One of the things I asked for this year for Christmas was a composting bin. Being the suburban hippie that I am, I wanted to find a way to re-purpose our kitchen scraps and weeds and have the added benefit of nutrient-rich material for my gardens. Well, I asked and Scott provided - a few days before Christmas a GIANT box arrived on our doorstep with COMPOSTER printed across the side. Sort of ruined the Christmas Day surprise for me, but I was excited nonetheless.
A couple of weeks ago over dinner I mentioned my new prize to Jason, and asked that, once I get it set up, he start bringing their kitchen scraps and the like up and dumping them in the bin. He asked if I had done any research yet on the process, and I admitted that I hadn't. He then handed me a book called COMPOST by Ken Thompson (ironically, Jason's dad's name). I have been reading it and taking notes, feeling like I'm back in college, copying down key points from my German language book on grammar to help me remember. Thank god this book is in a language I understand beyond a 2nd grade level. Forget that - 2nd graders in Germany speak WAY better German than I can (Schneewittchen und die sieben Swergen!).
I'm eager for spring to begin so I can set this baby up and start throwing crap in it - right now it's so depressing to toss the unused vegetable parts, apple cores, orange peels, etc. in the garbage can. Once I finish with the book, I'll be passing it on to Scott to read so he can have a grasp of the "rules" of composting. Now to find a level, sunny spot in our very uphill back yard!