Food scraps are too good to waste – why send them to the dump? Finley could give some of hers to her chickens to recycle into eggs, but even chicken-owning households will have food scraps which are chock full of nutrients and organic matter that are too good to waste. Besides, why expend fossil fuels sending them to the landfill?

Professional composting can be an exacting science, but for the rest of us it’s as easy as peeling an apple. All you need is a convenient spot to compost (back yard, side of the house, etc.), something to define that spot (sure, a fancy bin will do, but so will some old chicken wire or a lattice of sticks), and patience.

Don’t worry about carbon and nitrogen ratios – that’s for the experts. Don’t worry about turning the compost – that speeds up the process, but isn’t required. DO keep meat and bread products out because that will attract hungry animals looking for an easy meal.

If you’re a gardener, you’ll eventually have great soil to add to your flower patch. If you’re not, you’ll still have great soil! And if you have kids, you have a backyard science demonstration project showing how nature wastes nothing. Read here for step-by-step instructions.

Image from “Scaling the Peak.“