Free Compost

by Patricia Diaz, from the October 2001 Newsletter

Last month's article discussed the importance of preparing your garden for its winter sleep. Two ways in which you can benefit from using compost this time of year include digging in compost after harvest to boost your winter cover crop and preparing a new garden spot easily by placing layers of compost, newspaper, cardboard and straw over the proposed area and letting Nature work for you over the winter.

This month's article will discuss the compost available at Moscow's landfill and how you can get some of this wonderful material for your own garden.

A few miles east of Moscow on the Troy Highway is the landfill site. This is the place for your free compost. It is advised, however, that you call ahead to determine the availability of the compost. The phone number is 208-882-5724.

I interviewed Robin Baumgartner of Moscow Recycling for details on Moscow's compost. The landfill site makes compost for use by the city and county parks and also for the private use of its citizens.

The compost is strictly composed of yard waste. No food waste is permitted. They estimate that composting yard waste accounts for the disposal of seven percent of the county's total waste. This saves money for all taxpayers, since it costs $80 a ton to dispose of non-composted material. And it provides compost for our use.

Robin stated that not much compost is left and when we went to get some there were three very large piles. She said that several tons have gone to the county's herbal project and to community gardens and parks. That's why a phone call might save you a trip in case they run out.

Robin also said that the landfill hours have just changed, and the landfill is now open Monday through Friday from 7-5 and on Saturday from 8-4. This schedule will remain in effect until October 31. Starting November 1 (through March 31) the hours will be Monday through Saturday 8-4. If it is raining hard, compost will not be given out. However, in a light rain situation it will be all right to go out to get your compost.

To get your load of compost, take your truck out to the landfill site and drive up to the intercoms and state that you are there for compost. They then will send someone out with the front-end loader to get the load. You drive straight ahead from the intercom/office area and signs will direct you to the composting area. The loader operator will bring the load over to your truck and carefully place the load in the back. It's that easy!

You do not need a truck to haul compost. You can use buckets or bags for carrying the compost, load those containers in your sedan or van, and fill them yourself with shovels.

The compost is made with low-tech equipment. Yard waste is ground up and then turned in windrows with a front-end loader. It is occasionally watered down with the city's leachate water, which saves on drinking water. When the compost is ready to give away, it is then screened for big chunks or foreign objects.

It is important for organic gardeners to remember that this compost is not certifiable organic matter. It comes from yards and gardens from all over the county and may have been exposed to chemicals.

© Copyright on articles, recipes and images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective contributors, except were otherwise noted.

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