Compost this—AND that? You bet!

Living on the farm, my grandparents have always “composted.” But ever since Grandpa told my mom that compost is “good for the soil”, we’ve had a small bucket under the kitchen sink, where we’re supposed to put…honestly? I’m not 100% sure what.

So, because today is Learning About Composting Day (for real!), I decided to look it up.

Turns out, there are a LOT of things you can compost—not just fruit and veggie scraps (though, they’re important as well.) You can toss in tea bags, newspapers, coffee grounds, egg shells… Chances are, if it’s biodegradable (capable of being decomposed by bacteria and other living organisms), you can compost it.

Sidenote: For a fun and kind of spooky look at those bacteria I mentioned, check out Beneath the SOIL from the Chase Superman Duffy comic series!

Okay, back to composting. Dad says its pretty low maintenance. He takes the bucket to a composting bin in the back yard, adds leaves if it looks wet, and water if it looks dry, and gives it a couple of stirs with a giant pitchfork. I heard you can even compost in the winter, but I don’t totally understand that—wouldn’t everything freeze?

Grandpa says composted soil is perfect for growing stuff because those bacteria and micro-organizes clean (ha ha) and feed the soil. Good soil even smells good—earthy, almost. I admit, I was a bit skeptical until Mom showed me a corner of her garden where she added some of Grandpa’s compost—her tomatoes look terrific!

Does your family compost? Any tips to help me get more involved?

Gotta jet! Have a SUPER weekend!

— Chase Superman Duffy