I have always wanted to purchase a compost tumbler, but felt that they were a costly, frivolous purchase. Not being very mechanically minded, I could never figure out how to build my own either, but after visiting How-to Homestead I think this would be an easy enough project that I might be able to complete myself. Finding a large food grade barrel may be an issue, but I already have the remaining supplies.

Now these people know how to compost! I love watching this video clip.

This is the best Mother’s Day present I could ever receive.

My youngest DD brought roses to me today, for a belated Mother’s Day. She actually ordered them on Friday and paid with money that she won from the JAC National Contest this month. She just didn’t want me to get them early. DH took us all to Playa Azul in Pratt on Saturday afternoon on our way to visit MIL. We love Playa Azul, but prefer to eat at the one in Woodward because they always bring the queso to the table (for free) with the chips and the interior is a bit nicer. With fuel prices the way they are, Pratt was the better choice, as it was on our way.

I had mentioned that I ended my Mother’s Day by sitting by the fire until after dark, but I should have said that it ended with a very pleasant phone call from my oldest DD, who lives in the Dallas Area. She actually spent an hour visiting with me.

“What is that yuk in the bucket on the sidewalk outside mom? It is gross!!!!!” That is the first thing I heard from my DD when she found my deep, dark, bison manure tea steaping in a bucket in our side yard. Normally, I would place the manure in a cloth bag attached to a stick so the manure will be easy to remove from the bucket, but this time around I just floated the manure in the water. My plan was to dip the tea out as I used it and then dump the remains into the compost pile, however with the rains and, consequently, muddy yard I have not used even a drop yet. In the meantime, we will have to deal with the brown liquid gold sitting where everyone can see. I will plan better next time.

Originally posted 2.10.08 on our first blog

Planning my compost pile, has had me wondering the important factors of my most successful compost piles of past. There are many considerations to ponder in the quest for that perfect hot bed of garden gold. In my opinion, location and size are the most important items to consider when starting a new compost pile.
The concerns for location include accessibility, and the amount of sunlight, with a lesser consideration of the aesthetics of your pile. The location should be a place close enough to your garden area to save on the energy used getting your new fertilizer to its intended final resting place. Is it close enough so that you do not mind those daily trips out there to drop in your new deposits? Is the area sunny or shady? While it is not necessary to be located in a sunny location, it certainly helps in the breaking down of the materials in your compost. Is your compost facility a work of art, or is it hodge-podged like mine? Aesthetically speaking, mine would be considered the latter, but that does not bother me. A compost pile can be disguised by placing it behind a hedgerow or behind a fence. Me? I want to proudly display my efforts at compost, in hope of piquing someone else’s interest. No hiding for my pile!
A successful compost pile needs to be no smaller than 3′ x 3′  and about 3′ high. Making a pile too large will cause the weight of the matter added to compress the air out of the bulk and slow down the decomposition. Most of us are in a hurry for the compost to do its job, so in the case of compost bins, size does matter. Now, having said that, I must added that if you insist on the mother of all compost piles and make yours 5 x 5 x 5, there is a little gadget that might help. A large pvc pipe with holes drilled through it can be placed in the center of your pile, which will allow air into your pile and get things heated up. I have been toying with the idea of adding a smaller version pvc pipe to my bin this year.