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Families
Set Up Compost Bins, Learn More About Process
By Darci
Clark – For the Sun
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In
this third installment of Compost Quest
– a monthly enviro-diary following two local families
as they learn to incorporate backyard composting into their
busy lives – we find our families involved in setting
up their composters and gaining confidence in their ability
to manage this natural recycling process.
 Those
of you with us since April will know that this column is part
of a larger Westman community action project called “Composting
101” designed to promote the economic and environmental
benefits of backyard composting. Through our work with the Brandon
School Division, we found two generous families – one
urban and one rural – willing to have us look over their
shoulders for the upcoming year as they learn to backyard compost.
Our project goal continues to be to show how average Westman
households can become greener with little disruption to routine
and a bit of support from local experts.
Local artist Curt
Shoultz’s unique ‘compostoons’
continue to highlight the ‘eco-tivities’ of our
families and give additional hints as to their identities. Different
compost bins and materials were chosen for each family to represent
average town and farm lifestyles in our Westman community. What
each family will have in common is that the process will require
minimal management with appropriate amounts of air, water and
waste materials.
Tim Wiebe, a local composting guru and supervisor
at Westman Recycling
Council, showed the farm kids – ‘M’, 13,
and his 10-year-old sister, ‘N’ – how to wire
together their own bin from salvaged pallets (in itself a form
of recycling) and gave them lots of composting pointers to help
get started. Tim made sure that one side of the bin also serves
as a gate to make regular adding and turning of the waste easier
to manage. The bin is handily located in a sheltered spot adjacent
to their garden. It will remain relatively open to the elements,
with water added only if rainfall is not sufficient. Should
there be too much natural moisture, the kids will put on a simple
lid or tarp for the bin.
‘ M’ hoped this project would net him access to
the tractor to cart in barn waste and haul grass clippings from
their large (and beautifully kept) yard, until Dad’s shake
of the head convinced him that using the ATV and its trailer
was still much preferable to the wheelbarrow! Although incorporation
of pet waste is not encouraged due to potential pathogens and
parasites in waste from dogs and cats, ‘N’ plans
some Internet research to find out if they can include bedding
from the rabbit cage, as she assured us the bunny eats the same
kind of veggie matter that will eventually be composted from
the garden.
 Our
city family will use a plastic commercial composting bin –
donated by the good folks at Canadian Tire
– that will remain enclosed except for the addition of
waste or moisture. They chose an ideal location close to their
garden and in a sunny exposure to help the composting process
build up the heat necessary to breakdown the kitchen and yard
waste. Due to its contained nature, this bin will require occasional
aeration by poking holes into the pile with a pitchfork or broom
handle to promote the air circulation needed by the composting
microorganisms.
The eldest child, Brother ‘T’ (as distinguished
from middle sister ‘T’ and little sister ‘J’)
is the most knowledgeable member of our urban family due to
his participation in vermi (worm)-composting in his Grade 3
classroom. He thinks it’s pretty cool that he and his
Grandpa can trade composting tips this summer, but says it’s
too bad that his Grandpa had to buy his bin! Sisters ‘T’
and ‘J’ found adding the wet grass clippings kind
of slimy, but Mom and Dad think it is great to have a project
that actively revolves around the kids. They look forward to
experimenting with things like adding a small amount of ashes
from their backyard fire pit to help neutralize acids from kitchen
waste.
Stay tuned next month to learn how our families are combining
composting with holidays, along with a preview of their expectations
as the growing season advances.
For more information on all types of composting, or a copy of
previous columns, call us at 725-9234 or 727-5675. Composting
101 provides presentations, demonstration workshops
and educational material to help make backyard composting second
nature.
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