Composting - Cuba

by José Antonio Sanchez Gonzales - 2014 Graduate

Farmer & Trainer

page developed by Noriko Nakayama, ARI Staff (site visit March and June 2019)

submitted December 2019

Compost

Cuba is well-known as a country that is practicing organic farming nationwide. José was an ARI participant in 2014. When he returned to Cuba, he took over his father's organic farm and he invites other farmers in the community to come and learn from him. His techniques have attracted the attention of farmers from other provinces and he has even had international visitors. Here I would like to introduce a method of compost making that he learned in ARI and uses on his farm.

José has been using compost on his farm for more than 20 years. Cuban soil is normally red in color. However, when this soil is mixed with fully mature compost it becomes black with lots of nutrition.

https://gyazo.com/c74a70c1828862af691a987a443813d6

José at the compost station

How to make compost

José makes compost outside at a "compost station" using weeds and dead leaves. After his ARI training he began to add kitchen garbage such as eggshells, and vegetable and fruit waste. The kitchen items attract his 20+ free range chickens, who mix and aerate the compost by their scratching, while adding their manure. It normally takes 4 to 6 months to process the compost.

https://gyazo.com/d00f85e58a7977ac4a39ff6ff2c940d8

Chickens are hard workers for José; the original red Cuban soil can be seen in the background

How to apply compost

José plows the compost in his fields before planting. He uses it for vegetables, potatoes, fruits, trees, and flowers. He normally applies the compost once when he sows the seeds of vegetables. After sowing, he applies biogas liquid (which is from his pig pen) 2 or 3 times, depending on the kind of vegetables.

https://gyazo.com/9768777d527053fb59f5d10b59557275

Compost ready for use

https://gyazo.com/3a87d7119ffa5230b88244835ba0ba23

Biogas liquid

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