What I need help with is permission to use some of your pictures. You'll get credit, probably a watermark of your name or username on the photo. I've got some of my own, but variety would be great, windrows, tumblers, finished, screened, worm bins, etc.

If you can help post the photo's here or a link to your thread.

Thanks!

Lloyd

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

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 ;-)

Claire (who would love to have an Excavator)

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

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.

It 'grew' to be 5 bins.

Unfinished compost bin.

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.

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.

A few of the bagged leaves I scrounged.

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

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.

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.

Breaking down the stack:

***********
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.

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

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

Lloyd

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

Claire

tj

Lloyd