Compost Casa

Watershed Field Day is back! This outdoor education event brings together fifth-grade students, teachers, and local experts for a day of hands-on learning about water, soil, and the land we all share.

Hosted by Compost Casa and supported by OSU Extension, Morrow SWCD, Umatilla County SWCD, Fish & Wildlife, local science teachers and local volunteers, students rotated through interactive stations to explore watershed health, soil life, and native ecosystems.

In 2025, we welcomed two rural schools for a full-day experience that connects science to real life. Students met conservation professionals, got their hands in the soil, and left with a deeper understanding of how to care for their environment—and why it matters.

Our goal? To grow the next generation of land stewards through practical, inspiring education that sticks.

👉 Interested in volunteering or bringing your class? Contact us to get involved in Watershed Field Day 2026.

At Compost Casa, we turn farm waste into orchard fertility. Our hog manure composting project transforms raw manure — which can be too strong for direct use — into a balanced, pathogen-free soil amendment that nourishes fruit trees like apples, pears, and apricots.

By mixing hog manure with carbon-rich materials such as wood chips, straw, and shredded paper, we create a hot compost system that safely breaks down nutrients while improving soil structure. The finished compost is applied around the dripline of our fruit trees, feeding the soil microbes, boosting long-term fertility, and reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers.

This project demonstrates how small farms can recycle on-site resources into powerful tools for soil health and food production. It’s hands-on, scalable, and a perfect example of our mission: turning waste into abundance.

Healthy soil is the foundation of a thriving ecosystem. This project uses our hoop house and the natural power of hogs and hens to turn waste into rich compost through a deep bedding system. Instead of relying on synthetic fertilizer, we combine animal manure with shredded school paper and wood chips from local tree services to build compost that feeds the soil—naturally.

The finished compost will be spread on pasture to boost soil life, increase fertility, and support future crops and grazing. We’re inviting local 4-H groups, students, and farmers to learn alongside us and see how regenerative composting can work on a real farm.

This hands-on, community-centered project is proof that small farms can lead big change—from the ground up.