Task 7: Final Project Report ~ Draft 2.0 ~ Last Update: 4/5/1428/09
CIWMB- Agricultural Compost Specifications
Task 7: Final Project Report to Project Team
by
Dan Noble, Executive Director, Association of Compost Producers
David Crohn, Ph.D., University of California Cooperative Extension, UC Riverside
Dan Noble, Executive Director, Association of Compost Producers
William Baker, William Baker & Associates, and UC Riverside Extension
April May 2009
Contents
1 Introduction 2
2 Methods – Task Elements 2
3 Results and Conclusions 7
3.1 Task 1 - Project Team, Literature Search, Work Plan, Crops 7
3.2 Task 2 - Research Methods, Experiments 9
3.3 Task 3 - Set Specifications 11
3.4 Task 4 - Implement Use Index 12
3.5 Task 5 - Beta Test 15
3.6 Task 6 - Specification Refinement 19
3.7 Task 7 - Online Implementation & Marketing 19
3.8 Task 8 - Conduct Workshops 20
4 Recommendations 22
4.1 Scientific Research & Testing 22
4.2 Specifications and Use Index 23
4.3 Market Research & Testing 23
4.4 Outreach & Marketing 25
5 Appendix 26
5.1 Project Overview 26
5.2 Project Management Workbook 27
5.3 Project Website 27
5.4 Project Deliverables 27
1 Introduction 2
2 Methods – Task Elements 2
3 Results and Conclusions 7
3.1 Task 1 - Project Team, Literature Search, Work Plan, Crops 7
3.2 Task 2 - Research Methods, Experiments 9
3.3 Task 3 - Set Specifications 10
3.4 Task 4 - Implement Use Index 10
3.5 Task 5 - Beta Test 13
3.6 Task 6 - Specification Refinement 17
3.7 Task 7 - Online Implementation & Marketing 17
3.8 Task 8 - Conduct Workshops 18
4 Recommendations 19
4.1 Scientific Research & Testing 19
4.2 Specifications and Use Index 20
4.3 Market Research & Testing 20
4.4 Outreach & Marketing 21
5 Appendix 22
5.1 Project Overview 22
5.2 Project Management Workbook 23
5.3 Project Website 23
5.4 Project Deliverables 23
1 Introduction
The objective of this Agricultural Compost Specifications project is to improve and expand compost use in agriculture by providing reliable scientifically-derived information on suitable compost properties to California farmers. The project represents an extension of the ACP Use Index which is under continuing development by technical experts affiliated with University of California Cooperative Extension, and industry experts associated with the Association of Compost Producers (ACP).
Of the eight tasks of this contact, (see Appendix 5.1: Project Overview) this is a report pertaining to the Tasks 6 & 7 elements, i.e.:
Task 6: Specification refinement
· Refine and update index to incorporate Beta test findings.
· Further develop the information delivery approach incorporating on-line educational techniques.
Task 7: On-line implementation and marketing
· Coordinate with CIWMB staff to publish ACP index and compost specifications via Web links in the GPAP toolbox.
· Provide written materials to CIWMB staff for the development of brochures and informational publications.
However, while thisThis report addresses both the above subtasks of Tasks 6 & 7, but it is additionally is provided as the final overall report to the CIWMB for the final satisfaction and completion of this project. As such, it contains references, fully outlined in the Appendix 5.3 and available to the project team on the Project Website (http://agcompost.webexone.com), which is currently only available to project personnel who have password protected access to this site. At a later date, after Waste Board staff review and discussion, appropriate and relevant documents will be made available for review and download by a broader audience via Web Links, and advertised by key team members in full satisfaction of Task 7, and the entire project objectives.
2 Methods – Task Elements
This project had at least four interrelated elements that were all integrated into 8 tasks that were designed to were designed to improve and expand compost use in agriculture. The objective was to provide reliable, scientifically-derived information on suitable compost properties to California farmers. It was designed as an extension of a Compost Use Index, which is grounded on the STA testing program. [1] The main elements were:
· Scientific Research & Testing: Secondary literature and primary plant growth research on specific high value, high volume crops in California.
· Specifications and Use Index: Setting specifications and using that to add to a Compost Use Index for growers of those crops.
· Market Research & Testing: Setting up a method to both communicate and gather input from the agricultural marketplace of compost producers and marketers and growers of the specific crops relative to the specifications and the Compost Use Index.
· Outreach & Marketing: Provide written documentation of the outcome of this scientific and market research, as well as give three workshops throughout the state to growers and composters in representative parts of the state.
Since the STA program is the basis for the results contained within the Compost Use Index, as with the composter interviews, we focused our scientific and market research and outreach on the risks and benefits of using STA tested compost and the efficacy of the proposed system in general for measuring compost and using measured compost in agricultural specifications and applications.
Based on the original contract, the project was divided into eight tasks. From the wording in each task, we agreed at the outset of the project to break down each task into definable sub-tasks as follows.
Task 1 - Project Team, Literature Search, Work Plan, Crops
1. Identify work team members based on management experience and scientific expertise in the areas of agriculture, soils, and compost.
2. Convene initial planning meeting with CIWMB staff and team members.
3. Establish a process for determining the acceptance of the final product.
4. Identify work groups needed to complete the project.
5. Inventory current compost specifications nationwide and compile and analyze information for data gaps.
6. Establish benefits and problems with existing approaches.
7. Conduct needs analysis that identifies specification gaps and maps out how new information generated by the proposed research will supplement or replace existing specification models.
8. Identify reference crops. -- Crops will be identified based on their value, available acreages, their proximity to compost sources, and their history with respect to compost use.
Task 2 - Research Methods, Experiments
1. Develop a collaborative web site to share information.
2. Design research methodology that will help locate parameter values for the new specifications.
3. Finalize the specifications structure.
4. Conduct experiments
Task 3 - Set Specifications
1. Compile information and data from Tasks 1 and 2.
2. Convene meetings with University of California and other crop and soil experts and parameterize the specifications.
3. Specifications will be designed to identify composts that can be used safely without harming crops. Soil conditions will be included as necessary.
Task 4 - Implement Use Index
1. Convene meetings with composters as to the reasonableness of the proposed specification values.
2. Incorporate new specifications into the ACP Use index that will be used as a reference tool for growers and composters.
3. Develop means for communicating the Use Index to growers.
Task 5 - Beta Test
1. Assemble reference group of farmers.
2. Design and extend beta test procedure.
3. Conduct test.
4. Gather feedback on ACP index, specification information, and information delivery approach with reference group and prepare written assessment.
5. Identify Index marketing opportunities.
Task 6 - Specification Refinement
1. Refine and update index to incorporate Beta test findings.
2. Further develop the information delivery approach incorporating on-line educational techniques.
Task 7 - Online Implementation & Marketing
1. Coordinate with CIWMB staff to publish ACP index and compost specifications via Web links in the GPAP toolbox.
2. Provide written materials to CIWMB staff for the development of brochures and informational publications.
3. Finalize locations for three educational workshops designed to extend information to farmers.
Task 8 - Conduct Workshops
1. Conduct three educational workshops with members of the agricultural community, professionals who advise them, Cooperative Extension farm advisors, composters, and other interested parties.
2. Arrange continuing education credits for Certified Crop Advisors if feasible.
3. Workshop organization and publicity will be organized together with CIWMB personnel.
In order to both gather information and track progress on deliverables through this entire project project, the team established two management related management systems to manage the project, a “Project Management Workbook” and a “Project Wwebsite:”
I. Project Management Workbook: From in the inception of the project, we tracked both accumulated information, especially stakeholder contact information and other results that were not formed into a specific reports (outlined in Appendix 5.3). This “Project Management Workbook” was title as “Ag-CIWMB PM Workbook” (see Appendix 5.2), throughout the course of the project, and routinely updated and posted with the most recent update date, given after the title. It is referenced here, and included as one of the important deliverables for this project because it contains:
A) Valuable content information about contacts (especially composters, farmers, farm advisors, crop and farm associations and regulators) and some project deliverables (especially the data and information on crop choices), and
B) Project progress information that was both timely and updated for project use, as well as providing a historical log relative to task content, process and completion.
The Project Management Workbook grew over the course of the project to contain twelve (12) worksheets with the following titles and functions used for project management and tracking and documentation:
1. Tasks & Steps: A list of project tasks and steps, and including the due dates and actual completion dates. It is listed as per the tasks outline for the project at the inception of the project (shown above). The last update was 4/30/09.
2. Task-Budget11-06: The Task Budget timeline from original writing of the project, on November 2006. The last update was 11/21/06.
3. Next Steps: This was a running list of the project next steps for each group of Tasks for the project. The last update was 3/5/09.
4. Team-Groups: A comprehensive list (> 100 names and contact information) of the project team, crop advisors, and crop specific subgroups used especially for tasks 1, 4, 5 and 8. It also includes a log of the type and data of contact and follow up for each member. The last update was 4/28/09.
5. Associations: Some additional associations beyond those contained in the Team-Groups listing, except for a couple of contacts, these are background and were not used extensively in the research and communication in this project. The last update was 8/28/08
6. Regulators: Like the association contacts, these were beyond those contained in the core work of this study. That is, while we did contact regulators for this study, especially the Santa Ana Water Quality Control Board (after the banning of compost use by Caltrans in Jan. of 2008 by them owing to salt issues), as well as Water Board regulators were invited to all the regional workshops, it was beyond the scope of this project to work extensively with the regulatory community. The last update was 8/28/08.
7. References: A few key references (books and reports) that were used as a foundation for this study are included here. However, most of the scientific references accumulated as part of Tasks 1 to 3, are contained in specific reports and work products relative to those deliverables. Last update was 4/24/08.
8. STA: A comprehensive list of composters in California, including the STA composters identified, contacted and communicated with as part of both Tasks 4 and 8. Last update was 4/2/09.
9. Task 4&5: A list, documentation, of the individuals who provided interview information on Task 4 (composter contacts) and Task 5 (grower and advisor contact information). Last update was 4/24/09.
10. Crop Choice: Includes a list of the people contacted and interviewed for completion of Task 1.8: Identify reference crops. Last update was 5/15/07.
11. Task 1.8 Crops: A list of the main California crops under cultivation that are the large acreage and dollar volume that can our do use compost, or other organic amendments. Last update was 5/15/07.
12. 1.8 Crop Chart: A graph, bubble chart, of the various crop types relative to the two main parameters of “size” (i.e. acreage under cultivation in 2006) and “value” (i.e. $/acre received for those crops). The size of the circles represent the total value (total dollars, i.e. acres X $/acre) for each crop. Last update was 4/11/07.
II. Ag/Compost Project Website: William Baker set up a project management website with the URL, http://agcompost.webexone.com, that the project members used throughout the course of the project to post documents and deliverables. These documents, including the continuously updated Project Management Workbook, were in the following folders with associated purposes for each, within the “Group Documents” folder:
1. Literature search: Literature search references posted relative to the specific reference crops chosen. Last update was 1/15/08.
2. Project Contact Documents: Contact references not listed in the Project Management Workbook. Last update was 12/18/07.
3. Project Management: Contract and project management documents, including the most recently updated Project Management Workbook. Last update was 4/2430/09.
4. Research Papers and Books: General papers and research documents of interest and providing background, or contextual, information for the project. Last update was 11/12/08.
5. Task 1 Documents: Project deliverables for Task 1. Last update was 9/11/08.
6. Task 2 Documents: Project deliverables for Task 2. Last update 12/430/098.
7. Task 3 Documents: Project deliverables for Task 3. Last update 4/30/0809.
8. Task 4 & 5 Documents: Project deliverables for Tasks 4 & 5. Last update 4/284/09.
9. Task 6 & 7 Documents: Project deliverables for Tasks 6 & 7. Last update 4/24/09.
10. Task 8 Documents: Project deliverables for Tasks 6 & 7. Last update 4/28/09.
By following the specific tasks, and tracking progress and results on both the Project Management Workbook and the Ag/Compost Project Website, there is a clear record of the project history and deliverables up to, and including, this Final Project Report. These important references are included here to show the details of the methods of this project. The next section outlines and provides a brief summary of each of the Tasks of this project.