Who Composts?

Backyard composting can take a lot of different forms.  Among people who compost, there is a wide range of participation and passion.  I don’t personally know anyone who composts, so I turned to cyberspace to meet some people who do.  I came across four interesting individuals who not only compost, but write about their composting experience.  Each of these composter-writers live in a different area, and have a different level of focus, expertise and involvement.  The one thing they have in common is that they all know a lot about composting from their own experience.

Leslie is a Canadian composter who writes about her experience at www.the-compost-gardener.com.  Leslie writes about finding solace in gardening during particularly stressful times in her life, including after she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis which led to the closure of the art school she was running.  As “The Compost Gardener” her involvement and knowledge of composting is significant.  Her website hosts a large amount of information and advertising.  She details not only the how-to, but the why of composting.  Leslie’s posts are written in a personable, accessible yet informational and educated tone. 

Kathryn writes about composting at her website www.goingzerowaste.com.  Kathryn began composting when she moved to California and saw so much trash, litter, and plastic in the ocean.  Her website contains more advertising than information, which makes it somewhat difficult to navigate.  The things she identifies as “compostable” is a slightly more expansive than lists on other composting sites and includes specifics like toilet paper cores, pizza boxes, and even small pieces of cotton and wool.  Composting is just one part of Kathryn’s passion about “going zero waste” some it doesn’t receive as much attention as other parts of her website.

Online, Rod Weston appears to be the expert of all experts when it comes to composting.  His website www.carryoncomposting.com is one of the Top 40 Composting Blogs on the web.  It lists nearly 60 different compost topics on its menu.  Rod speaks at garden clubs and community groups throughout England, and runs a Home Compost Demonstration Site.  It is clear that composting is not simply a hobby for Rod, but something he has devoted his life to.  I get the impression that composting is more common in England than it is in the United States, but regardless of location, this Brit knows all there is to know about composting.

Michelle is a composter in Cincinnatti Ohio.  Her blog, "Confessions of a Composter," is simple and easy to navigate.  She writes specifically to her audience in Hamilton County, but several of her topics are helpful for anyone interested in composting.  She proclaims, “I LOVE composting,” and her passion is evident in her fun, well-written posts.

After meeting several new virtual composting friends, I have learned lots of new things, the foremost being that when it comes to composting I have a lot to learn.

Works Cited:
Balz, Michelle. Ode To A Worm. Confessions of a Composter. 2018. http://confessionsofacomposter.blogspot.com/. Accessed 2 June 2018.

The Compost Gardener. 2009. www.the-compost-gardener.com/about-me.html. Accessed 2 June 2018.

Weston, Rod. Making Compost. Carry On Composting. 2017 www.carryoncomposting.com/142941464. Accessed 2 June 2018.

Your Guide to Backyard Composting. Going Zero Waste. 2016. www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/2015/10/25/backyardcomposting.  Accessed 2 June 2018.