By William Darlington, Consultant
Compost is defined as the product resulting from the controlled biological decomposition of organic material. Compost can be derived from a number of feed stocks including yard trimmings, biosolids (sewage sludge), wood by-products, animals manures, crop residues, biodegradable packing, and food scraps. Mature compost has little resemblance in physical form to the original biodegradable from which it is made. Compost is valued for its organic matter content, and it typically used as a soil amendment to enhance the chemical, physical and biological properties of soil. Compost is typically not a fertilizer, although when used at normal rates it can reduce the amount of required fertilizer.