Upping My Compost Game!
For anyone who was in last semester's Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation class, knows I started a very simple and inexpensive Compost pile. You can watch the video on YouTube:
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| Lemieux: the helper |
https://youtu.be/T-LBev63zPg
I really enjoyed my compost bin, and was able to reduce our garbage by at least 50% (we recycle all paper, plastic, glass an aluminum). I've been keeping a bowl full of scraps in the fridge and adding them to my compost every few days. The worms have been doing a great job and I have beautiful compost.
However, our household was producing just too much organic waste for my compost to keep up with. I was still bringing about half our waste to TH Culhane to use in his biodigesters. Although that is a noble cause, I've been having to go from work to school, so storing a pile of waste in my car all day in the Florida sun is not practical. Also, we are planning on clearing our entire front yard of random plants and creating a native sustainable garden, so the more compost production, the better.
I went to the trusty Amazon, and found:
Yimby Tumbler Composter, Color Black $89.00
in Outdoor Composting Bins
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| Amazon Prime 2 Day Shipping The assembly: |
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| Pretty straightforward, no tools required |
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| Lemieux really likes to help |
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| 60+ screws later, Viola! Next Step was to get my compost started. I had saved some scraps for a few days:  
The bin has a "+" side that you open to add your compost
Adding the "greens"
 
For "browns" I scooped up some dry leaves from the yard. I added 2 bowls full to obtain the 1:2 ratio of greens to browns.
 
Finally I added some "dirt," aka Florida sand, to get the local microbes involved
  After everything was in I closed the door and churned away! 
Notice the solar powered lights!
Now we wait . . .
After a few months of composting, I've run into an "issue." I've been simply throwing my scraps into a bowl (see white bowl above), and keeping them on the counter or the fridge. Although it works for me, my mom would prefer something a little tidier. Someone happened to post about this compost bin in one our groups so I went ahead and bought it.
Top Rated Epica Stainless Steel Compost Bin 1.3 Gallon-Includes Charcoal Filter
Amazon's
Choice
Why we love this product
It came in the mail, and out with the old white bowl and in with the new bin!
A check on my 2 compost piles
4/23/2018
My original worm compost bin. As you can see after 5 months, what was started as a bucket of Florida sand has turned into a dark, rich, black soil. My worms are still pretty happy in here.
My new compost, just one month in, is already doing well. Once this side is full, I will slide the door out, flip it over, and the "+" will be on the empty side, making it easy to remember which side to add to. After a few weeks of letting the original side compost, it will be time to empty it and start over, alternating between the 2 sides. This dual chamber process allows you to always have one side to add to and one side working into compost for your garden.
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