Grow organic food without spending $

Step 2 COMPOST

The first thing to do after initiating full scavenger-ama mode -- would be to make compost, there are numerous websites out there on the subject, so I will just show you mine which I made by screwing three loading pallets together. The great thing about this is that its also a handy garden tool holder. A drum type hot-composter may work faster, but you would need to find an old 55 gallon drum (I never did). Or use this instructable http://www.instructables.com/id/ET9XQIGF52SQ4R9/?ALLSTEPS
You could add your worms to this or have an additional vermicompost bin indoors for smaller scraps http://www.instructables.com/id/EHII4ZKZN5EPH67CKF/?ALLSTEPS

Ask all you neighbors to add to your bin if they don't already compost, or go to the dumpsters of restaurants and small grocery stores looking for not so fresh produce (you will even find some still fresh produce to eat while you wait for your own), mix all this with some yard waste that you will inevitably produce when clearing your garden area.

You may want to urinate on your compost if you want to speed up the decomposition of dry brown materials as it contains a lot of nitrogen. Now don't be squeamish, urine is sterile, and doesn't seem to smell on the compost. You could also compost your feces for allegedly the best fertilizer possible, but do that in a composting toilet! never ever in this kind of compost pile. The best thing about reusing urine and fecal material is that you are saving a lot of clean flush water, not adding to the pollution of rivers and streams, and closing the loop between consumption and refuse.

Comments

[ludionis]

I thought that disease could be spread through fecal composting because while urine is indeed sterile in the absence of an infection, feces is not.  Have heard that countries that fertilize with human feces (see http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/ascaris/factsht_ascaris.htm for an example)

[A good name]

I think you're supposed to put a cover on it... actually mine's covered on all sides.

[katz]

It works best when it's worm inside, so you may want to put a black thick bin bags around the sides and cover from the same material on top. Some building sites may have leftovers of DPM lining lying around which they can't use because of the small size

[johnny3h]

Hi Katz and all,
Composting is accomplished by:
AEROBIC BACTERIA [they breathe AIR] that "munch" the materials to be composted,
and "their byproducts [equivalent of urine and feces] ARE the resulting compost,
AND the purpose of wire or slatted pallets for containment ,
AND regular "TURNING"  of the pile ALL of which are NECESSARY for the bacteria to survive and do their work.

Therefore, it is strongly recommended that compost piles NOT be enclosed in any material that restricts maximum air flow!!!!!

The "warmth" needed is provided by the metabolic heat generated by the bacteria themselves.  All a composter must do is reduce the loss of THAT heat by having the compost pile as large and compact as possible.

[wildflowerwitch]

I've gone to Starbuck's and other coffee houses and picked up bags of used coffee grounds.EXCELLENT Compost!! Worms love coffee too!