Composting tips

[naginiF]

I'm being forced to start composting our food waste and looking for anyone who has experience for helpful tips to get started. We have a yard so won't be composting in doors but live in a rural(ish) neighborhood so the yards aren't super huge. My questions:

- any specific type or brand of composter work better than others?
- our garden beds are close to the house, do I want to keep the composter close to the beds or as far away from the house as possible?
- are there any foods to avoid putting in?
- is there benefit to mixing yard waste with the food waste?
- what questions am I missing in my ignorance?

This is one of those things that both seems pretty straight forward but also has the trap for a "man I wish I'd known that 4 months ago" revelation.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I've learned to get something that drains right into the soil.  The barrels and rotating things sound great, but have always retained way too much moisture.  When that happens it gets funky in a bad way.

No animal fats or protein - any organic vegetable material is great. 

There are a whole bunch of theories but if its really just to get rid of food scraps, this can be as easy as just making sure you are throwing in things that can be composted.

[We R Final Four]

You sound like a composting victim?

[naginiF]

I've learned to get something that drains right into the soil.  The barrels and rotating things sound great, but have always retained way too much moisture.  When that happens it gets funky in a bad way.

No animal fats or protein - any organic vegetable material is great. 

There are a whole bunch of theories but if its really just to get rid of food scraps, this can be as easy as just making sure you are throwing in things that can be composted.

awesome - wouldn't have thought about either the direct drain or no proteins, thanks

[naginiF]

You sound like a composting victim?

Sorta.

A few years ago someone asked me for help creating a business model/plan for a non profit she was pitching where people would pay for a service that removed their food waste separately to be composted (like glass, cardboard, etc.) with the hook that this company would hire people transitioning from homelessness and provide them with a stable environment and living wage employment to make their transition successful. I'm neither an environmentalist nor a homeless advocate but helped her out, it became a fantastic startup NP (kccancompost.com), and I wound up board president and am now an advocate for helping the homeless but still don't compost. That last part always bothered our ED so she gave my wife a countertop food collector as an Xmas gift and now I guess I'm a composter too.

[rocky_warrior]

awesome - wouldn't have thought about either the direct drain or no proteins, thanks

I've never done it* but always been interested in composting.  There's a bunch of good (and amusingly kooky) youtube videos about it.  If you have room for it, it sounds like a 2 or 3 wood composting bins (like a raised planting bed) are ideal.  They don't have to be giant, allow draining, and you can add to one while turning/using the other.

* I have a city compost bin that you can even throw meats and bones into that goes to a commercial composing facility.

edit: this guy is fun...and keeps it simple... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7VG3qczBcY

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

My household has been composting for at least 15 years. 

Although, I can't say I've been doing it correctly.  We keep an old food container with a top next to the sink.  We alternatively keep a separate bag inside the kitchen trash can.  If it's remotely biological it goes into the bucket (or bag).  I basically have my own forest and we have a spot where we dump the compost.   I dump cut grass all summer and mulched leaves in the autumn in the same spot.  Most does decompose and I have some nice soil for reuse.  I also get a 1/2 dozen avocado trees at the end of every summer if anyone is interested.  Every spring mystery squash seeds grows that we replant in our garden.  This year's surprise was acorn squash.   

[MU82]

Well, first you get some blank sheet-music paper. Then you use your experiences to come up with compelling subjects. Then you write the words; personal, dramatic, maybe a little funny is best. Then you sit at a piano or guitar and ...

... wait ...

I read the subject line wrong!

[naginiF]

edit: this guy is fun...and keeps it simple... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7VG3qczBcY

He's not only very informative about composting but also the exact visual of a composter I'd expect and he's 100% one of Durin's folk.