As training continues, farmers will get out of the classroom and into their fields. The first test of the trainees' muscle is to make a compost heap of 8 cubic meters, a 2 by 2 meter cube of grass, leaves, manure, and crop residues. The compost heap will decompose into about 1 ton of nutrient rich compost that can be used to grow 1/4 acre of corn or vegetables. It is equivalent to about $50 worth of fertilizer.
Composting not only provides nutrients but reduces the risk involved when investing heavily in chemical fertilizer. If the crop fails due to weather or the farmer falls ill during the season, the fertilizer is wasted. Compost does not wash out of the soil as quickly and only costs the farmers time to gather the composting materials.
