What is Compost?
Composting is nature's process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich dark soil. Anything that was once living will decompose. Backyard composting is an acceleration of the same process nature uses. By composting your organic waste you are returning nutrients back into the soil in order for the cycle of life to continue. Finished compost looks like soil–dark brown, crumbly and smells like a forest floor.
What to put IN and OUT of the Compost Fridges
| What Goes In | What Stays Out | |
| Greens (High in Nitrogen) | Browns (High in Carbon) | NON-Organics |
| Weeds | Leaves | Anything that was never once alive! |
| Fruits & Vegetables | Bark | |
Kitchen Scraps: Breads, egg shells, coffee grinds, tea bags, fruit rinds, vegetable peels, dairy, meat, bones, etc... | Paper: shredded newspaper, cardboard, brown paper bags (no coloring) | |
Chicken Manure | Woodchips/Sawdust | |
Hedonisia's Compost Pen Morning Ritual
- Empty the Chicken Tray of previous day's compost into the current feeding compost zone designated by the "Active Compost" sign. This is a great time to pick up any scraps that the chickens have scattered around the Compost Pen and add them to the bin.
- Morning compost from the bucket is emptied into the plastic Chicken Tray to let the chickens get the first round of feeding.
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The Compost Rotation
Once a bin is full of compost scrap we stop adding to it. Instead we move to the next bin to begin a new composting cycle. Don't forget to move the "Feed Me" Sign to the next feeding bin so as not to confuse everyone!
The Red Wiggler worms will eat and digest the Green and Brown matter into a rich soil which is now compost. This process will take 2-3 months to breakdown. During those 2-3 months we are filling the other 2 bins with new composting matter (one at a time).
Once the Red Wigglers finish decomposing the matter in one bin they will instinctively migrate to the next bin through the drain holes on the bottom of the bin and through the ground.
Completed Compost Soil
After the 2-3 month breakdown period the compost will be a nice, rich soil that is nutrient dense and perfect for gardening and planting new trees and plants around the property.
Empty out the soil into buckets, keeping an eye out for any Red Wigglers that may have stayed behind and placing them into one of the other bins. Make sure to cover any soil buckets with a lid.
Keep the rocks and wire shelving at the bottom of the bin to create a new bedding for the worms.
Instructions for Interns & Volunteers: full compost container
Remember to empty the old compost in the morning and/or in the afternoon. Many recent mornings that I’ve looked, it seems way too full.
Also never to put coconuts in it as it will break the bucket or plastic tray. Always tell people to not put coconut shells in the compost. Put them over the side of the JC crater.