and yard trimmings including grasses, branches and leaves. All of these can thus be safely diverted from landfills. But where city collection of compostable materials is not yet a reality, clean composting at home is an answer. Whether in an urban apartment or a suburban home, composting has never been simpler.
“Keeping your pile aerated is key to keeping it odor-free,” counsels Elle MacKenna, a home improvement con- tractor and design consultant. “A good mix of materials will allow oxygen in, keeping smells away and helping your pile compost quicker.” She suggests adding moist, shredded newspaper or thin cardboard to give some variety to the compost make-up.
Farmer Annie Farrell, of Millstone Farm, in Wilton, Connecticut, which specializes in heirloom, organic veg- etables and heritage (pure-bred) chick- ens, sheep and pigs, says composting at home is as simple as investing in three metal or plastic garbage cans desig- nated for the purpose of food waste and yard scraps.
She sets the three cans off the ground using cinder blocks, drilling half-inch holes into the cans to allow air to circulate. Next, she layers foliage clippings, food matter and old newspa- pers in what she describes as a “lasa- gna-like mix,” in bin number one. As the mixture begins to decompose, she
Composting 101
Each of these websites offers basic information, plus its own helpful advice.
CompostInstructions.com EarthEasy.com/grow_compost.html
Earth911.com/blog/2007/04/02/ composting-with-worms
TreeHugger.com/files/2007/07/ green-basics-compost.php
VegWeb.com/composting VermiComposters.com
Kids’ game at http://www.Cal
Recycle.ca.gov/Vermi
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dumps it into the second bin, followed by the third bin when it’s almost ready for use. (Using multiple bins to “turn” the compost also allows oxygen in, an essential part of the process.) Farrell likes to use bungee cords to secure the lids to prevent animals from getting in. Other store-bought variations on composting bins range from compact ceramic, bamboo and stainless steel crocks and pails for indoor storage to outdoor tumblers (for easy turning) and stackable “worm bins” that can hold up to 90 gallons. When worms are en- listed, composting goes by the name of vermiculture.
Worms—ideally, red worms, which do well in confinement and eat more than their own weight in food each day—produce the most fertile gar- den soil. They also speed the process of breaking down waste into soil, while helping to keep smells at bay. Kids also are more likely to get involved when adults enlist the help of a few hundred wiggling allies.
Brita Belli is the editor of E – The Envi-
ronmental Magazine.
natural awakenings
June 2010
41
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