Feel Free ;-)
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Here is a link that might be useful: Jon's Wonderful Soil 2010

All of my pictures are on flickr (link through my profile), help yourself.

Lloyd

awesome, thanks guys!

Jon's and Lloyd's operations are very impressive, but to whom are you aiming the public service announcement? Most people don't have heavy machinery in their backyards, and might get the impression that composting is too complicated (or expensive) for them.

Have you seen the Show off your pile! thread? That gives a range of compost pile types. Perhaps you could ask some of those posters for permission to use their photos. These people may be reluctant to follow Jon's and Lloyd's class acts unless they're asked.

Claire

Hey Claire,
Totally unfair........

to Lloyd that is....

He's is the King... I am a pauper ....at best ;-)

I have a very small Compost area 8'x 16' that's it.....

I am a normal Knuckleberry.... and am in no way able to be compared to Lloyd.

I do use my Excavator to turn my pile, but that is only because I have one.... If I didn't .... I would go for "slow composting" instead.....because I am wayyyyyyyy too lazy to turn my compost without it ;-)

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Well, Jon, I don't have an excavator and I'm lazy too. Since these are my main compost tools, I make do with a slow, cold compost pile.

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Claire (who would love to have an Excavator)

Claire,
That pile looks delicious ;-)

Large toys are fun but I also have a sort of compost demonstration area that has an EarthMachine, small wire bin, two smaller tumblers and some hand screeners for the average homeowner. Pallets are still along the treeline but I hated them and never maintained them, people can look at them if they like but I don't use them anymore.

I usually have a description on the flickr pages so people can look and read about the devices. I still have forks, rakes and shovels around that are used for composting, it's not all just diesel and hydraulics.

When I have given tours, a lot of people are interested in the different stages of the compost and are really interested in the final sifted product. The particular method used isn't always a big topic and most don't care too much about the larger processing equipment.

I try to convince people to try a backyard system but don't beat them over the head with guilt for not doing so.

We are in the process of trying to set up a pilot project for a kitchen waste drop off for those that are all for composting but don't want to do it themselves. I know it's hard to believe that there is anyone who doesn't want to compost but there are a few. ;-)

Lloyd

Maybe not help with homework exactly but good to see DOT memo and hope this posture continues....

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.ncdot.gov/doh/operations/dp_chief_eng/roadside/vegetation/materials/orgfert.html

Well I agree that Lloyd is the King of Compost but if Jon is a Pauper I don't know what that makes me! LOL

However, in reality I'm just a little ol' woman who likes to compost and does whatever necessary to feed her garden. Very humble set up here which has evolved and changed but may be realistic for many people.

Here's the 3 bin set up I had for a couple of years.

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It 'grew' to be 5 bins.

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Unfinished compost bin.

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Getting there. I always use this as mulch so am not concerned if it heats, I just want it to decompose so it looks OK. I use fine wood shavings which are slow to break down in the bin but once in the garden it's gone in a few months.

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This is a small part of the UCG's we collected. I love these things but it's a lot of work and the coffee shop was not as thrilled to give them as I was to get them - I know it's more work for them to keep separate from the rest of the garbage. I still get smaller amounts from a different coffee shop.

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A few of the bagged leaves I scrounged.

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Gave up on the 5 bins as they are unsightly and more difficult to turn so went back to a pile.

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This spring/summer/fall I've been burying kitchen scraps in the garden which works best for me and less worry about the bear being attracted.

Feel free to use any or none of my pics - I do like to encourage everyone to compost no matter how.

Here, use these, just give me photo credit:

Wire mesh compost bins made of concrete reinforcing wire (2 panels each bin).

No turning - I just pile stuff up and let it go until I need it. The middle of the pile is "finished", the outsides get a second go-round in a new bin. I let them sit for a year or so because I have the room.

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Breaking down the stack:
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And you can use them like big planters for a while, then break them down. These are tomatoes, and the bin you barely see to the left had squash and beans.

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Just got around to reading the NCDOT link from dag. I cringe a bit inside when I read about using compost for stuff like that. I know it's a good practise but I'd rather see compost used for food production rather than roadside reclamation. I even scoff a bit at flower gardens and lawns as I am not much of a flower/yard person. I have a tendancy to be biased in favour of anyone using compost to grow food. I know this attitude is not fair and there are other extenuating circumstances that come into play. My bad.

Whilst I'm here, does anyone have rough estimates of how much kitchen waste they generate and compost? Pounds per week would be great and # people in household.

Lloyd

Lloyd I don't take the other side of your "cringe" on the DOT issue. You are correct on WHERE good organic compost should be used.
But, small towns do not have the budget to do anything but vaccum curbside and haul away. Locally now they take this to the landfill and dump costing the city about $25K per year.
I am getting 4 to 10 year old packed leaves that now the EPA had ask the city to move from their old piles, (Within 500 feet of a creek).
The DOT issue does give at least a get it out of the landfill perspective.
Also I have asked the local Ag Extension Office to publish composting advantages information in the local paper.
There is a few acres of 12 plus feet deep material impounded that I'm trying to get that should be as good as what I cleaned up and screened. It needs to be put to some beneficial use. Like you, in a world where people are hungry obviously there is a priority. Second to that what a huge waste is this getting put in a landfill.
Education and a change in mentality of any recyclable material is a great need. I do commend you for being that intuitive to educate all that you can and do.
I am new at this but I am "bitten" by what good is in what we throw away, and the benefit it can derive when used to its potential.

Ya, I should have also added I break into a cold sweat and start trembling when I see all the "good stuff" being taken to the landfill! Good, better, best is something I have to keep reminding myself.

I lay awake thinking about how I could possibly collect all the UCGs from the restaurants in town...retirements coming up. :-)

Lloyd

I think for the general public lasagne style works great the layers of leaves, coffee, grass, wood chips, and manure. We really do drain a soils of nutrients way to fast.

I wanted to keep it simple, too many facts would make it not watchable.

Here is a link that might be useful: Compost PSA

Nicely done!

Terrific job! (wait until I tell my pile it's on YouTube) I particularly like the contrast in the sounds of the voracious scavenging gulls compared to the happy chirping of songbirds.

Will this PSA actually get seen in the non-academic, non-YouTube world?

Claire

Quick, to the point, very nice.

tj

I like it! I wonder why we don't see more presentations like that?

Lloyd