Soils And Compost

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Preserved peach products for workshop attendees to sample. Briana Swanson
The Real Dirt: Article

St. Timothy's Community Garden in Gridley

May 27, 2025
Among community gardens in Butte County, The Garden at St. Timothy’s in Gridley is notable for offering people a full-circle experience, from growing, gleaning, and preserving food, to composting food waste.
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UC Master Gardeners of Amador County: Article

Press Release: New Green Waste and Food Scrap Drop Off Site for Amador County Residents

May 21, 2025
By Carletta Amatisto-Smith
County encourages residents to compost household organic wasteJackson, CA- In an effort to support California’s greenhouse gas emission goals and comply with Senate Bill 1383, Amador County is proud to announce the opening of a new compost collection center in Jackson. The Community Compost Site at Mother…
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Red worm. Jeanette Alosi
The Real Dirt: Article

Worms in the Garden

April 29, 2025
Two of the most common earthworms found in our area are redworms and nightcrawlers.  Redworms (eisenia foetida, also known as red wiggler worms) are shallow dwellers, living in the top 12 inches of the soil.  These are the worms most commonly used for vermicomposting, a method of creating rich garden compost…
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compost garden
UC Master Gardeners of Amador County: Page

Amador Compost Learning Center

Compost and Vermicompost classes are taught by UC Master Gardeners four times a year. Remaining classes for 2026 are listed below: Composting: Hot Pile- Saturday, October 24th at the Amador Compost Learning Center 1334 Jackson Gate Road Jackson, CAVermicomposting- Saturday, November 7th at General…
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Person working soil with rake in foreground
The Backyard Gardener: Article

Difference Between Soil and Dirt

April 17, 2025
By Carmen Kappos, UC Master Gardener Volunteer
While the words soil and dirt are often used interchangeably there are differences between them. Recently, Dustin Blakey, our local UCCE Farm Advisor, gave a talk called “Preparing Garden Soil on the East Side.” During this discussion Dustin outlined the job description of soil as performing the…
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Some garden plants viewed from above
UC Master Gardeners of Inyo and Mono Counties: Article

Common Questions about Eastern Sierra Soils

April 8, 2025
By Dustin W Blakey
Some questions continually resurface on the Inyo-Mono Master Gardener helpline. Hopefully your question is answered here! Additional soil resources can be found on our website, but this is a good page to start with.FAQsQ: My plants are dying. What fertilizer is missing? A: It is exceedingly unusual to…
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Moss landing and elkhorn slough
Salinas Valley Agriculture: Article

Evaluation of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Fields following the Moss Landing Battery Fire

March 26, 2025
By Michael D Cahn, Richard F Smith
Summary: This limited study indicated that a slight deposition of metals (Copper and Manganese) may have occurred in one agricultural field, but the increases measured in the surface samples were likely insignificant relative to normal background levels for these soil types. Other sites showed no increase in…
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