Oscar the Composter

Hey Everyone!!

I was asked by my friend Kelly about our composter, so I thought I'd give a bit more info about it. I am by no means an expert...Craig and I are going for the "learn as you go" method on this one.

This is Oscar...

This is Oscar with a full tummy...

We chose the composter that we have, simply because the city sells them in their Environment Store, and they suggested it. It is quite large, so if you are thinking about composting, you may want to consider one of the smaller types. There is a site, http://www.composters.com/ , that has many options. However, the ones they sell that are similar to ours, are quite pricey...we scored ours for only $25 from the city!!!

In order to gain the heat needed to properly break down your food items, you need to start off with dirt. We had a bag of soil that we never used last summer, so in that went. Then, you need to add your food scraps. We are still getting used to what is okay to add and what isn't. Right now, I mostly add Hannah's banana peels, my coffee grinds (and filters), egg shells, and bread. You cannot add any fats, meats, bones, or sauces. According to the book that came with our unit, we should have compost in 6 months, and once it really starts going, we'll have new stuff every 6 weeks.

I must say that Hannah and I have really gotten into "feeding Oscar". This past weekend, we bought a garbage can that has two sections...one for returnables and one for compost items. The bin doesn't smell at all, and I cannot wait until I can use the fresh compost in my garden!!!!

Enjoy!!!

Sharon