I was pleased to see the front page article this morning in the Oregonian about composting kitchen waste.  Many of us fail to take the time to collect and deposit our kitchen waste onto our compost piles, using our outdoor bins mainly for yard debris.  But as we know, we cannot put kitchen waste into our yard debris cans for weekly pick up - they are composted using different methods – and so kitchen waste heads for the landfill. 

I encourage you to read today’s article on the benefits of composting for our environment, and then to consider attending our upcoming class.  We’ll have Glen Andresen, Metro’s Natural Gardening Specialist here on Saturday, June 20th, to talk about “Composting 101.”  I have toured Glen’s home garden, and I must say, he’s the real deal.  Over the years, he has developed a sustainable system that works for him — his entire urban lot is devoted to edible gardening – fruit trees, raised beds filled with annual and perennial vegetables, bees, and several compost bins.  Glen will walk us through the easy steps in converting our kitchen and yard waste into a nutrient-rich amendment for our gardens.  And, if  you can’t wait for our class, read all of  Metro’s tips on composting at  http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=553.

We sell Metro’s Earth Machine compost bins here at Farmington Gardens for $49.99, so if you don’t feel like driving out to Swan Island to pick one up, you can get them here.  This is the year to adopt some good habits, both for ourselves and for the planet!

p.s.  Please call us to register for this class – 503-649-4568.