My dad had a compost pile and we did the same with scraps of food. He would make the daily trek to the back corner of the yard! The main purpose of his compost was the worms. He loved to fish and this is where he got his bait! Your article brought back a lot of good memories! Take care!!!
I wish we could have one of those big huge piles that span the whole back corner of our yard, but at least I am carrying on our ancestral tradition of the compost pile in a small, urban way. I know you're not supposed to put citrus in a compost pile, but Edmund squeezes 3 - 4 oranges a day for our orange juice. Every year, that's between 1,000 - 1,500 orange rinds that are not thrown into a landfill, but are returned to the soil!! Our worms must be California worms, because they seem to love it!!
Hello Hal, I just learned of you via todays writer office hours. Just listened to this work of art. I knew nothing about composting twenty minutes ago. Now I am fascinated to do it. Listening to you was the best minutes of my day and today has been a generally great day. Thanks for bringing joy to others through everything you make. Warm regards, Jeff
Hi Jeff. It's great to meet you! Thanks for your kind words. I look forward to hearing about your compost pile. :). I'll go check out your Substack now. Hal
We started composting last winter and I am amazed already at how well our bin is doing! 6 lawn bags of leaves, all out vegetable scraps, egg shells and torn up egg cartons have broken down into a healthy rich mound of dark matter that will be in the garden later on this year!! Thanks for sharing! I loved listening.
Nice, Hal. I spent some time in my little garden this morning and thought about your black gold. 🥰. We compost through the city here...once a week, Denver picks up our green compost bin. I really should find out where it goes! Seems like they should drop off some nice soil at my house from time to time...☺️
We’ve got 2 compost bins in our back yard and have been feeding them yard waste , but food scraps are problematic. The squirrels and raccoons go after the food and tear up the composting bags. Since the city has starting collecting compostable stuff we don’t put food scraps in our backyard bins any more.
Dad had a “compost pile” in the unused section of our garden. But he tried to compost brush as well as food scraps. The food scraps rotted but the brush didn’t so it became a brush pile. Then they threw the food scraps in the active part of the garden where it was plowed under every spring.
Oooof! Keeping Hallie on task! Hallie, should we start a compost? 😇😉
😂 Yes!
My dad had a compost pile and we did the same with scraps of food. He would make the daily trek to the back corner of the yard! The main purpose of his compost was the worms. He loved to fish and this is where he got his bait! Your article brought back a lot of good memories! Take care!!!
Thanks for sharing, Sue. Love it.
Another beautiful piece, Hal! Thank you!
Thank you, Kate
I wish we could have one of those big huge piles that span the whole back corner of our yard, but at least I am carrying on our ancestral tradition of the compost pile in a small, urban way. I know you're not supposed to put citrus in a compost pile, but Edmund squeezes 3 - 4 oranges a day for our orange juice. Every year, that's between 1,000 - 1,500 orange rinds that are not thrown into a landfill, but are returned to the soil!! Our worms must be California worms, because they seem to love it!!
I've heard that too about oranges. I wonder why. I put them in my compost. ❤️
Hello Hal, I just learned of you via todays writer office hours. Just listened to this work of art. I knew nothing about composting twenty minutes ago. Now I am fascinated to do it. Listening to you was the best minutes of my day and today has been a generally great day. Thanks for bringing joy to others through everything you make. Warm regards, Jeff
Hi Jeff. It's great to meet you! Thanks for your kind words. I look forward to hearing about your compost pile. :). I'll go check out your Substack now. Hal
We started composting last winter and I am amazed already at how well our bin is doing! 6 lawn bags of leaves, all out vegetable scraps, egg shells and torn up egg cartons have broken down into a healthy rich mound of dark matter that will be in the garden later on this year!! Thanks for sharing! I loved listening.
Yay! Keep going, Mari. H
I'm ashamed to admit that I'm a lazy composter, Hal. But your garden looks amazing, and now I feel inspired to give my own efforts a boost. Thanks!
Hey Fog. I'm sorry to have caused any shame... but happy to inspire. Go for it! H
Loved this one. I'm the same way about food going to waste in the garbage, always picking through and getting it to the compost pile. Thanks, Hal.
Hi Melanie... yes. :)
What a wonderful story narrated in your beautiful, soothing voice. Thank you very much for your efforts. This must not be easy for you.
Thank you Dorothy. I appreciate you listening. It's been a great distraction from my health challenges. H
Nice, Hal. I spent some time in my little garden this morning and thought about your black gold. 🥰. We compost through the city here...once a week, Denver picks up our green compost bin. I really should find out where it goes! Seems like they should drop off some nice soil at my house from time to time...☺️
That's cool, KK. I wonder what happens to all that compost. wow
Great to hear the whole life cycle of food to food ...
There is a compost heap here but I never got round to learning and don't have the ummp to maintain it ..
Ps I have worm phobia 😊
Hope u doing ok y'all
worm phobia. TBH... I like seeing them but I DO NOT like touching them. H
We’ve got 2 compost bins in our back yard and have been feeding them yard waste , but food scraps are problematic. The squirrels and raccoons go after the food and tear up the composting bags. Since the city has starting collecting compostable stuff we don’t put food scraps in our backyard bins any more.
Thanks Howard... For whatever reason, the animals have not been a problem with my compost... Did your mom and dad compost? H
Dad had a “compost pile” in the unused section of our garden. But he tried to compost brush as well as food scraps. The food scraps rotted but the brush didn’t so it became a brush pile. Then they threw the food scraps in the active part of the garden where it was plowed under every spring.
You turned scraps into gold, not only with your composting, but also with this essay. What a good read!
Thank you so much. I appreciate you reading! H