Like most “green routines” I have adopted, this too made me feel really great for having gone and inspired me to get started right away (even though it was fall). The class was shown a short, slightly cheesy, educational video from Cornell University explaining the science behind composting. In that one hour class, I learned all the do’s and don’ts about composting and was excited to start my own.
I wanted my kids to get excited and understand the process too, so I gave them a choice: view the video and learn how our new compost pile will work or laundry. They sat through the short video and they too got excited to begin. Here is where you can download and view the compost video.
Since we didn’t have anything to start the composting process, I picked a bunch of pumpkins and a few bales of hay from the curb after Halloween (they had been left for trash pick-up) and we had a pumpkin smashing party. This was the base of our new compost pile that we lovingly named Rupert.
Rupert has been fed almost daily a diet consisting of: coffee grounds, fruits, vegetables, toilet paper rolls and recently rabbit pellets (that’s another story). Not only is Rupert teaching my family how organic materials return to the earth, but he has significantly reduced the amount of trash we take to curb each week – from 2 cans to just one. That’s pretty good for a family of 5!
A compost pile has been very rewarding to maintain. And as a bonus... Rupert sprouted two large pumpkin plants this summer! I think of it as a little thank you from Mother Nature, for taking good care of her.
