Quote: The produce that comes from outside the USA can, because use is not regulated, have much higher concentrations of whatever was used than the same produce grown in the USA. Research has shown that the amount of residual pesticide on the produce you eat, if grown in the USA, is fairly minute and most will dissipate or be digested and rendered "safe" by the soil bacteria in your soil, if you have a soil that has a good, active Soil Food Web. Kimm, such a blanket statement about other countries' guidelines on food production. Perhaps you would like to state what countries the U.S. imports from having such lower standards than the U.S. I would be very interested since Canada is America's biggest trading partner and vice versa. Toronto is the third largest customer of California truck farm produce. That fact was unknown by its governor...Mr Swartzeneggar (sp) when he visited us last summer. President H.W. Bush was also surprised at that fact. And the second biggest trade parter of the U.S..... the Province of Ontario. Now it would be most interesting if you would state where you get such data from and list the countries you think have such low standards. Did you know Kimm, the U.S.'s largest producer of chicken meats---for such places as Kentucky Fried Chicken et al...they came to Quebec to open a factory to serve the local restaurants and to ship all across Canada. Well, they had to pick up their bat and ball and move out....it seems Canada's standards of production was too high for this company to make sufficient money at. So they left this country. That's a fact that you can check on. Now its one thing to suggest that standards MAY BE lower...and such statement is probably true...you can always find something, some country with low or lower stnadards. So if you will KIMM, state from where you get your data.

Gena - Others have commented in the past that the supposed (bad-rap) "stink" of compost piles really does not have to be a part of the compost process at all (some would even say "shouldn't be a part of it").*(see PPS below) There is no minimum size to avoid "stink." It is not size-related - it is ratio-related (enough browns mixed in w/the nitrogen; the N is usually the cause of the alleged stink). So, if your goal is to make "stealth" compost without anyone detecting it from aroma or looks, then you'll do great. I've been doing it in the back of my townhouse in a rubbermaid for almost a year, and no one has noticed. In addition to getting a good brown/green ratio, adding leaves on top usually stops any fresh aromas that might temporarily exist. I just add the leaves to kill the aromas that the raccoons might pick up on, although I don't. Also, I have no flies issue whatsoever. Sometimes if I've had the lid on a while and there's tons of N & very little brown, little tiny gnat-like things float out when I open the lid, but a brief amount of fresh air & they disburse. When the cover's off, no insects hover over it (maybe in it, I'm sure, but not over it). What are the dimensions of the baskets? Even if it's smaller than the supposed min size of 3 feet cube, it'll still work - just eventually b/c it might not be able to heat up well, etc. Truly, my rubbermaid is smaller than 3 feet cube, but it's not tiny by the time you average out the dimensions. So, if you do something in a "less than ideal" size, just know that it might be slower, that it'll work better if the pieces you put in are smaller, that it'll work better if you have access to & put in high-heat items, e.g. grass clippings, alfalfa, bloodmeal, etc., and that it'll work better the more you turn it (in my opinion) b/c it counteracts the moisture that seems to accumulate quickly in a small bin. Hope this helps, All the Best, Tree PS If it were me, I'd give it a try - flies/odor won't be a problem - getting it to reduce to compost in your timeframe - whatever that is for you personally - will be your biggest challenge. I happen to like challenges, and I like the habit of getting outside to "do" something w/it (add to it or turn it) - so I have fun with it! :) *PPS In fact, there's a recent thread about the non-issue of the odor of a pile.

I should explain a few more details. I do not get the produce just for composting. I am rescuing the leftovers from a produce stand. Hundreds of pounds of produce are kept out of the landfill each week, and a large quantity of that is edible and used as food. This has basically become a volunteer project of ours, keeping this edible food out of a landfill and getting as much of it as possible to people trying to save on groceries. Occasionally some goes to a food pantry, but they need it in quite pristine condition. I have a huge email network I alert as to the current week's produce, plus give it to neighbors. Of course hubby and I almost never buy any produce between what we get free and what we grow. Occasionally when I get say 22 cases of bananas or 75 cases of peaches and nectarines (that happened once) I also do a shout out to freecycle. We get anywhere from 15 to 30 cases of produce in an average week. So yes it would be a matter of having thousands of stickers in my compost piles if I don't take them off. And as for organic gardening, I was just at a seminar about getting certified as organic last Saturday. They reiterated what I had already read, namely that stuff going into your compost does NOT have to be organic as long as you do not put it around plants within a certain number of months of harvest, depending if they grow on the ground, e.g., lettuce, or are up in the air, e.g., eggplant. If you apply the compost only in the fall or early spring (depending on the crop) then you are following the organic guidelines. Over a certain period of time the chemicals on produce or in horse manure, leaves, etc., break down and thus become suitable for organic gardeners. The one thing I avoid is other people's grass clippings, since there is one herbicide (although I have read that it isn't used much any more) that composting DOES NOT break down. Marcia

Alright I had to get in on this. I live in North Houston, Kingwood area with a 9a climate, grow mangos, tamarinds, kumquats, N33E oranges, purple and banana passionfruits, key limes, calomandins, jackfruit, dragon fruit, and various others but those are my most proud plants. Let me start with this, in this area I can go and take pictures tomorrow of lemon trees growing wild in Kingwood and New Caney, then in Crosby I know of a blood orange growing wild in the woods. If you update your information you'll quickly find out that meyers lemons, Persian and Mexican limes, kumquats,calmansi/calomandin, and sour oranges are the most cold hardy. Don't water any tropical fruit plant during winter if you're in a 9a and above, even 9b is kinda skeptical. Wait until temperatures don't dip below 60 to water them. The hotter it gets, the more you water, BUT DON'T FLOOD. I do not even use fertilizers, i simply prepare a good humus, compost, sandy, and peat moss soil... All natural for my babies, haha. After 2 years take the top 6 inches off and replace it. As you water, these nutrients will reach the bottom. My key lime fruited in its' first year. During winter take them in if you're in a 9b and above. Now for the burn comment, no. We're talking about tropicals here, as long as you keep the soil moist, not soggy, you'll keep a "tropical" climate for the roots and not a desert one. Trust me, I know all too well about our "sonic cup melting" summers haha. Another thing, as long as your plant has thick leaves usually, not always, the general rule of thumb is it can handle a sun burn. Good luck to y'all and good planting.