I think a compost pile is too 'dynamic' a critter Paul - you'd get a good 'window' set up and by the next day it'd just look like dirt LOL

if you can build a pile in good layers in a fairly short period, then digging out a section straight down one side will display the stages in cross section, but that exposure to air changes the look in a matter of hours - I see it every week when I turn my pile of food waste compost, with the chopped veg getting less recognizable down thru the pile, from very-veggie in the top couple layers to doggie-dinner in the middle, to pretty homoginized and nearly done towards the bottom

our local compost demo garden made up some little foldup flyers that have cartoon-ish depictions of a 'worms-eye view' of the composting process, w/ simple explanations of the steps and processes, and we have every possible type of bin incl worms bins, so folks can see the reality, and take home a 'reminder' of the how-to's

kids seem particularly fascinated by the worm bins, and for many city folks the worms are the most practical alternative to getting into it all, and just seeing a lush thriving garden w/ no chemical dependence is eye-opening for some folks - good thing you're doing, even if you only light the fire in a couple folks a year, keep it up!

Bill

When I was in Honk Kong they were demonstrating worm composting with clear plastic bins, they were working and provided an educational opportunity for the kids, as you can imagine there is not much farmland in HK and there is a great push for green energies and so on.
Take a look at their site for some more inspiration :0)

Here is a link that might be useful: Check it out

I did a compost demo at my garden for my local garden group. I have 4 bins, so I showed them the bin where I add new putrescibles, then added a bagful of shredded newspaper to it and -- presto! -- the fruit flies went away. I sifted some finished compost, and they got close to smell it and feel it. But the most exciting part was when I took the cover off a not-quite-ready bin and moved aside the top layer. Everyone ooohed and aahed at the multitude of worms.

I think if everyone can learn one or two things from your garden tour, it will be successful. If it's too much to absorb, it may be overwhelming. So if I were doing something like this, I'd have in mind some main points I wanted to make (to appeal to beginners as well as experienced organic gardeners), and then be aware that often people learn best when they can get specific questions answered, so no matter how much preparation you do, some people will think the best part of the tour is something you may not have imagined -- serendipity. (Does that make sense? It's analogous to the kid getting all kinds of fancy presents and then having the most fun playing with the empty boxes and ribbons.)

I also went on an organic garden tour last week. Four gardens.

1. A community garden where you get a garden plot (100 sf) by taking a weekly gardening class. It was interesting to see the different trellising strategies. The worm bin was disappointing -- I found only 1 tiny worm.

2. A suburban garden with 4 plum trees in the parking strip (the area between the sidewalk and the curb), and a dozen or so other fruit trees scattered around a mostly ornamental garden.

The highlight, though, was seeing a new composting/mulching tool, one of two prototypes built. It's like a big hand blender and hose that shoots water out at 750psi. Get a barrel full of green waste, use the tool, and in minutes it's pulverized and ready to use as mulch or, after sitting for a few days, ready to incorporate into the soil as a "compost." The inventor is talking to the state, in hopes of having this technology adopted to replace spraying roadsides and rights of ways with herbicides. He also says it will be useful for building firebreaks. (Not really a home gardening tool, though.) They have also experimented with pulverizing lawn trimmings, squeezing out all the liquid, and returning it to the lawn, with great results.

3. Another suburban yard, this one with a gardener who has a toddler and does not have much time to spend on the garden. So the front yard had lots of tree collards, the back had lots of arugula, and at other times of the year he grew lots of chard, fava beans, and other greens. He had a 1-page handout describing "low-labor organic gardening": at least 4 inches of mulch, delivered free from tree trimmers; "a dead flower is a living seed"; keep matching plants to their favorite microclimates; try something else until you find the easy ones that match how much time and effort you want to put into your garden.

4. A large suburban lot with tons of corn growing (they ate corn every day of the year, freezing the summer overproduction to eat in the winter), interplanted with carrots earlier in the season and with beans and squash later in the season. This is one of the few gardeners I've met who double-digs every year.

He explained that the ornamental plants in the front yard (cacti, hollyhocks, etc.) were grown as biomass for the compost. He collects the yard waste and sends everything through the chipper when he builds the compost pile. His compost pile, which had been run through the chipper the day before, had a thermometer sticking out of it registering 155 degrees F -- very effective. I also put my hand on the pile and could feel the heat. The compost pile sits for a week, is turned, then after another week goes into a bin.

I do them whenever friends come over.... Things I'll do include showing off the composts (I use a few different methods), beneficial insects, companion plants, etc. I also like to learn as much as possible about the weeds/wildflowers in the wild areas, especially any culinary and/or medicinal uses, old names, etc. Folks brave enough to climb into the lofts get to see the enormous piles of bat guano in the barns. Eating straight from the garden is always impressive too.

Tours sounds like a wonderful idea. I love going on tours of people's garden--they all have something to offer. Just managed to catch Altanta's Botanical Garden's Private Home Tour. Went to multi-million dollar homes with spectacular gardens but my favorite was a small in-town cottage garden.

A few years ago took an organic gardening class where there was a large demonstration garden. Every single person did not know anything aboout composting--he told us to bring in a big bucket or bag of kitchen scraps plus any green grass clippings (no weed and feed ones). He drove up with a truckload of horse manure and bedding. Proceeded to show up how to layer the manure with clippings and scraps. I had read all the books about using manure/bedding but until I say how to use it I never would have tried it without his instructions. (I still use alot of it in compost piles to this day.) Over the 6 weeks we turned the compost pile and saw it cooking away. Fascinating. He had each of his get our soil analyzed and then using books How TO GROW MORE VEGETABLES and START WITH THE SOIL we learned what we needed to do. We later visited his house where he had about 5 coffin size worm bins. I know you don't have the luxury of time but having the various components of compost in separate piles and then layering just a bit of it in front of the groups might be something you could do.

Not long ago I took an Organic Gardening class (2 university credit hours). Met all day on 2 Sat. Visited a small organic farm. Demonstrated various weeding hoes which, believe it or not, was very interesting. Plus showed us how to use one of those weed flamers. They also had the moveable chicken house on wheels that fertilizes an area and then they move it some place else. Discussed the various organic fertilizers available, automatic seeders, and the work she did organizing organic co-op of org. farmers.

Also might consider offering tea or lemonade-- it is a very nice and friendly touch. Good luck.

Tastes and (good) smells of course. We should have berries throughout the summer, and most people like peas.

You must be the envy of every OG gardener on earth with that guano, Johnny.

Thanks Termater for that look at the other side of the world, especially the Green School info.

I enjoyed the tours habitat gardnr. ItÂs helpful to get specifics.

Bill, the simplest thing would be to dig into the pile with a shovel each tour - hopefully hitting a worm jackpot and not one of the decomposing wolf fish from last week. But youÂre an inventive fellow, how about inventing BillÂs Patented Compost Viewer?

These ideas are giving me more ideas as well as raising questions. IÂd like to begin the tour by saying "HereÂs the garden; any questions?" and take it from there. :) I enjoy the unexpected. But the better the plan the more confident I feel (I was a tour guide in a museum for two years). What order to put the information in? What I find most interesting and important  Âstart with the soilÂ, composting, the microherd  may not be as interesting to others. Most, IÂd imagine, want to see the organic garden. So now IÂm thinking a walk around the garden, then a talk about the methods involved in growing it, keeping the info brief  maybe five main points with examples of each: beneficial insects, pest + weed control, mulches and green manures, planting for and working with the soil/climate you have, composting. Then questions. And questions throughout, of course.

A worm compost just for demonstration purposes sounds like a good idea. Maybe one of those clear 5 gallon spring water jugs, filled with layers of browns and greens - it would have to be kept in the dark and brought out in the light, to catch the worms at work?

IÂm not dead set on converting anybody to OG. The tour idea came out of a desire to share the garden, which is a gift (that we started from scratch, but still seems like a gift), and is looking especially good this year thanks to last monthÂs cool rainy weather. The people I would expect to stop by are people who love gardens, people looking to fill time, a few people already interested in alternative growing. WeÂll find out. There are plenty of opportunities for hiking, kayaking etc. in this area but very few organized activities  people are always looking for them. My wife says we could probably put up a sign saying Âwringer washer demonstration on the porch and people would stop.

Farkee we cross-posted - looking forward to reading your ideas.

And along with the wringer washer demo, have a cool shady spot with lemonade, with videos of _Good Neighbors_ (British comedy from the 80s) episodes.

One of the native-plants nurseries has occasional open houses, each one featuring some free food made with some native plants. The time I visited, it was chia lemonade (the chia seeds were floating in the lemonade).

I think the actual worm bin is the best demo. That way, all the senses are engaged. Instead of merely seeing the worms, people can smell the soil (assuming it's nearly done compost, not new putrescibles), even reach in and hold a worm (gently).

I have a plot in a community garden, and often people wander in and ask questions about one plant or another. Often it's a plant they grew up with, a plant they sort of recognize, or a plant they've never seen before. So I have fun talking about the plant, how I use it, its role in the garden, etc. I let some plants volunteer, such as mullein and love in a mist. I grow lots of herbs, and I'm always eager to talk about how to use them. Last year I had a big bolivian sunroot, with 8-inch soft leaves and 6-foot stems.

I think the best part of home garden tours is to see what each gardener is most enthusiastic about. In all my years of formal and informal education, the classes I remember most were the ones in which the teachers were totally enthralled by their subject and able to communicate their enthusiasm.

It's been a busy week and my helper's off sick so I'm pacing myself with this idea. No haste or delay.

'coffin size worm bins' lol. farkee, I like the idea of making compost on the spot. That would be good for an ongoing workshop, with local people bringing putrescibles. Come to think of it...campers could bring their compostables too...
Weeding hoe demonstration, chicken tractor - the first is doable, the tractor is a plan I'm working on already.

Habitat, that's a good idea too, choosing three or four particularly interesting plants to focus on and talk about.