text: The Composting Process 
  Even though there are a variety of composting methods, most 
  composting follows a similar process: 
  
  **1. Grinding Organic Materials:**
  Depending on the facility, the feedstock (material) available, and 
  the desired compost product, different combinations of materials 
  are added together and ground into small pieces: 
  
  • Nitrogen-rich materials (such as grass, fresh plant 
   cuttings, biosolids, and manures) 
  • Carbon-rich materials (such as dried leaves, woody 
   materials, and straw). 
  
  **2. Heating Up:**
  The material is placed into piles where it begins to heat up from 
  the biological activity of the compost microbes. Typically, com- 
  post temperatures are required to reach at least 131 degrees F in a 
  specified time period in order to destroy weed seeds and patho- 
  gens. The compost is turned or aerated, allowing the composting 
  microbes to breathe. After a period of time, the nitrogen-rich 
  material is depleted, the biological process slows, and the hot 
  compost begins to cool. 
  
  **3. Finishing:**
  Typically “finished” compost has undergone a series of steps to 
  ensure maturity and stability. The cooling compost is aged, which 
  allows the decomposition process to slow down and the finished 
  compost to stabilize. 