Composter

John built us a compost tumbler this year. It sits near the back door by our kitchen and has been so handy. We've been wanting one for awhile, but they can be pretty expensive. So, naturally, John decided to build one himself using one of these big barrels.

We've had other composting attempts in the past, but they never seemed to work out.  We had compost piles that were far from the house  - which mean we'd fill a bucket for awhile in the kitchen that got too gross, plus it would be inconvenient to carry it to the pile, so we'd often forget. I've learned that for composting to work for our family it needs to be convenient and avoid the yuck factor.

John's barrel by the door is pretty convenient. I don't keep a compost bucket inside, I just put scraps in a dish while I'm cooking, so I have to take it out after every meal.  This helps avoid yuckiness inside. Of course, the composter is still a bit yucky when you open the lid, but we try to throw in grass whenever it gets too buggy, and keep it rotated.

He built it so that he could roll a wheel barrow underneath it to empty the compost, and I think the height also makes it convenient for throwing things in. I don't have a step by step on his process or anything, but I think there are plenty of ways you could easily make something like this.

Yay for dirt!