The Local Food Project at Airlie demonstrates the ins and outs of a small-scale food system. An important cog in that system is the compost we develop with garden waste and food scraps from the Airlie Center kitchen. We received almost 20,000 pounds of scraps last year—a valuable supply of nitrogen that, when combined with carbon-rich plant stalks and other brown matter from the garden, cooks down into moist, black, crumbly compost dense with nutrients that vegetables need to thrive. For more information on soil and compost, visit ATTRA, the National Sustainable Agricuture Information Service’s Sustainable Soil Management section.
We designed this four-square compost bin to effectively handle daily additions of food scraps from Airlie’s kitchen, provide a convenient place to store brown matter, and allow for a smooth transition between active and completed piles. From our view up on the ladder, this style of compost bin will do a lot to enhance our system, helping it become more sustainable and complete.
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