Compost...Good for the Soul, Good for the Soil

Ok, so it looks kind of (well maybe not just kind of) disgusting, but compost does wonders for the soil. Composting turns icky food scraps into organic treasure. With the help of microorganisms such as worms, bacteria, and insects, organic material is broken down, sending nutrients back into the soil. This decomposition cycle releases carbon dioxide back into the air, and leaves behind humus, nutrient rich soil that is perfect for cultivating plant life.

Compost naturally contains many nutrients that enhance soil. Many of its wide range of nutrients can't be found in other synthetic fertilizers. Due to its properties, composting helps to balance the pH level of the soil, creating an ideal composition for planting. It loosens soil making it easy to work with, and also creates conditions that prevent soil from losing a war to erosion and run-off disasters. The microorganisms that feed off of and decompose compost also help to enhance soil by aerating and breaking down wastes into simpler forms of which nutrients can be more easily absorbed by plants. Composting also helps soil to retain water, an essential ingredient for enabling plant growth.

I'm a huge fan of organic farming because chemical pesticides are just down-right bad for you, and are simply unnatural. Composting is an alternative way of fertilizing and promoting healthy plant growth. By using life's natural organic waste, you can cut down your dependence on artificial supplements. Pesticides are hazardous to human health as well as the health of the environment, and most large-scaled farmers just completely ignore this for the fact of trying to yield the highest profit possible.

Composting is undoubtedly beneficial for a small-scaled farmer who has no need to use harmful pesticides in the first place if they would just put in a little effort. Composting can help to replace the pesticides that many farmers feel they need. And it can be done for FREE. All it requires is simply a little time. At absolutely no cost, you can enrich your soil and grow mouth-watering crops that will also help keep money in your pocket by decreasing the amount of money you spend on costly produce at the store!

Besides all of these benefits for you, your soil, and the environment, composting helps to reduce the amount of waste that goes into our already over-flowing landfills. By reducing landfill waste, you are helping to reduce methane that is a byproduct created in huge landfills, an element that contributes to global warming.

Composting is easy. If you have the space in your back yard, simply dig a hole and start throwing your food scraps down into it. Each time you eat/cook, collect them into a bowl, and once the bowl fills up, deliver its components to your very own self-creating gold mine. There are also other ways to compost if you don't want the food decomposing openly in your backyard (for instance, if you have limited space, meaning the food would be rotting within close proximity of your house). Check out http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/03/for_the_domesti.php or http://tinychoices.com/2008/01/24/four-ways-to-compost-indoors/ for some alternative ideas.