THIS BENEFICIAL PROCESS STARTS IN THE KITCHEN.

STORY BY KATIE LAVALLEE | ILLUSTRATIONS BY SARA ORTIZ

Composting really is a win-win for the composter and the environment. It creates an organic material that can be applied to soil, gardens, trees and plants, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. It keeps produce scraps, newspapers and other materials out of landfills. This reduces methane emissions in these areas of waste, which is significant given they are the third largest source of the greenhouse gas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

These outcomes all sound great, but what is involved, you might ask. We break it down for you here (no pun intended).

Compost requires three components to work: “greens,” which provide nitrogen; “browns,” which provide carbon; and water, which provides moisture. Over time, the combination encourages the beneficial bacteria and fungi to grow, and they decompose the organic matter into humus, a nutrient-rich material.

Greens

include peels and bits of fruits and vegetables (no fruit pits), eggshells, coffee grounds, tea leaves, paper tea bags and coffee filters, nut shells and grass clippings.

Browns

include shredded newspaper, cardboard and paper, dead leaves, branches and twigs.

How To Get Started

Follow these steps, and you’ll be well on your composting way.

1 Choose a designated container, like a plastic bucket or coffee can, for green materials generated as you cook. As you come across them, add them to the container. It’s easiest to keep the container on a countertop, but if space is limited or the scraps attract pests, try storing it in the freezer.

2 Decide whether to compost inside or outside your home. Select another container or a confined, dry, shady space in your yard for your pile where decomposition will occur, anything from a 5-gallon pail to a 5-by-5-foot enclosure. You can always buy a composting bin.

3 Gather brown items and about as much greens as you have collected.

4 In your chosen space, layer, in an equal amount, browns on the bottom, greens on the top. Within your green layers, alternate between smaller and larger pieces. Add moisture to your brown layers. Over time, as you collect greens and browns, add equal layers to your compost pile. If possible, keep it covered, with a lid or tarp, to retain moisture. During summertime, you will need to add extra water to your pile. Consider using water from cooking pasta or other excess water to do so.

Tips

AN ACTIVE SYSTEM NEEDS YOU TO ROUTINELY MIX OR TURN THE PILE, using a shovel or pitch fork or, like urban farmer, Stephanie Kasper, rely on feathered friends.

“We don’t turn very often, maybe every two to three months, but the chickens do scratch through it to find interesting morsels and bugs. So [it’s] slightly chicken turned,” she says.

IF YOU WANT

To Take Composting To The

NEXT LEVEL, consider adding earthworms — Bequita’s Blooms & Botanicals in Harlingen sells them — which help break down the material into smaller pieces.

A Usable Product At Last

It can take anywhere from two weeks to two years for your compost to become ready for use, depending on the size of the pile, how often you turn it and other factors. When the material at the bottom of your pile is dark and rich in color, you may use it to enrich your gardens, trees and plants.

COMPOST PULLS CARBON FROM THE ATMOSPHERE INTO SOIL and stimulates the microbes contained within it. The result is an improved soil structure. Compost helps soil retain moisture, too, which is vital during droughts. With plants and trees, compost reduces the incidence of diseases and pests, helping keep them healthy and growing.

For more information on composting, visit txmg.org/cameron/education/composting.

Katie Lavallee is the education coordinator with the Texas Center for Local Food. She is a passionate environmental advocate and gardener striving for a zero-waste lifestyle.

Dmeat or fish bones and scraps; dairy products, including butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt and eggs; fats, grease, lard and oils; and yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides.

5 Decide how much more effort you want to put into composting. If you do not want to do anything more than continue adding layers, your system will be a passive one and will take longer to decompose than an active system.