Raccoons were climbing into our large trash cans, tearing open trash bags at leaving a huge mess. We caught the bandit on candid camera. ![image0.jpeg]()
On Aug 13, 2024, at 5:47 PM, Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com> wrote:
Yup-out west/mountains of CO they live in dumpsters, roam the streets of Crested Butte., challenge all forms of “bear proof” trash cans….all for leftover salad and rice.
But Lincoln? It seems bird feeders were their prey of choice. Coons and opossums used to rummage in my compost, but haven’t seen any in years.
What critters have others spotted?
On Aug 12, 2024, at 1:13 PM, Jennifer Saffran <jennifer.saff...@gmail.com> wrote:
Bears do eat vegetable matter. On Aug 12, 2024, at 1:08 PM, Jai Kaur <victorygoddess...@gmail.com> wrote:
Thanks
for this feedback ! I just ordered one of those two options on Amazon and thanks, Paul, for your endorsement on that.
It's our responsibility to steward and preserve our lands and I’m
glad I live in a town where many residents understand the common sense
importance of - and are dedicated to - composting. Since I believe composting is a very interesting and worthwhile topic,
I’ll add more context and share my composting story - for what it’s worth, and for those who give a heap - read on! Composting food waste just has seemed like normal practice to me since childhood when I remember the
huge composting piles that my Nonni kept at their small family farm
in Pleasant Valley Methuen. But, it does require effort to set up properly and maintain a composting system, and
it’s unfortunate when people who have the option, choose not to make the
effort. But when you are a tenant and not a landowner, you might not be
permitted to have a compost pile. That was the case for me for several
years before moving to Lincoln in 1991. But,
soon after I moved here, I discovered the Down to Earth Organic farm run by Keith
Shields on the Umbrello parcel that is now home to Hannan Healthy Foods
Farm. I was
one of many volunteers at that farm and we used a large three bin system with
pallets. That
really works best when you have a very large amount of composting material and
people who are willing to turn it. I am not able or willing to do that and as I
am still a tenant, I opt for much smaller set ups. I
had a really cool heavy duty, octagonal metal thing about 3 feet high that I
used for a composter, but I left at a previous residence. That was very
effective and I’ve lamented not still having that. But, I can’t put in fencing
or anything like that and it has to be portable. Happy composting ! Ciao! Jai Jai - Those Amazon items probably would work. My guess is that a bear wouldn't bother them if you put only vegetable matter in.
What you choose and how you use it depends on what your goals are. One good reason to compost your kitchen scraps is to avoid adding them to the trash stream at our Transfer Station, which then gets incinerated. (The less stuff we burn, the better for the climate.) For that purpose, Sara M's method is fine. If one of your goals is to make compost for gardening, those Amazon items with a door at the bottom make it somewhat easier to get the older, readier stuff out from the bottom.
Whether you want usable compost or just want to warm the planet a little less, my impression is that you should (A) add enough "brown" (e.g., dry leaves) to mix with the "green" (e.g., just about all your kitchen scraps) and (B) allow enough aeration that it doesn't get stinky and start generating methane gas. Those Amazon items have vents that are intended to let some air in - but it helps to also stir the stuff up with a pitchfork or whatever now and then. An open bin made of chicken wire or whatever has more room to add brown leaves and is easier to stir than those Amazon items.
How big you need your compost bin is affected by (A) how quickly you generate kitchen scraps, (B) whether you plan to add brown leaves, and (C) how often you are willing to have to empty it.
My problem for a while was not adding enough "brown" to my black plastic tumbling compost bin (it spun on an axle, to facilitate mixing and aeration). So I replaced that system with the following, which I have found to be easy to use and to make great compost for gardening. I set up a large chicken-wire enclosure near my composting bin, to store leaves raked up in the fall. That way, it's easy enough every now and then to pitchfork some more brown leaves onto the kitchen scraps in the adjacent composting bin. The composting bin is a 4-foot cube made of 2-by-4s and hardware cloth (my original version, built like Sara's, turned out to be insufficient to keep our highly food-motivated dog). But one of those Amazon items could also work, if they are big enough for your output rate.
Photos available on request!
- Paul Shorb
We have been composting for 40 years, in the same spot. Metal fence posts in the ground, wrapped in heavy chicken wire As it gets high, we dig a deep hole and throw kitchen scraps/ compost in there. We have never turned, or rotated, just let things take their course. No animal / dairy products ever. No problem with anything being dismantled. Compost abounds. Good luck! Sent from my iPad There has not been any news lately about Lincoln bear sightings. Does anyone know if it is still around ?
I wonder because some animal completely dismantled my composter. It is one of the composters sold by DPW so obviously, not the highest end. But, it has been secure for 3 years.
So, now I am seeking recommendations for a new, sturdier, composting system.
Here are a couple links to ones on Amazon that I like and I'd love to hear from anyone who has recommendations on this type of composter.
Otherwise, I would very much appreciate hearing other opinions / suggestions.
I would also very much like to know if anyone has a composter they are not using and would like to unload, or sell.
Garden Compost Bin
Thanks heaps !
~Jai 781-738-1920
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