Where do you get things to compost?

[PJJ]

I scored 9 HUGE bags of mulched leaves from someone on freecycle today. I just wanted to remind everyone, check out your local freecycle for items like leaves, hay, straw, manure, ect. for composting. You can also find items you can use to build raised beds or compost bins on freecycle. There have been several people lately giving away concret blocks in my area.

I've also got a large, round bale of old hay coming in the next week or so from another person. I'm going to layer the leaves, hay, chicken manure, shredded paper and carboard in wire bins. I'm working on getting some seasoned horse manure too! It's gonna take up quite a bit of room but will be wonderful when it's ready to use! Thank goodness I have a large yard.:D

I'm hoping I won't have to buy as much soil this spring if I have lots of compost.

Happy gardening!!:)

Penny

[Backyard Permaculture]

I also have put notices on freecycle for peoples leaves. My ad reads as follows:

I know it is pretty early for raking up fallen leaves, but I am hoping that you will save this notice and go back and find it as you enter into the Fall Season.

For those who live in MY TOWN or are willing to drive to MY TOWN:

When you rake up your fallen leaves or grass clippings, Instead of hauling them to the dump for the privilege of paying them $5.00 to dump them, bring them to my house and drop them off for free!!!!

They will be used to make compost for my garden.

For info on where to drop them off, call 520-xxx-xxxx and ask for Ron.

Please save this information for later on if you don't have the leaves ready now. I will be glad to have them any time of the year, every year.

Thank you

Ron

I highly recommend doing it, to divert as many leaves as possible from the landfills into your garden. If you don't already belong to a Freecycle group, check at freecycle.org for your closest group. If there is not a group in your immediate area, you can start one, and be the moderator/owner of the local Freecycle group.

I have also received goats and chickens as well as household appliances on the group.


Ron

[MoniDew]

HAH! I joined FreeCycle because of you! You rock, Ron!

[plantoneonme]

Hey you cannot beat freecycle. I have given and received many items. Today I gave away a 24 month snowsuit and potty chair that otherwise probably would have been tossed in the trash by DH (not probably he had them ready to toss!).

If live in areas where the gardening season is wrapping up you can also post that you will do garden clean up for free in return for whatever you glean. I did this and received a lot of food for only a couple hours labor. I also glean from neighbor's fruit trees on my walking route...everyone is happy!

BTW, you can also offer such services on craigslist also.

Kim

[maricybele]

The concept is spreading.

The gardener people in the neighborhood are starting to compost and not be embarrassed about picking up leaves in the street!

And when the pretty red leaves fall, I am first to get my RECYLCE bin on wheels full of the pretty red ones and sprinkle in my yard, around my trees, vines, in the holes, in empty beds and my compost piles.
I got a couple of other neighbors to collect street leaves just by letting them know where the good leaves and now it's becoming COOL to get free composting materials. I ask my neighbors and they give me their leaves. Theres a tree lined street that is a jackpot of fallen leaves.

Chat soon.

[Garden Green]

In addition to free leaves, a friend of mine (she has a farm near town) started going to local resturants and asking them for their vegetable and fruit scraps from salads and such (not wastes off plates). We provide the container(s) for them to fill for us and then go back by and pick them up, less garbage for them to handle. Mountains of compost. No joke. And she uses it all. It's amazing!

She started doing this and ended up with a deal to provide fresh tomatoes for one of them, which is definately a win-win situation. She gets her compost material, and gets to grow her garden (which is an obsession) and she makes a little money. They have less waste and buy locally.

[kinnisoj]

One place I found compost material was the coffee room at work. We have 400 +/- employees and you couldnt beleive the coffee grounds.
And you know I did have to chuckle to myself getting roughneck oil field hands recycleing and goin green lol!
Another good place to try is your local fair grounds. If they have stables they have manure. Also ask the folks hanging around their. Their happy to get someone to take it off their hands.

[maricybele]

Starbucks gives their bagged used coffee grounds free u can also ask for their plastic trash bag of used coffee grounds. or other coffee/expresso places.

[rosemom]

Shredded Office Paper - like gold. Put it down, wet it good and then cover it with mulch right in your beds. You will be composting in place and the worms love it.