The benefits of compost pile up

I like to think of myself as a forever skeptic. I avoid letting someone make a political stance for me and I really do my research before I vouch for something.

Yes, an intense start to this column, but I find that some conservation practices such as composting and recycling are practices that many disregard because it is only what ‘tree huggers’ do. That negative connotation baffles me.

It is astonishing to me that people do not do it.

Do you really enjoy taking out the garbage every-other day?

Do you know that the Saratoga Landfill is soon to be near capacity? Soon enough, they wont even have a place to keep all of the garbage.

Wouldn’t you think that reducing how much garbage you produce that goes to that landfill would help the town out a bit?

That is how I see it. In a place that is unbelievably community oriented, I would expect that citizens would care about that.

Although I do support both composting and recycling, I am going to focus my attention on composting.

So, with the help of uwyo.edu and journeytoforever.org, I am going to explain some of the basics of composting

Making a compost pile is pretty simple. It can be outdoors—simply in a pile, or even indoors.

What can you Compost?

There are a variety of things that can be composted, however, if you are a beginner, start with food waste such as fruit, vegetables, egg-shells and coffee grounds. In addition, plant material such as cut grass can be added to compost. Do not add waste like animal products or oil into the composting.

In addition to the food waste, add some dry substance to the mixture—as only adding the food waste will make the compost too moist. Recommended materials include: newspaper, straw, dried leaves, unprocessed sawdust and torn-up cardboard. All of these substances will absorb the moisture from the food waste.

Vermicomposting vs aeration composting

Vermicomposting, according to uwyo.edu, is where red worms are added to the mixture to digest the composting material.

Aeration composting, according to journeytoforever.org, is when the decomposing of material relies on turning the mixture. This allows for more oxygen to enter the mixture, allowing for increased decomposition.

Indoor Composting

Yes, indoor composting sounds like it could turn bad, but it is a great alternative for people who have apartments or not enough land to keep a bin or pile. With this alternative, vermicomposting is the best method. All you need is a container (I would use a plastic container but people use wooden as well), and some worms. The worms are essential as they eat the compost and expedite the decomposition process.

Outdoor Composting

For an outdoor compost pile, you can buy fancy containers that make it easier to turn the pile (especially for vermicomposting), or you can just make a pile in your backyard. All you need to know is that the pile needs to be uplifted and turned occasionally.

Look into this for yourself, and if you personally don’t think it’s worth it then, hey, that’s your decision and you can back it up. But composting is such an easy thing to do, and you are rewarded for doing it with some nice, nutrient rich, soil for gardening.