Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab compost system

This paragraph appears in search results and previews for this page. In three to five sentences, summarize the whole project from background to result: what you designed, for whom, where and when, why it matters, and how it turned out. Write this last. It should make sense to someone who has never heard of your project, your client, or Humboldt County.

Describe the background of the project, covering who, what, when, why, and where: the client, the site, the course (Engr205 Introduction to Design at Cal Poly Humboldt), the semester, and your team. This page will be read by people around the world and in the future, so give enough context that a stranger understands it. Refer to your images in the text, e.g., Figure 1 shows the site before the project.

The Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab is a hands-on cultural, educational, and research space that focuses on Indigenous communities having control and decision-making power over their traditional food and cultural practices. It is located in BSS 168 next to the Native American Forum in Wiyot Plaza at Cal Poly Humboldt.

Our Engineering 205 class of Fall 2026 is tasked with helping their client, the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab, with important products that would massively help them in their research, practices, and sustainability. Garage 205 is facing the challenge of creating a composting system with modular bins and easy access.

Images uploaded to Appropedia must be free to share and uniquely named. Start each file name with your project name, e.g., CCAT_compost_bin_background.jpg. Use File:Default.png as a placeholder until you have the real image. Give every image alt text (alt=) that describes it for readers using screen readers; the caption is what everyone reads, the alt text is what the image shows.

The objective of this project is to design, build, and test a composting system for the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab. The goal of this is to allow the lab to make effective compost to assist in growing food.

Introduce this section in one to two sentences that are specific to your project. Refer to sections of the page, not phases of your process.

There are constraints and considerations in place for this project that are set by the client.

The constraints for this project include:

• Bin amount - 3-9 square foot bins for compost
• Durability - must withstand the elements
• Mobility - must be easy to move OR fire-retardant
• Materials - natural materials only
• Aesthetics - visually appealing

The considerations for this project include:

• Size - the project location is limited and is by a hill
• Budget - ~$350 total
• Materials - No concrete

Introduce criteria and constraints in a sentence or two, and refer to the table, e.g., Table 1 lists the criteria, constraints, and weights for this project. Criteria are the basis for judging solutions; constraints are the limits each criterion must meet. Table captions go above the table. Keep this sortable.

This project needs to have three separate bins so that the compost can be flipped into the next bin when it is time to mix it. This also needs to be as easy as possible to access the bins and flip the compost. This system will be outside, so it must be able to withstand the elements as well as look visually appealing.

Table 1: Criteria for compost system

Criterion	Weight (0–10, 10 highest)
Bin Amount	10
Accessability	7
Durability	6
Aesthetics	6

Describe how the design will be used, for how long, how often, and by whom. State how many will be made and whether others are expected to replicate it.

The compost system will be used by the volunteer/staff that is in charge of composting at the Food Sovereignty Lab. The idea is to collect compostable waste from around campus and transport it to this composting system so that it can be made into usable compost to assist in the growth of plants. This system was designed to last as long as possible and deliver as much compost as possible given the yield of the boxes.

This literature review is an annotated bibliography. Introduce it in one to two sentences that name the topics covered and why they matter for this project. Group entries under topic headings (Client first, then 4-12 topics relevant to your design, such as materials, similar projects, local climate, or user needs).

Minimum sources per team member: one peer-reviewed journal article, one book, and two credible web sources, plus the client sources your team needs. More credible sources are welcome.

Each entry has three parts:

1. The citation in ASCE format. Either place it inside a named footnote, as in the examples below, so it appears under References and can be reused elsewhere on the page with <ref name="Smith2020" />, or write it out in full at the start of the entry. Pick one approach and use it for the whole page.
2. Summary (two to three sentences): what the source is and what it says. Write it in your own words.
3. Relevance (one to two sentences): how it informs this design, e.g., a criterion, a constraint, an alternative, or a decision.

Aim for 75-150 words per entry. No plagiarism: summarize, do not copy. Quote sparingly and always in quotation marks with a citation.

Client Section

The Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute is located at Cal Poly Humboldt. The purpose of this facility is to honor traditional ecological knowledge of the land through Indigenous communities that have lived here for generations and revitalize Indigenous food practices and food sovereignty through community collaboration. They host many events to educate and practice the community with Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge and promote food justice and sustainability (California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt 2026).

References

Shigley's mechanical engineering design

Budynas, R. G., and J. K. Nisbett. 2019. Shigley’s mechanical engineering design, 11th Ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Summary: Shigley’s mechanical engineering design as a basic and rudimentary introduction to the best building practices and materials, particularly chapter 1 on the benefits of each material and their drawbacks in cases. It also discusses factors such as strength, cost, weight, durability, and how well materials can handle different conditions. This source is helpful for understanding the basic process engineers use when deciding which materials are best for a design. It also shows how choosing the right material can make a product safer, stronger, and more useful.

Source Type: Textbook/ Book

California State Polytechnic University

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. 2026. “About Us: Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab & Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute.” Cal Poly Humboldt, Arcata, CA. Accessed September 30, 2026. https://www.humboldt.edu/food-sovereignty/about-us.

Summary: Cal Poly Humboldt has many different facilities on campus. Each of them are described in detail on the Cal Poly Humboldt website. There is a portion dedicated to the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab that shows their motives, purpose, and events. This is relevant because the FSL is our client for this project.

Source type: Website

Units in Woodworking

Douglass, Roberts, Penny, (1973). Units in Woodworking. Litton Education Publishing, INC.

Units in Woodworking covers basic and some more advanced methods of carpentry and woodworking, from how to use typical woodworking tools to how to make different kinds of joints. It also covers the most common types of wood and the qualities that they each have such as their grain structure, hardness, tendency to absorb moisture, resistance to rotting, and many other qualities that will help us determine which choice of wood will be best for our construction project. It covers which joints are ideal for certain applications.

Source type: Book

The Science of Composting

Epstein, E. 1997. The Science of Composting. Technomic Publishing Co., Lancaster, PA. Chapter 2, pp. 19–50.

Summary: The Science of Composting was made by Eliot Epstein and published in 1997. This book talks about both the composting process and the composting product. Composting is the process of biological decomposition of organic matter to make a product that can improve soil. This is done in a controlled environment to optimize output and effectiveness. Chapter 2 is the section of the book that we had interest in, specifically the section about pH. Composting can occur at a wide range of pH values, as various pH values can support the growth of different microorganisms. The pH will naturally decrease as organic acids are produced and decrease later as the process progresses, but a pH range of 6.5 - 8.5 is generally favorable for microorganisms (Epstein 1997). When designing a compost system, we don’t want to include anything that could affect the pH in a negative way that can affect the quality of compost.

Composting as a pathway for organic waste valorization: substrate performance, process strategies, and quality benchmarks

Huzir, N. M., Asmadi, A. A., Rosly, M. B., Tamunaidu, P., et al. (2026). “Composting as a pathway for organic waste valorization: substrate performance, process strategies, and quality benchmarks.” Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 28, 815–833.

Summary: Huzir. review how different types of organic waste behave during composting and how the starting materials affect the final compost. The article also discusses ways to improve the composting process and the factors used to determine compost quality. The authors show that proper management of the material and composting conditions has a major effect on the final product. This source provides information on how the type of organic waste and the way it is managed can affect compost quality and overall performance.

Source type: Peer-reviewed journal article

Composting: An alternative for livestock manure management and disposal of dead animals

Gamroth, M., and Brewer, L. (2025). “Composting: An alternative for livestock manure management and disposal of dead animals.” Oregon State University Extension Service, Corvallis, OR.

The extension article “Composting: An alternative for livestock manure management and disposal of dead animals” explains what composting is and how it is done effectively, as well as compares multiple techniques. It compares how long different methods can take and what kind of materials are needed. Using manure, leaves, and amendments with infrequent turning can take significantly longer than with frequent turning and bulking agents. It also confirms other data like having the compost particles be small and the pH range of 6.5 - 8 (Gamroth and Brewer 2025). This article is significant because we should consider all of these aspects when designing a compost system. Depending on what the client wants, we should optimize ease of access for different methods.

Source type: Peer-reviewed article

Composting to inactivate foodborne pathogens for crop soil application

Gurtler, J. B., M. P. Doyle, M. C. Erickson, X. Jiang, P. Millner, and M. Sharma. 2018. “Composting to inactivate foodborne pathogens for crop soil application: A review.” J. Food Prot. 81 (11): 1821–1837. https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-18-217.

Summary: This article gives information about how composting could help kill harmful bacteria in manure and other organic materials before thare used on crops. It focuses on materials such as poultry and beef manure, which can contain harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli. If these materials are not composted under the right conditions, the bacteria can survive and potentially spread to crops and soil. This article explains how proper composting conditions can reduce these harmful bacteria and make the compost safer to use. This source is useful for understanding the safety concerns involved with using compst and manure in agriculture.

Source Type: Peer reviewed article

Outdoor Wood Finishing: A review on making wood resistant to moisture, ultraviolet light, and degradation

Laleicke, P.F., and Hubbe, M. A. (2025). “Outdoor Wood Finishing: A review on making wood resistant to moisture, ultraviolet light, and degradation.” BioResources, Volume 20 (Issue 3), Pages 7903-7982.

“Outdoor Wood Finishing: A review on making wood resistant to moisture, ultraviolet light, and degradation” examines wood finishing from a more scientific perspective. It covers how different finishes & other surface coatings & surface preparation methods can preserve wood if it has to be outside. The article covers strategies for protecting against things like moisture, radiation, and weathering. Additionally it covers factors that influence how durable and effective wood finishes are over long time periods.

Source type: Peer-reviewed article

Composting and food safety

Oregon State University. 2021. “Composting and food safety.” OSU Food Safety. Accessed October 5, 2026. https://foodsafety.osu.edu/blog/july-6-2021-713pm/composting-and-food-safety.

Summary: This article explains the connection between composting and food safety, especially when compost is used to grow food. It discusses how compost can contain harmful bacteria if food waste, manure, or other organic materials are not broken down properly. The article explains how using the right temperature, time, and composting methods can help reduce harmful bacteria such as Salmonella. This source is useful for understanding how proper composting can make compost safer to use around crops and reduce the risk of harmful bacteria getting onto food

Source Type: Web Article

Why Finish Wood?

Schofield, M. (2010). “Why Finish Wood?” Fine Woodworking. <https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/finishing/why-finish-wood> (10/02/2026).

“Why Finish Wood?” Fine Woodworking covers the primary reasons to finish wood. Covers how finished improve the appearance of the wood while simultaneously protecting the wood from moisture, dirt, wear and from other things that might degrade the wood. The article gives a practical overview of why applying a finish can help preserve wooden structures, especially if they will live outdoors.

Source type: Website

Approaches to Composting

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2025. “Approaches to Composting.” U.S. EPA, Washington, DC. (September 30, 2026). https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/approaches-composting.

In the website “Approaches to Composting”, it explains the conditions needed for composting to be successful. A very important aspect of this is the carbon:nitrogen ratio, which should be 30:1 or three parts brown and one part greens by volume. Browns include woody materials like wood chips and leaves, while greens include food scraps (U.S. EPA 2025). Another important aspect is the pile structure. Small particle sizes in the compost piles are important because it affects how water, oxygen, and microorganisms can move through the pile. These are important to know when constructing a compost system because if it is not designed to optimize these aspects, then it won’t make effective compost.

Source type: Website

Key Takeaways

• There is an ideal composting environment that should be maintained throughout the process. Materials that are used in the construction should not interfere with this system. Aspects like pH and moisture are important to effective composting (Epstein 1997).
• There is a method to composting, carbon and nitrogen have an ideal ratio that maximizes the yield of compost. A 30:1 ratio of carbon to nitrogen is desired (U.S. EPA 2025).
• We want a product that will last, but also fits in our budget and won't affect the composting process. Certain wood types have more desirable characteristics that will better suit our project (Budynas and Nisbett 2019).
• Since our product will be in the elements, we want to properly preserve the materials so it will last as long as possible. To do this, some wood preservative that won't affect the composting process is needed (Laleicke and Hubbe 2025).

Describe the client and what matters to them for this project. Sources here are often the client's website, documents, and interviews.

Client interview^[1]

Summary: Who you interviewed, their role, and the key points they shared.

Relevance: Which criteria, constraints, or considerations came from this interview.

Interview

Client website^[2]

Summary: ...

Relevance: ...

Web

Replace "First topic" with a descriptive heading. Open with one sentence that says why this topic matters to the project.

Short title of the source^[3]

Summary: ...

Relevance: ...

Peer-reviewed journal

Short title of the source^[4]

Summary: ...

Relevance: ...

Book

You get the idea. Use as many topics as your project needs.

In three to six bullets, synthesize what the literature means for your design. Cite the entries above, e.g., <ref name="Author2020" />.

• Takeaway that shaped a criterion or constraint.
• Takeaway that shaped an alternative or the final decision.

Introduce this section in one to two sentences specific to your project.

Describe four to eight alternatives, each under its own 'step template' as shown below and each with a catchy, descriptive name.

Continue this for the four to eight alternatives you have.

Introduce this section in one to two sentences specific to your project.

Define each criterion from Table 1 as it is used to judge the alternatives. These are definitions, not constraints. For example, the constraint on cost is the budget, but cost might be defined as the cost of materials only, or as materials plus operation and maintenance. If your criteria changed, update Table 1 so the two match.

Cost

Definition...

Taste

Definition...

Explain the decision process your team used (e.g., decision matrix, Pugh chart). First person is appropriate here. Refer to the table, e.g., Table 2 summarizes the decision matrix.

Table 2: Decision matrix. Scores are 0-10; weighted totals are the sum of weight × score.

Criterion	Weight	Alternative A	Alternative B	Alternative C
Cost	10	7	5	9
Taste	7	8	9	4
Weighted total		126	113	118

Name the chosen solution and justify it with reference to the criteria and Table 2.

Show your most impactful prototypes from earliest to final. Include at least one prototype for function (does it work? e.g., testing a mechanism, material, or dimension) and at least one prototype for desire (will people want to use it? e.g., a mockup shown to the client or users for feedback). Each caption should say what the prototype is, whether it tested function or desire, and what you learned from it. Early sketches, failed attempts, and photos of materials and hands at work all help tell the story.

• 
  Prototype for desire: cardboard mockup of ... shown to the client. We learned that ...
• 
  Prototype for function: test of ... We learned that ...

Describe the final design, starting with the big picture and then going into detail. Use labeled images and refer to them in the text. This is usually a big section.

• 
  CAD drawing of ... by Yourname1.
• 
  Drawing of ... by Yourname2.

Give a complete description of how the final design is built, with lots of images, so someone else could replicate it. Use one {{Step}} per step. This is much easier to write as descriptive (what you did) instead of prescriptive (what another person should do), but you can take either approach.

Introduce the timeline in one to two sentences, then show it as a table with columns for date, description, and status. Post a proposed timeline early in the semester and update it at the end to show the actual timeline. Say how well your team met it and why dates changed.

Table 3: Project timeline.

Date	Description	Status
Month Day, 2026	Background and problem statement posted	Complete
Month Day, 2026	Literature review posted	Complete
Month Day, 2026	First prototype built	In progress
Month Day, 2026	Final design installed and tested	Not started

Introduce the three kinds of cost below in one to two sentences.

Show the total human hours your team spent outside of class, grouped into categories (e.g., research, brainstorming, prototyping, construction, documentation). Three teammates working for one hour is three human hours. Include a pie chart image and refer to it, e.g., Figure # shows...

Introduce the costs to build the design, including donations and reused materials. Note whether costs are actual or proposed. If replication would cost a different amount, say so.

Item	Amount	Cost per unit	Total
Thing - from the thing store — Purchased	3	USD 5.75	USD 17.25
Another thing - 3' x 2', yellow — Donated by ...	1	USD 0.00	USD 0.00
PrintGrand total			USD 17.25EUR 14.84 <br />GBP 12.59 <br />CAD 21.39 <br />MXN 359.66 <br />INR 1,291.16 <br />

Introduce the ongoing costs in time and money, usually per year.

Table 4: Yearly maintenance cost.

Task	Frequency	Time per year (hours)	Cost per year (USD)
Example task	Monthly	2	0.00
Total		2	0.00

Introduce how to use the design, then give step-by-step instructions with labeled images. Use {{Step}} if the process has more than a few steps. A short video is a great addition:

Introduce this maintenance section. Answer these questions:

• Are there any needed actions for maintenance?
• How often?
• Who should perform maintenance?

This is when to maintain what. Please keep the format the same as it can be used to auto-populate maintenance tables.

Daily

• A daily task
• A daily task

Weekly

• a weekly task
• a weekly task

Monthly

• a monthly task
• a monthly task

Yearly

• a yearly task
• a yearly task

Every __ years

• task
• task

Give step-by-step maintenance instructions, using {{Step}} if helpful.

Describe how you tested the final design and what the results were. Compare the results to your criteria, e.g., in a table like Table 5.

Table 5: Final design performance against criteria.

Criterion	Constraint	Result	Met?
Cost	Less than or equal to $3 per ounce	$2.50 per ounce	Yes

Discuss what the testing results mean.

Discuss what your team learned and what you would do differently next time.

Discuss next steps for the project as it goes on into the future.

Cover basic operating problems only. For complex issues, the suggestion might be to contact ________.

Problem	Suggestion
Example issue	Example solution or suggestion
Does not turn on	Make sure it is plugged in.
Another issue	Etc.

Include an inspirational video for sharing.

Introduce the team and semester, e.g., This project was completed in SEMESTER YEAR by Team TEAMNAME:

• Lonny Grafman
• Emilio Velis
• One bullet for each team member, in the format [[User:Username|Full Name]].