Ready to go get some materials… You need ingredients to make compost. Here we are all hooked up to the trailer and ready to go get some ingredients. Load of Grass Clippings… Here we are starting with lawn clippings…. lots of them!!! These will be mixed with autumn leaves when the time comes. I had a neighbor who has a rather large lawn. He mowed his lawn and swept the clipping into a pile for me to come collect. The trailer is built to hold 6 yards of material if level at the top.… Here I would estimate I have 5 yards. You have to make sure that the lawn clippings you get aren’t treated. T ..read more

Compost is an important soil amendment made of decomposed plant matter including food scraps. You can make right it in your backyard! With the right recipe, your compost heap will not omit bad odors, will lighten the load (and cost) of your trash, and will greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. Adding compost to soil helps to restore the organic matter content allowing for greater moisture and nutrient retention and providing necessary food for essential microorganisms that live in healthy soil.   It may not always be necessary to sift compost before using it in your ga ..read more

How to Make Compost It’s Not Rocket Science With compost being so well-known as the key input to a thriving garden, I often wonder why more people don’t compost at home. Even a small backyard pile will go a long way. I believe a big reason is that would-be composters don’t know where to start or become quickly overwhelmed. And that’s a shame, because it simply doesn’t have to be that way. In nature, compost happens without any help from us. It’s simply the natural decomposition of organic matter over time by billions of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi mostly). To be sure, converting organic ..read more

Before you start tossing scraps and waste into your new bin, you will need to understand some composting basics so you will know what can and can’t toss into your pile. Composting is strictly for organic nitrogen-based (greens) and carbon-based (browns) materials. A proper breakdown process requires your bin mixture have roughly 50% brown to 50% green. Examples of Greens: Vegetable scraps Fruit scraps Coffee grounds Tea bags Grass clippings Examples of Browns: Dead tree leaves, branches and cones Sawdust and hay Untreated wood Newspapers Shredded mail Paper egg cartons ..read more

Composting helps repurpose organic waste materials at the same time that it provides economic and ecological benefits when used to help grow plants, whether in gardens, for landscaping, or for farming. What is Compost?At the most basic level, compost is a soil amendment. It is organic matter (like leaves and food scraps), that has been transformed into a nutrient-rich substance called humus. Worms, our mini earth-movers, are a great help with the physical break down. Aerobic bacteria (oxygen-loving) and fungi contribute to the breakdown of the organic materials by producing ammonium ..read more

a solution for food costs and the planet…... 6. It's Better for the Environment. When you grow your own food, you reduce your carbon footprint. because you don't have to transport it from the farm to the processing plant to the supermarket. Being kinder to the planet is something we all need to try to do more, so this is a great step in the right direction and could make quite a difference, especially if more and more people get involved in growing their own food ..read more

a sprout emerged from healthy soil... 5. Compost promotes a prolific soil ecosystem. Compost attracts critters and microorganisms that are good for soil and plants. Think of compost like probiotics for the human body – good bacteria are needed to fight off diseases and keep us alive and functioning. Similarly, in order for soil to be healthy, it needs to foster a community of organisms that break down matter, improve soil structure, and create a fertile environment for plants. Compost comes with a myriad of organisms that do just that ..read more

a couple handfuls of compost... 4. Composting recycles essential nutrients back into the soil. Food scraps are a valuable resource! Just like the parts that you eat, the parts of food you toss contain important vitamins and minerals that, when returned to soil, get recycled back into the ecosystem and taken up by the next round of crops grown on the land. Unfortunately, today’s intensive agricultural methods have resulted in nutrient depletion in soils, which in turn has caused the fruits and veggies they grow in to be significantly less nutritious than a few decades ago. An important wa ..read more

Adding waste to a compost bin... 3. Composting reduces the need for pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Compost strengthens soil and promotes healthy plant growth. Because compost enriches soil and promotes healthy plant growth, plants grown in compost-rich soil tend to be more resilient to diseases, pests, and fungi. The healthy bacteria and critters that are present in compost also help fight off harmful pests and diseases before they can get to plants – thus reducing the need for toxic pesticides. In addition, compost is a slow-release nutrient source for plants. The diverse materials in ..read more

Making a food waste pickup PLUS a compost delivery.... 2. Compost strengthens soil and promotes healthy plant growth. Adding compost to soil improves its structure and texture, making it more ideal for plant growth by adding organic matter. With higher percentages of organic matter, soil is better able to retain water, nutrients, and air – benefiting the entire ecosystem by creating an optimal environment for plants, and by reducing runoff and erosion. According to the EPA, an increase in organic matter of just one percent can triple the soil's water holding capacity ..read more