US Organic Compost Standards and the Value of Natural Nutrients

US compost standards parallel international ones but lack explicit rules for materials previously exposed to synthetics. The core principle: organic matter (manure, compost, leaf mold) provides nutrients in natural proportions with moisture‑retention and drainage benefits no chemical product can replicate. Peat, barn manure, kitchen scraps become rich humus — nature's perfect recycling.

— Mack Jean, Master Gardener, Tennessee, USA