When Elloree farmer and home gardener Ray Oliver was searching for a source of fertility for growing pasture grass, kiwi, and homegrown heirloom tomatoes, he discovered the ingredients in the local landscape. Oliver said, “Cotton is still king in this area. There are five cotton gins nearby. I started taking their cotton gin trash and turning it into compost… annual plants like cotton break down readily.”
Cotton gin trash compost yields high levels of nitrogen and lesser amounts of potassium and phosphorus. By adding cow manure from his grass-fed Angus herd and catfish trimmings from sources on the Santee Cooper lakes, micronutrients were added to the compost. Oliver experimented with the formula like any master chef would do.
The compost mix is laid out in windrows on River Run Farms to mature for a year. Compost temperatures are monitored to ensure high temperatures are achieved to kill pathogens and even the most persistent weed seeds like pigweed. Pigweed seed mortality is attained with proper aeration, moisture control, and high temperatures during composting. The finished product has a pH between 6.0-6.5.
Black Angus are both partners and benefactors in the composting process.
River Run Farms is a family farm. Ray’s wife, son, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters work on the farm. Together they have been making and using their organic compost for five years.
The compost fertilizes the pasture grass eaten by the herd of black Angus who has contributed to the product. The compost is a soil amendment for the 12- acre commercial organic kiwi operation. And the Oliver family uses the fertilizer as potting soil for container-grown tomatoes and a top dressing or tilled-in soil amendment for the garden. Compost tea can be another byproduct of Stout Ollie.
Sustainable farmers share their successes. When they made more compost than they could use on the farm, they started bagging the cotton compost in Elloree in 2013. Stout Ollie had 50 dealers in 2013 with plans to expand retail outlets in 2014. Bags (1.5cu.ft.) of Stout Ollie are currently available at Woodley’s Garden Centers, Hay Hill Market, Wingard’s Nursery, and Blue Moon Landscaping.
River Run Farms is a SC Certified Organic Grower of kiwi.
I will be testing the effectiveness of Stout Ollie in several gardening projects in Columbia to keep the Star informed of success with the newest organic soil amendment in town.
To find out the origin of the name Stout Ollie, take a virtual visit to River Run Farms at www.stoutolliecompost.com/
Folks harvest kiwi at River Runs Farm.
Find Stout Ollie compost at local garden centers.
Tomato plants are growing in Stout Ollie.
Compost cures in windrows for a year before being used on farm crops or bagged for retail sales.
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