The Tuthill Family Has Worked This Farm for Over 100 Years

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As our area of Livingston County experienced rapid development we began to question the future of farming in the midst of such growth. 

The yard waste ban in 1995 posed a problem for some, but an answer for us as we saw an opportunity to make a business of taking these organics and turning them into compost that could be used as a soil amendment for our crops.  We have a good location close to the highway, and the necessary equipment and experience to deal with these materials. 

A compost operation was a good fit for our type of farming practices as well.  For over 30 years, our crops have mostly been grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides.  Compost is spread on our fields and on land that we rent to produce hay, corn, and oats.

This aerial photo shows one of the fields we use for composting.  The long rows on the left are mixes of grass, leaves and manure.  Tuthill Farms and Composting, Inc. is a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Certified Compost Facility.  Our site receives an average of 20,000 cubic yards of material annually.

These materials are dropped off at our site by waste haulers, landscapers and homeowners and mixed at a 3:1 ratio of leaves to grass/manure.  Rows are then turned periodically with a large front loader which further mixes, aerates and reduces particle size.  Temperatures are monitored and reach up to 165 degrees F. or more, which kills pathogens and weed seeds. Brush, logs and stumps are also disposed of here and are ground periodically into woodchips or mulch.

Unlike municipalities, we take years to produce our finished farm compost.  Our compost is cured and screened for our use in producing crops and is also available for purchase.  We also find that this longer process greatly diminishes odors associated with compost facilities.