insights into threetools for improvingfarm profit. Dave won’t just be presenting information — you can expect plenty of small group interaction, case studies, videos, direct application to yourown situation and a healthy dose of humorto be used throughout the workshop.

You will learn:

● How to transform your farm into a successful business.
● The difference between economics vs. finance and why economics always comes first.
● The three things that youcan do to increase profit on your farm.
● How to identify theweak links and profit-drivers in your business.

Please register by March 17.

For more information and to register, click here.

10:30 am – 3:00 pm
LSP Upper Minnesota River Food Forum in Montevideo, MN
Thursday March 23
10:30 am – 3:00 pm
LSP Upper Minnesota River Food Forum in Montevideo, MN

Building strong community food networks where we live can move us powerfully toward our vision for functioning local and regional food systems that support regenerative farming and provide all people with the nourishing foods they want and need. To celebrate and explore how our local community is making this happen, the Land Stewardship Project will be hosting a Regional Food Forum to celebrate and grow our local foodshed. The Food Forum will be held at Table Two Twelve Chophouse, 4490 US-212, Montevideo, MN 56265.

Local food advocates, producers, and professionals will gather for panels, break-out sessions, and activities. Lunch will be served and an optional social hour will follow the event. There will be limited space available, so be sure to register here by March 17 and save the date for Thursday, March 23.

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Family Farm Breakfast Lobby Training
Thursday March 23
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Family Farm Breakfast Lobby Training

Join LSP to prepare for the 2023 Family Farm Breakfast Lobby Day on April 13! The training will be an opportunity to prepare how we will influence our elected officials to win real change on key LSP issues like soil health and climate solutions, healthcare reform, taking on corporate consolidation in agriculture, and more. This training will include: background on your legislators; templates for a legislative meeting; workshopping how to share our stories in a powerful, concise way; logistics; and more!

For more information and to register, click here.

View Full Calendar

Recent Posts

  • LSP Statement on Daley Dismissal of District Court Case March 20, 2023
  • Update on LSP’s Leadership Transition March 10, 2023
  • Legislation to Reinstate MPCA Community Board gets 1st Hearing in MN Senate March 9 March 8, 2023
  • 2023 Farm to School and Early Care Bill Continues Positive Momentum in Minnesota March 1, 2023
  • MN Farmers Head to DC March 6-8 to Demand Action on Climate Crisis February 28, 2023

Montevideo

117 South First Street
Montevideo, MN 56265

(320) 269-2105

Lewiston

180 E. Main Street
Lewiston, MN 55952

(507) 523-3366

Minneapolis

821 E. 35th Street #200
Minneapolis, MN 55407

(612) 722-6377

Copyright © 2023 Land Stewardship Project. All rights reserved.

https://landstewardshipproject.org/getting-a-bio-reaction-from-soil