Monika Groppe at the Hill City Community Compost.Tossing glass, plastic and cardboard into a recycling bin is simple enough, but what about an apple core, a banana peel or even those old coffee grounds? Taking those and other undesirable waste products we accumulate every day and transforming them into something reusable may seem like magic.
But really, it’s just composting.
Compost Chemistry
Millions of macro and microorganisms work to transform a pile of discarded waste into compost. A good mix of greens (plant waste, grass clippings, etc.) and browns (wood chips, paper, brown leaves, etc.) make for the best compost product. Depending on how much work is put into it as well as what container the compost is in, maturing compost can take a few weeks or over a year. Either way, the end product is like black gold for a garden. Find out more about composting at compostinstructions.com.
“It’s about teaching people how to turn waste into something useful or profitable,” says North Shore resident Monika Groppe.
She has spent the better part of the summer and early fall cultivating a small community garden in Hill City, along with the help of First Calvary Baptist Church, where the garden grows. Fall crops have already been planted among the raised garden beds and the colorful recycled tires painted by the neighborhood kids. But one thing Groppe says the garden is lacking is good, rich soil in which to grow the plants.
With the rocky terrain of Hill City, she’s turned to composting, but she needs the community’s help. Groppe started a campaign on Causeway.com to raise money to purchase two Earth Tubs, large bins made specifically for composting.
Her dream, she adds, is that the Hill City Community Compost will be known as a drop-off site for compost materials, allowing the garden to become self sufficient over time. “The way plants bring people together is really neat,” says Groppe. “I would like this to become an example for the city-a technique in building community.”
For more information contact Monika Groppe at mlgroppe@gmail.com.
For more information on the project visit causeway.org/cause/view/hill-city-community-compost.
Garden Party
The Hill City Community Compost, located at 301 W. Bell Ave., is hosting a Block Party Oct. 12 from 5-8 p.m. to raise awareness of the benefits of composting as well as funds for the Earth Tubs. The party includes food trucks, jugglers, live music and games for kids.