Composting What is composting? Why should you compost? How do you compost? Encouraging change at home.

Senior Center Presentation

High School Staff Presentation

Junior High Staff Presentation

What is composting? Composting is reusing organic waste, like leaves, grass clippings, food, and animal waste.

Why should you compost? Do you ever feel guilty about throwing away food? Compost instead! It's simple, and simply green. Composting positively impacts homes and the community because it is great for the environment and human health.

Why should you compost?

Need more incentive to get your hands dirty? Think about all the biodegradable waste slowly breaking down in nasty plastic bags at the landfill. You could be returning these nutrients back to the earth and reducing your carbon emissions.

Why should you compost? Using compost helps to re-balance the acid- alkaline soil quality known as Ph. When the Ph is in balance, the plants are better able to absorb nutrients improving plant life and crop production. Composting also helps improve the structure, density, and texture of soil which improves nutrient retention and helps prevent erosion.

Why should you compost? Composting creates a food source for a select group of lifeforms that keeps your soil healthy. This allows worms and tiny microorganisms to feed on the biodegradable matter and produce soil-enriching waste. The all natural quality of compost means there is often no need for pesticides and fertilizers, which often contain nasty chemicals that may inhibit plant growth and be expensive.

Why should you compost? Ultimately the chemicals you put on your vegetable garden end up in your body. Think about how great you'll feel when you know you're doing your part to improve the environment.

How do you compost? Select a spot for your compost that is convenient to reach with plenty of room to work around. You can purchase a bin for around $ which looks better and smells less than a pile. You will have to purchase bacteria chemicals to assist decomposition, but they are inexpensive.

How do you compost? If you are going to do a compost pile it should be 3 feet by 3 feet wide by 3 to 5 feet tall. Start with a 3 foot layer of left over food products, dry leaves, grass clippings, and/or straw. Cover the pile with 1 ½ feet of fresh animal waste like chicken or cow manure, which you can buy in bags.

How do you compost? Repeat layering until your pile is at least 3 feet tall. If the surface of the pile gets dry, water it to keep it damp. Turn the pile every few days to keep oxygen mixed in. This will keep the pile “cooking”.

How do we compost? We ordered a bin and assembled it. We started with leaves, saw dust, and chemical bacteria. We added kitchen waste like egg shells, coffee grounds, vegetables, rice, and everything else that was left over. The only items that can't go into the bin are: meat, bones, dairy products, fats, or oils, or animal waste.

How do we compost? We add more stuff as we have it. We turn the bin several times each week. Once a month we add more bacteria chemical. If it gets dry we will add water. We hope the community will also use our compost bin. It is located on the patio outside the FACS room.

Encouraging change at home. In addition to composting, you can reduce your carbon footprint on this world by taking the “Energy Star Pledge”. To take the energy star pledge, you have to go to energystar.gov and sign up. The website will inform you on energy saving products.

Encouraging change at home. You can also take the “fix a leak pledge” by signing up on the sheet going around and following the instructions on the handout. We hope you will make changes at home to do your part in protecting the environment.

Are there any questions? Thank you for attending our presentation.

Works Cited “Compost.” wikipedia.org. 24 Nov “Fix a Leak Week.” epa.gov./watersense. 11 Jan “Grow Better Veggies.” loveapplefarm.typepad.com. 6 Nov “How to Compost.” composting101.com. 13 Nov “Take the Pledge.” energystar.gov. 11 Jan “Why Composting is Good For Your Garden and Environment.” doityourself.com. 20 Nov. 2009