Living Compost: Our Process and How It Creates Abundance in Soil

Synergy of Soil is not your typical compost business. Waste reduction is not our primary goal. Instead, we intentionally source high-quality ingredients to create an environment where bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and beneficial nematodes thrive together. These organisms form the Soil Food Web.

Much like a honeybee colony, each member of the Soil Food Web takes on a specific role, functioning together as a superorganism. This allows soil to operate as an efficient, resilient, and energy-effective system that naturally feeds and protects plants.

Composting Is Like Building a Fire

To understand how compost supports the Soil Food Web, think about how you would build a fire.

A good fire doesn’t just happen by accident, it depends on the right materials, balance, and ongoing care. Composting works the same way. Compost quality comes down to feedstocks and how the pile is built, monitored, and cared for over time

Compost Requires 3 Core Ingredients

(Just like a well-built fire)

Nitrogen — the “Lighter Fluid”

Nitrogen is what kick starts the process.

How it works:

• Nitrogen fuels a rapid explosion of bacteria

• These bacteria reproduce incredibly fast — in ideal conditions, populations can double every ~20 minutes

• The heat you feel in a compost pile is created by microbial activity, not combustion

Our approach:

• We use high-quality animal manures

• Free from antibiotics and chemical residues

• This ensures we’re feeding beneficial microbes, not disrupting them

Why it matters for the Soil Food Web:

• Bacteria is the foundation of the food web

• They store nutrients and become food for higher level organisms like protozoa and nematodes

  
  

Carbon — the “Logs”

Carbon provides structure and airflow.

How it works:

• Carbon materials such as wood chips and wood debris allows oxygen to enter the pile and carbon dioxide to escape

• Without carbon structure, a pile collapses, goes anaerobic, and biology suffers

Our approach:

• We use a broad spectrum of wood chips that contain various species, shapes, a sizes.

• This diversity supports fungal growth and long-term soil structure

Why it matters for the Soil Food Web:

• Fungi thrive on carbon-rich materials and is responsible for transporting water, mineralizing nutrients, and is essential for long term crop production.

• Carbon is the backbone of a stable, resilient soil ecosystem

  
  

Green Material (Hay & Plant Residue) — the “Kindling”

Green material keeps the fire burning steadily.

How it works:

• Green materials are easily digestible carbon and nitrogen sources

• They provide a slow, consistent food supply for microbes

• This creates a long, controlled composting phase instead of a short, violent burn

Our approach:

• We use chemical and pesticide-free hay and plant waste to maintain a steady biological rhythm

• This slower process allows higher-level soil organisms to establish and survive

Why it matters for the Soil Food Web:

• A steady composting process supports:

  • protozoa

  • beneficial nematodes

  • fungi

• These organisms are essential for nutrient cycling and plant availability

  
  

Caring for the Fire = Caring for the Compost

Just like a fire, compost needs consistent monitoring in order to maintain appropriate oxygen, moisture, and temperature levels for biology to thrive.

When compost is built and cared for correctly, it becomes a:

• living habitat

• nutrient reservoir

• biological inoculant for soil

How Compost Supports the Soil Food Web

High-quality compost:

• Introduces diverse beneficial organisms

• Feeds existing soil life

• Improves structure, aggregation, and water movement

• Supports disease suppression and nutrient availability

  
  

The result?

A soil system that feeds plants naturally — the way nature intended.