Saturday, March 7, 2015

Extreme Composting

Any one who knows me or has heard me give talks on gardening, knows I'm passionate about compost (wrote 2 blogs on the subject in 2011).


What has got me on to this post is the mention  of the build up of compost in bags on the back deck of homes, because no one can get to their compost bins or piles or the use of snowshoes to get to the compost pile on the NSAGC Facebook page.  This is the first year, I have ever had to resort to snowshoes to dump the compost.


And thank goodness for snowshoes, I did not feel like hip wading through 4-5' of snow. We just purchased 2 pair this year, I did not know how much fun they are.  I had an old type made of wood, but found them too big and clunky.  These are perfect.


Of course the compost piles up under the counter, mostly coffee and vegetable peelings, but it has to go.  I don't use my Municipality's green cart. What I can put in my own compost I can; scraps (bones, bits of meat) - the dog gets, old bread - the crows. I don't waste food, I try to find a use for it before it goes bad (freeze it for later) or just don't buy what you don't need.


It's a long trek to the compost down below the vegetable garden, beside the wood shed. Doesn't seem that far when there is no snow.


But I'm ready.


And the snow is relatively firm after all this cold weather, but I know if it wasn't for the snow shoes, I would have a much more difficult time.


The bin on the left is finished compost for this coming year.


All the bins are 5' in height.  There is plenty of snow around.


Well that job's done. There have been several treks to the piles but it is all worth it. This compost goes in my vegetable garden because I know what I put in it.

As I write, it is snowing again.  Will it ever stop??