Composting Information

Composting

The next Composting Workshop will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at Russell Farms Community Park. 

cOMPOST WORKSHOP 2024 SPRING

Comopstr Bins 4 sale

 

Can you Compost During the Winter?  Yes!


Composting in the winter can certainly be done, but it requires a certain level of dedication. While the decomposition process slows down once the temperature drops, it doesn’t totally stop. The
compost pile can survive. The only time decomposition comes to a stop is when the materials in a compost pile are completely frozen. However, if you have a large compost pile or bin, it’s likely that the organic matter in the interior will stay warm enough to avoid freezing.

Gather Leaves—One of the most important things you can do in the fall is gather leaves for use in composting. Leaves are an excellent source of brown or carbon-rich materials. Leaves can be stockpiled in
bags or bins for use throughout the year. If leaves aren't available, other brown materials such as straw, sawdust, woodchips or shredded newspaper may be used.

Harvest Finished Compost— You’ll know your compost is ready to use if the materials are no longer recognizable and if the compost is dark and crumbly with an earthy odor. Compost can either be spread in
the garden in the fall or saved for use in the spring. You may find it helpful to keep finished compost in lidded bins or cover it with a tarp so that it doesn’t get too soggy.

Insulate the Pile—Insulate compost in order to keep it from freezing solid and halting decomposition. Compost bins can be surrounded with bags of leaves or straw bales to buffer against freezing temperatures.

Wait to Turn the Pile—There is no need to turn the compost pile in the winter months, as doing so will only result in heat loss in the
interior of the pile. This can slow the decomposition process further. Instead, wait to turn the pile in the spring once it is completely thawed.

Happy Composting!

 

WHY PURCHASE A COMPOSTER?

Composting allows residents the opportunity to turn their yard waste and kitchen scraps into something useful - rich garden soil. This is a form of recycling that can be done from beginning to end in your own backyards. Backyard compost bins turn vegetative kitchen scraps, coffee grinds, tea bags, grass clippings, brown leaves, and dead garden plants into nice crumbly compost.  Compost improves your soil and the plants growing in it by creating a rich compost that can be used for potting soil and humus and for your vegetable and/or flower gardens.

Did you know almost 40% of food produced in the U.S. is wasted? Why not divert this waste from going into landfills and turn it into nutrient rich soil for your home use!!!

Benefits of Composting

  1. Reduces the amount of landfill waste (food makes up 20% landfill waste)
  2. Creates nutrient rich compost soil that retains more water, reduces soil erosion and reduces the use of synthetic pesticides
  3. Composting helps you and your municipality save money too $$$$
 

Why Compost

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn the Basics of Composting at Home HERE

Composters can be purchased by contacting Environmental Commissioner Beth Fischer.

 

        Compost machine

 

LEARN HOW TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE HERE. Some helpful information from the US Dept of Environmental Protection