NOT making compost is sinful.

Considering all the compost don'ts that I ignore, my compost is more sinful and dangerous than your compost.
(<-- Braggin' rights for whose compost is the scariest...)

I can't beat Mr. Jenkins though.

kimmsr makes a good point that the quality of commercial "compost" is highly variable. Sometimes that's all you've got available, though, so you use it anyway.

As you've noticed, manure can have weed seeds, which can be annoying, but it's got lots of good stuff in it, too, so you weigh things out and make your choices.

As for your own compost, I really wouldn't worry about pathogens, and I wouldn't stress too much about the temperatures of your pile. A hot pile will sterilize seeds and will move along a lot faster, but really, everything rots in the end. I'm sure there are things rotting in your garden right now, and I hope you're not worrying about pathogens. It's not necessary (or even desirable) to kill every last microbe in the garden.

For example ground up pallets, the goal is to dispose of these waste products, so mix them with manure or 'bio-solids' (other waste products) and sell as compost. Now the goal is also to put through these materials as quickly as possible, so quality control of the final product isn't always a priority.

Selling the final product in a store recoups the cost of packaging, transportation and profit for the final seller. The real money for the processor is in the disposal fees or subsidies paid to them.

Getting to put a "green", "natural" or "organic" label on some products is just marketing, very successful marketing it appears. But I don't think these products are necessarily dangerous for the most part.

I had purchased one bag of 'compost' many years ago just to see what it was like. It smelled of sewage and when I contacted the packager, they informed me that they did not know what was in it as they obtain the product from various suppliers.

Lloyd

If one is merely using fruit/vegetable scraps, grass, paper and leaves there is little likelihood of an adverse reaction. Once egg shells, meat, animal wastes or other similar items get added, there may be a whole different set of issues to be addressed.

There are numerous sites that talk about using heat for pathogen destruction and many of them also accept that a long period of composting as acceptable as well. Hence a backyard composter may have no issues with pathogens without obtaining high heat.

Ecoli are everywhere and there are different strains of it with some (O157:H7 for example) being more dangerous than others. To expect 100% erradication of all bacteria is unrealistic and not necessary. One Ecoli bacteria will not make an average person ill.

Having said that, when a person composts and allows their compost to be utilized by others, (either sales or gifts) they should have an obligation to ensure that their product is not hazardous, so I do agree with your "doing it properly" statement. To do otherwise is irresponsible IMO. Unfortuneatly, not all compost producers are of the same opinion and the end consumer may suffer.

Lloyd

Atta girl Deb. That fits in exactly with what MP said on his first post, "PLEASE know what you are doing and that YOUR process will assure safety.".

Lloyd

The reality of eating safe food is washing and/or cooking.

I don't eat compost.

First of all, it does not make any sense. If compost generated heat kills bacteria, our piles would never get composted, so that's not what's happening.

But compost piles, with their hordes of bacteria, are probably happy hunting grounds for protozoa that eat bacteria. Having lots of other bacteria to support lots of protozoa means that there will be more e-coli consumed as a side-effect.

But, getting back to the OP's point, it's better to buy compost from a source that is trustworthy. But, it's best to make your own.

Although Mr. Jenkins is referring to humanure, I think his explanation is valid in all composts and explains it way better than I.

I personally go with both high heat and long curing.

Lloyd

I would much rather eat a handful of manure than one of
10-10-10

1) A finished product is a finished product. Period. I wouldn't think pathogens are not going to thrive in the product once it has been decomposed, regardless of whether anaerobic or aerobic composting was employed (unless I'm missing something???), and furthermore,

3) unless you add roughly a cubic yard of material at a time every time you add materials, you won't consistently achieve 60-80 deg. C anyway. I, for one, don't own any farm animals, and I mow my leaves and let them decompose where nature intended for them to -- right on my lawn -- so kitchen and garden waste and whatever carbon sources I have on hand (including unbleached paper) are the only things going into my homemade bin...so needless to say, I'm not consistently achieving the higher temps. Only in freak situations where I run into a lot of stuff does my pile really get hot... but I wouldn't even think of quitting composting. Not for a minute!!! And I'm not afraid use it on anything I have in my yard -- including veggies. Besides,

3) You only add compost to your garden once or twice a year (spring and fall), and not while your food is growing and exposed to the fresh FINISHED product. So the elements have at least some time to work on any remaining pathogens...

I guess I don't see what all the scare is about.

The compost mystery is why Steve Solomon (author of Organic Gardening West of the Cascades) makes and uses an organic fertilizer mix, instead or relying on compost to supply plant nutrients. He explains that he counts on his garden to feed him and he can't risk not getting good growth on the veggies.

My gardening neighbors go through an annual agony of trying to decide who to buy compost from. I am very glad that I produce enough to meet my own needs.

but I generally wash food before I eat it...