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May 3, 2002

Purdue Extension to offer Making Soil workshop

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Information about composting organic material into tree mulch will be provided at the Making Soil workshop May 14 in West Lafayette, Ind.

"Getting rid of material is a big issue in the tree care business," said Rita McKenzie, an urban forester at Purdue University. "After trees are pruned or taken down, they have to go somewhere. "

The workshop, sponsored by Purdue Extension Forestry and Natural Resources and the Indiana Arborist Association, will be presented by Jody Tishmack, a Purdue compost researcher. Making Soil will cover various methods of composting, raw materials and recipe making, process controls, site development and environmental management.

A workshop highlight will be a visit to the SoilerMaker, Purdue's soil compost operation, which produces 15,000 tons of finished compost per year using coal ash, pharmaceutical biosolids, municipal yard waste and animal bedding. Participants will observe the SoilerMaker process in action and study different stages of decomposition.

The workshop is open to anyone interested in tree care and composting. Certified Arborist credits will be available.

The cost for the workshop is $75 for IAA members and $110 for non-members, and the event is limited to the first 30 registrants. The fee includes lunch and a composting book. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at Purdue's W.H. Daniel Turfgrass Center on Cherry Lane. The workshop lasts until 4 p.m. Preregistration is available until May 7 by calling McKenzie at (765) 494-3625.

CONTACT: Rita McKenzie, (765) 494-3625, ritam@fnr.purdue.edu.

Compiled by Mindy Reef, (765) 494-8402, news_students@aes.purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu; https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/AgComm/public/agnews/

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu


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