During my second week of the Wise County Extension internship, I decided to tackle their neglected compost tumbler. In their defense, they didn’t want to maintain compost in the first place when the tumbler was given to them. After sitting since 2017 with very little attention, the compenents remained preserved. Though it was not the most pleasent experience, I emptied the dry, but whole, contents and dedcided to put them to use. Using pulled weeds and other greens along with the newly claimed browns from the deserted compost bin, I started filling the tumbler with a 2:1 ratio browns to greens (approximately). Over the course of my 10 week internship, I plan to aerate the compost once a week, water when needed, and add browns and greens as they come my way. Hopefully there will be some signs of good compost when the 10 weeks are up.

Composting is a great alternative to buying fertilizer. Composting is an easy way to use food scraps, saw dust, cardboard, coffee grounds and so many other things that would probably just be trashed otherwise. When the compost is finshed, it is nutrient rich and encourages a healthy soil which results in healthy plants. Composting is sustainable, eco-friendly, and waste conscious. Along with the ecological benefits, composting is great for your soil and plant health and can save you money!