Apply compost to the young tree rows at the Orchard Mesa orchard expansion (2026-07-20)

Soil around the newly planted trees at the Orchard Mesa expansion is thin desert soil low in organic matter, holding little water between irrigation cycles. A compost application feeds the soil and follows the drip system install at the same site. Standard: USDA NRCS compost application practice, Code 336 Proof: Photo of the finished application plus square footage logged. Method (USDA NRCS compost application practice, Code 336): 1. Rake back any surface mulch to expose bare soil in the application area. 2. Spread finished compost evenly at a 1 to 2 inch layer across the area. 3. Work the compost lightly into the top few inches of soil with a rake or fork. 4. Replace the mulch layer on top once the compost is worked in. 5. Photograph the finished application and log square footage covered. Done when: Photo of the finished application plus square footage logged.

Where

Orchard Mesa community orchard expansion, Grand Junction, CO

Pay

$240 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

Photo of the finished application plus square footage logged.

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

entry

Open until

2026-08-19

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 90–360 minutes. Method of record: Compost application per NRCS CPS 336 / CDFA Healthy Soils quantification (rate, quality, incorporation for the site) — finished compost only; assess→apply→verify

Bring

• finished compost meeting the quality spec (temperature-cured; STA/US Composting Council tested where available)
• spreader, wheelbarrow + rakes/shovels at garden scale
• camera + GPS + tape/bucket for rate calibration
• gloves + dust mask for dry material handling

Steps

1. 1. ASSESS: photograph the application area as found, record GPS boundary and area, and confirm the application rate (tons/acre or inches of depth) and compost quality documentation against the plan.
2. 2. Calibrate the rate (bucket-per-area or spreader pass test) so the applied depth matches the plan.
3. 3. Apply compost evenly across the area; keep material out of waterways, drains, and off pavement (sweep any spill back onto soil).
4. 4. Incorporate or leave surface-applied exactly per the plan (no-till surface application is valid under CPS 336).
5. 5. VERIFY: photograph the finished application from matching vantage + a depth-check photo (ruler in the applied layer) at ≥3 points; log source, quantity, rate, and date as the application record.

If it does not match the plan

• Compost not finished (hot, ammonia smell, recognizable feedstock) -> reject the load; immature compost harms the soil it should build.
• Rain forecast that would wash material to a drain before incorporation -> delay application.
• Application area drains directly to a waterway with no buffer -> route to the conservation planner for a setback plan first.

What counts as done

• Application record complete: source, quality doc, quantity, rate, area, GPS, date
• Depth-check photos at ≥3 points match the planned rate
• No compost in gutters/drains/waterways (site-perimeter photo)

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.