There are a lot of people on this Organic Gardening forum that are very knowledgeable about composting as well. Composting is the basis of organic gardening so we need to know about that more so than the conventional gardeners on other froums. As a general rule of thumb any wee critters that you can see are not desireable in your compost, but there is no reason to throw that compost away. Wee crutters that you can see moving about on your compost is an indication that there is too much moisture in that mix and the addition of some dry material or a dessicant (something that will absorb moisture) will aid in eliminating those undesireables. Blood meal would be an example of a dessicant that can also add Nitrogen, if needed, to the process. Many people once thought that having the larva of the Black Soldier Fly, maggots, in your sompost was good because they thought, erroneously, that these were the Black Soldier Beetle, an insect predator, which the BSF certainly is not. Since it is not easy to tell the difference between the larva of the common house fly, the stable fly, the Black Soldier Fly, or others until late in the larvas development and since most of the other fly species are known to be carriers of diseases there is no good reaon to have them in your compost.

Yeah, it's a gorgeous house...Full of character...It's been really fun getting the gardens into shape...They were so overgrown with grass that it had turned into pretty much just lawn in the front...It wasn't until I excavated the area double digging that I realized there had been gardens there...I have this gorgeous pink phlox and two peonies that had been there for who knows how long...The poor peonies were just about dead...Soil had just buried them over the years...They haven't bloomed for me yet, but I think this year will be their year! But the comfrey :shudders: Someone at some point planted comfrey and it is *everywhere*...Not in my gardens anymore, but all over the side yard...What are you going to do, you know? I'll have to post pics of the house sometime..It really is pretty

Barter could be a great thing for the common citizen. I injoyed the few local exchanges I've attended over the years. Were my plate not full already,I would love attempting to establishing a first Sat morn exchange at the nearby farmer's market. If you all are referring to Keurig,we have used one since Christmas. We toss them into empty 2 LB coffee containers that I saved in the past. Occasionaly I empty several by ripping away the foil cover and plunging needle nose pliers to the bottom and pulling out both, filter and coffee. I normally have enough material but here is how I handle the waste veggies from the supermarket when I need them. I carry a step ladder,an open top 55 gal barrel,rubber gloves and a trash pick-up tool in the truck when going shopping. As I leave the market I pull by the dumpster. 90% of the produce waste is in wood shipping crates and if not covered very deep can be pulled to where I can grip with my hand and remove from dumpster. Everone understands that part but what about being questioned about the act? I say that I'm aware they don't give the stuff away and I plan leaving the place as clean as I found it. Were anyone to start non-sense about liability of me becomeing sick from eating it,I will show them the groceries and recept to set them at ease. I only had to deal with that issue a few times in 30 years. The employee never pushed the thing except one time. I didn't remove any more nor put any back when she threatened calling the cops. I apoligized for upsetting her then left. Were the police ever involved and gave me a ticket,I plan asking for a jury trial. I fully expect the city would drop it but if a jury found me guilty,I've had worse happen. I know some would be crushed over a scolding for dumpeter diving but I have fairly thick skin plus a real dislike for how liability is over the top and become a monkey on our back at every turn. Does anyone believe a street person can get a judgement against a store because he ate spoiled food from their dumpster? That's why the manager can't invite you to take the stuff but isn't likly to prosicute you for taking it without permission. Just don't create a mess,that's mostly why dumpster diving is frowned on.

There is nothing wrong with compost tumblers. They are wonderful. You simply need to have the right kinds and amounts of materials. Grass clippings and leaves work really well but you might not have many leaves at this time so you could substitute some horse bedding or shredded newspaper. Pine straw is very slow to compost so not the best choice when you want speedy results. Also keep in mind that shredded material is what you need when you want that two or three week batch of compost. Don't give up or let some knuckle head tell you that tumblers aren't any good. Keep experimenting. It's fun!