Compost Q & A with a Master Composter, Part 3

by on April 11, 2011
in home & garden · 9 Comments

It’s been great chatting about composting, and having Master Composter, Sarah Ferry, answer some of our questions. Composting is something can be quite intimidating, and also can have a lot of variations and variables. Hopefully our series of Q & As has helped with some of the questions and issues that might have been inhibiting you.

Today we’re going to look at a few more great questions and answers from Sarah.

Simple Organic: I have a compost ball and I’m not that fond of it. It gets very heavy even when it’s not very full, and stinky compost tea gets all over us when we roll it (since it’s covered with drainage/air holes and the liquids all leak out all over it once it’s been rolled).

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Compost Q & A With a Master Composter, Part 2

by on April 8, 2011
in home & garden · 5 Comments

This week we are tackling a few more questions in our Compost Q & A series, with Master Composter, Sarah Ferry. Here are some more great questions from Simple Organic readers, taking a look at topics like bacteria in compost piles, paper products, and looking at the issue of composting pet waste, which we touched on once before.

Simple Organic: I always thought that you could compost anything from your garden. But then a farmer in our area told us never to compost tomato plants. He said that our humongous pile of composting material we now can’t use on our garden because of the bacteria that tomato plants can grow. Is that true?

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Compost Q & A: Meet a Master Composter, Part 1

by on April 1, 2011
in home & garden · 11 Comments

Today I am pleased to introduce you all to a dear friend of mine, Sarah Ferry. Sarah is a Master Composter and she’s here to answer some questions about composting, submitted by our very own readers.

First of all, I asked Sarah to explain what a Master Composter is, and then she tackled answering your questions. We’ll start with the first set of questions today, and then take a look at the rest later this month.

Simple Organic: What is a Master Composter?

Sarah Ferry: Many cities have organizations or groups offering Master Composter courses to allow people in the community the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge and experience in the area of composting. The purpose of these courses is to create more ambassadors for composting throughout the region by preparing people to properly educate the public on the virtues and process of composting.

The master composting program I participated in was through the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation in Encinitas, CA. This is a six-week course covering the science and mechanics of both vermi-composting (composting with worms) and backyard composting. This course is for all people from all walks of life and levels of prior composting experience.

If you are interested in gaining a greater understanding of composting and want to meet other people with the same interest and passion in your area I would recommend looking into a Master Composter course near you! (For example, if you live in San Diego and might be interested in the program there are courses beginning April 26th and 27th in Fallbrook and San Diego. Click here for more information.).

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Compost Q & A: Pet Waste, Vermicomposting and More

by on March 18, 2011
in home & garden · 21 Comments

This post is part of our Compost Q & A series.

As many of you probably already know from experience, composting at home is one of the most economical and eco-friendly ways to reduce your waste and improve your garden.

The best reasons for learning to compost can be summed up in these four points, which I found in the Backyard Composting Guide published by my county’s environmental center. Composting:

  • Saves you money by conserving water and reducing the need to purchase commercial fertilizers and soil amendments.
  • Benefits your yard and garden by improving soil health and fertility and preventing erosion.
  • Conserves water by helping the soil hold more water and reducing the need for frequent watering.
  • Helps the environment by recycling valuable organic materials and extending the life of the landfill.

If you are totally new to composting or need a refresher as we head into spring, I encourage you to go back and read Katie’s excellent article, Gardening 101: Make Your Own Compost.

Today, I wanted to look at a couple of specific aspects of composting, and then I’ll talk about a special opportunity for learning more.

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