Husband was on board especially since he doesn't want to install a garbage disposal. We went to Target and picked out the cutest little black garbage can with a little lid that will fit under the sink. We lined it with a plastic bag and, bravo, instant compost:
Now, I consider myself an intelligent person, but there are a few minor details that I did not think through when we began this venture. The one pretty major issue is where we are going to put the stuff. As you can see in the picture, our little garbage can is just about full and we have not really had a conversation about where those food items will be going. Some things to consider: (1)a place where the dogs cannot get into it, (2) something enclosed so that the deer/supposed coyotes/raccoons don't get into it, (3) someplace near the garden since, well, I'm lazy. When I broached this subject with the husband he said, "I'll come up with something." I wanted to say "when?", but I just left it alone.
In addition, we've had a relatively mild winter, but just within the past 3 days have accumulated about 8 inches of snow.... that may make things a bit more complicated. I'll keep you posted.
So how does one compost? Just throw junk in a pile right? Well, according to Plow & Hearth.com (on their composting for beginners page) it states: There are four key words to remember: green, brown, air, water. What this means is that, to make compost, all you have to do is bring together moist, fresh, predominantly green ingredients (grass clippings, weeds, kitchen scraps, and the like) and predominantly brown ingredients (dead leaves, straw, hay, wood shavings or chips, etc.), ensure that the mix remains damp, and turn it all every few days to reintroduce oxygen to the pile. That's it."
Oh yeah, that's it. Then it goes on to say that there should be between a 5:1 and an 8:1 ratio, by volume, of brown materials to green. I didn't know math would be involved!
Furthermore the article tells me: "A pile that doesn't heat up within 24 hours needs more green material. A compost thermometer is very handy for determining the temperature near the center of the pile, which should rise to approximately 150-160F." A compost thermometer? I didn't know such a thing existed. I can just see me this summer "Yes I'll have to call you back, I'm taking the temperature of the compost pile right now."
Don't worry, "Not much can go wrong with a compost pile other than the two conditions mentioned above---a pile that doesn't heat up and one that develops an ammonia-like smell." So the only things that can go wrong are (1) it won't heat up and therefore won't decompose and therefore will simply just be a pile of crud instead of dark, rich soil and (2) it will stink to high heaven.
Alright, I know I'm over dramatizing, but people are listing these things as easy eco-fixes: turn off the lights, unplug appliances, start a compost pile. This is a commitment. Don't worry - I will not be deterred!
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