peter and i built these large bins together using salvaged pallets and old fencing that were already on the property when i arrived. we used a few screws and nails, and tied sections together with scrap wire and twine. there are lots of building materials around the place, including hundreds of beautiful old bricks. a lively farmer could build a little house to live in!
i got peter and quentin out there for the ritual of adding the first layers. we had some great materials to work with, including partially decomposed leaves from last fall and fresh grass clippings. i emphasized the importance of balancing the carbon and nitrogen, wetting any dry materials, and incorporating stemmy materials for aeration. it is beneficial to have a diversity of materials in the pile, from fine to coarse. it is not advised to add woodchips or branches with more than a 1/4 inch diameter.
the next evening we had another workshop with the whole family. i showed them how to incorporate food scraps and humanure into the pile. this method, which is demonstrated well by joseph jenkins in this video, is to:
1-- pull back cover material to the edges of the bin.
2-- pull compost material (the last deposit, which has been 'cooking') to the edges in the same manner, making a depression in the center-top of the pile.
3-- deposit the new material into that depression.
4-- wash out any buckets (what have you) and add the water to the pile.
5-- move the cover material over the new deposit *
6-- add more cover material as you see fit to make a generous layer
*note that the previous deposit, having had it's time in the hot seat, now has been shifted to the outer edges of the top layer! in this method the pile is being turned in a way, with very little effort! brilliant!
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