April 19, 2021 • 26 mins
Looking for ways to celebrate Earth Day? What better way to honor our planet than nourishing its soil with your kitchen scraps! Just as gardening and cooking have gained new enthusiasts during this pandemic, so has composting.
We discuss tips and tricks with our local composting connoisseurs – Michelle Balz and Gage Bradford with Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District. Michelle and Gage give us the latest on how you can buy discounted compost bins and take free virtual composting seminars. Plus, they convinced a ‘reluctant composter’ to stop procrastinating and start reducing household waste.
To learn more about Hamilton County, Ohio, our services and job openings, visit hamiltoncountyohio.gov.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jeff Aluotto (00:05):
Welcome to heart and hustle in Hamilton County, a
podcast about the people placesand policies that govern our
local response to the covid 19outbreak. I'm your host, Jeff
Alito and the countyadministrator with Hamilton
County. I'm here with my cohost, as always, Bridget
Doherty.
And today we're going to bediscussing as we always do the
issues, challenges andopportunities Hamilton County
(00:27):
faces as we battle this globalpandemic. Today, I'm really
excited about this episode,we've got a very special version
of heart and hustle. We all knowthat during COVID, people have
had to find ways to pass thetime and just keep themselves
sane. So whether we have startedreading more, maybe watching
more TV, getting involved inexercise program and buying
(00:50):
bikes, watching the governor onTV in the afternoon, whatever it
might be. And Bridget I don'tknow if you know or not one of
the things that has gottenbigger, I was gonna say gotten
big, but it's actually bigger isgardening. And with gardening
with this, this expansion ofgardening in the community, and
all in addition to all the takehome food that we're eating, we
(01:12):
need to find a way of disposingof all this material in an
environmentally friendly way.
And that brings us to the issueof composting today. Yes. And so
today, we're going to talk aboutcomposting. We are fortunate in
Hamilton County to have two ofthe preeminent experts in the
field with us here today. Wehave Michelle bolts engaged
(01:32):
Bradford from the HamiltonCounty Department of
Environmental Services,Michelle, engage. Welcome.
Thanks for having us. Hello,hello. Hello. Well, so today we
want to talk about compostingtoday. And I think it probably
helps to start at a high leveland talk about the benefits but
let's let's set the stage forwhat we're really going to be
(01:53):
trying to do today.
Yeah, so we have with us here myco host is always Bridget
Doherty and Bridget I know for afact is probably one of the most
environmentally conscious peopleI know and I can say this from
experience and with someauthority. I do have some
background in the environmentalfield. And I do know watching
(02:16):
Bridget and her day to day lifewhether it's recycling I mean
the woman bikes into work everyday, rain or shine, sometimes to
her the detriment of her ownpersonal safety but she does do
it.
But in conversations withBridget one of the struggles
that she has had is getting overthe hump on backyard and home
(02:38):
composting Bridget Am I correct?
Bridget Doherty (02:40):
You are I haven't done it yet. I just
having pulled the trigger. Idon't know exactly what's
holding me back. But I do feellike a less than complete
urbanist because I am notcomposting.
Jeff Aluotto (02:54):
Okay, so today we've got the perfect fix for
this because we have Michelleengaged with us today. So we're
going to call Bridget, TheReluctant composter. And let's
just not put need. We know allof us that might point fingers
in shame and Bridget know that a90% of the people out there
probably in the same boat. Andwe've got a lot of reluctant
(03:15):
composters out there. So we'regoing to talk with Michelle
engaged today to try to figureout a way over some of this
reluctance. But before we dothat, I think it's probably for
first best to set the set thestage here for what we're really
talking about and talk aboutcomposting for so someone who
might be listening to thepodcast just doesn't know a lot
(03:37):
about it. Michelle, we'll startwith you. Tell us just a little
bit about what compost is. Andwhat are the benefits to
composting in your home.
Absolutely. So
Michelle Balz (03:48):
backyard Composting is when you try to
control the breakdown of organicmaterial. And when I say
organic, I mean things like foodscraps. So banana peels, orange
peels, that kind of thing. Andthen also yard trimming so the
leaves that fall in your in yourbackyard. So you're trying to
control that just like you wouldcontrol in gardening, what
(04:09):
plants grow where you arecontrolling that decomposition
and you're creating a reallybeautiful soil amendment for
your yard. And that soilamendment has tons of benefits
for your garden it helps loosenthe soil for better root
penetration, it helps increasethe water retention it acts like
a sponge so that when it rains,it'll hold the water there for
(04:32):
your plants to use later on. Andthen it provides essential
nutrients for healthy plants.
And it also not just providesthe nutrients but it creates an
environment where themicroorganisms that give your
plants the nutrients that theyneed can grow. So it is really
beneficial for the soil. Andit's only about 30% of what most
people are throwing in thegarbage could be easily
(04:56):
composted in their backyard. Soyou're creating This beautiful
soil amendment out of what mostpeople consider garbage. So it
really is a beneficial thing foryou to do in your backyard.
Jeff Aluotto (05:08):
So as we talk about this from the perspective
of Hamilton County, and we'llstill try to stick to the focus
of backyard composting, but in abigger does composting happen at
a bigger level in this communityas well outside of just home
composting. And when you thinkabout waste management in
Hamilton County, you know,people have leaves that they put
out at their curb and thingslike that. Are there bigger ways
(05:29):
to compost? Or is it mostly justat home backyard?
Michelle Balz (05:32):
Absolutely. So most of the communities in
Hamilton County have curbsidecollection of things like leaves
or our brush, and that materialdoes go to a big composting
facility and get composted. inHamilton County, we also have
three yard trimmings drop offsites that you can bring your
yard materials if your communitydoesn't have curbside pickup,
(05:54):
where you can bring it and itwill be composted there as well.
Jeff Aluotto (05:58):
Got it. So it is a is Hamilton County has a solid
waste management plan that weput together to determine what's
the best way to manage our wasteand to preserve our precious
landfill space, etc. Compostingis a is a big part of that I
would imagine
Michelle Balz (06:16):
it is it's really important for us to reduce that
waste going to the landfill.
Jeff Aluotto (06:22):
So as we as we think about this, then as a
strategy for a homeowner, thesolid waste district, I know is
very active in trying to botheducate homeowners on why this
is a good thing to do, and alsoget the tools into their hands
to allow them to do this. And Iknow gauge that's where you come
(06:46):
in in terms of some of thecommunity work that you have
done in terms of getting toolsinto the into the hands of
people so that they can moreeffectively compost at their
homes and I would have met. So Iwanted to ask you a little bit
about that to talk a little bitabout how you go about doing
that. But also recognizing thatwe're now in the day and age of
COVID bringing a whole bunch ofpeople together to sell them
(07:08):
compost bins that are maybe alittle bit more challenging than
it was in the past. So talk tous a little bit about how the
district goes about promotingcomposting through its through
sales and through other events.
Gage Bradford (07:21):
Sure. Thanks, Jeff. So right now, the
recycling and solid wastedistrict is hosting
unfortunately, virtual seminarsto go through the intricacies of
backyard composting. In aperfect world, we would be doing
that in classrooms, communityspaces in person COVID has has
(07:43):
nipped that in the bud. ButBridget going to you and being a
reluctant composter. You know, Ithink I've got great opportunity
and information for you today.
All right. So, the county, likeI said, we're doing we're
hosting backyard compostingseminars right now, which I
think if you attended one wouldreally lessen some of your
(08:05):
concerns. And through thoseseminars, we're also kind of
semi promoting a compost binsale that we're doing. So
whether it's you don't feel likeyou're educated enough on
composting to get the job donein your own backyard, or you
don't have the material or theactual bin to get it done. We've
(08:26):
got all that settled for youhere today. So briefly, Hamilton
County recycles.org. If you wereto go home and jump on that
website, you would findavailability to join one of our
seminars, we've got three moreupcoming this month, April
21 6:30pm, April 22 2pm, maybe alittle late lunch in there with
(08:53):
you, and April 29 at 6:30pm. Sothese are one hour long, they're
brief, they're nice, you'regoing to learn all of the
different things you need to doto become a confident backyard
composter. There you go. And ontop of that, everybody likes a
good discount. So not only do wehave a compost bin sale going,
(09:13):
if you attend one of theseseminars, you're going to get
another $10 off coupon for thesecompost bins. So not only can I
teach you how to compost, I canget you the best deal in the
county for compost.
Bridget Doherty (09:29):
And I've looked at that. So you guys actually
sell like if you were to Googleor go onto Amazon, your compost
bins are a little bit moreaffordable than what you would
just find out in the marketplace
Gage Bradford (09:39):
from my research and the rest of our team that
knows everything there is toknow about composting. The bins
that we're selling that we'reoffering through a program,
start as low as $45. Andtypically you're going to find
these same kinds of bins for90 $100. And that's before you
(09:59):
In the seminar and get thecoupon, there we go.
Bridget Doherty (10:02):
All right, I don't know what I don't know
what's stopping me, I do knowthat of my friend group that a
lot of my girlfriend's willshare and want to, you know,
take part in the compostingseminars together and kind of
make it a thing online so thatwe can get together because I
haven't seen him in, you know, ayear much like everybody else.
(10:24):
So I feel like you were totallyspeaking directly to me and my
friend group, we need to gettogether for one of these
seminars,
Gage Bradford (10:32):
we don't hesitate too long, there is limited
seating in these virtualseminars and our compost bin
sale, importantly to know doesend end of day may 3. So attend
a seminar and I'm prettyconfident that you will end up
buying a compost bin once youget the needed information and
worries concerns out of the way.
But this is a timely thing. endof May 3, no longer past that,
(10:58):
will you be able to get thisgreat discount.
Bridget Doherty (11:02):
No procrastination,
Jeff Aluotto (11:03):
so we've got the opportunity, right. So no
excuses there. So now as Gabesaid, we've got to provide you
some of the information. SoBridget, this is gonna be your
time. So what is it that whatquestions do you have, what
concerns you have that may havekept you to this point in your
life from backyard composting,let's you've got the two experts
(11:27):
here. Let's just get it outthere.
Bridget Doherty (11:28):
Okay, besides being a little on the lazy side,
which I feel like I totallycould have done this a long time
ago. But hey, Evan, I think oneof my major concerns is the
smell, I live in a townhome. Andso my kitchen is on the second
floor. And I know I'm not goingto be running downstairs to
compost everything right away.
But I might need some kind ofreceptacle to hold, you know,
(11:48):
scraps while I have them until Iyou know, run downstairs and
throw them outside. So what doyou say to people who are
concerned about being the owner.
Michelle Balz (11:58):
So definitely, you want to have a compost
collection system in place inyour kitchen. If you if you just
rely on carrying it out one at atime, you're never going to do
it, you'll forget about it. Sohaving a special compost
container, it can be one of thefancy ones that you buy that has
the the carbon filter in the lidand a stainless steel or bamboo.
(12:18):
But it can also be just an oldbutter tub that you you know, or
an old coffee can that has theodor or the locking lid on it.
If you has a lid and you put itin there, then that's going to
that's going to help keep theodors down. You can also freeze
your food scraps if you feellike it's going to be a while
before you get out there.
freezer food scraps. I tried totake mine out every other day.
(12:41):
And I get no odors in my kitchenwithout if you wait four or five
days in your kitchen. You it'sgonna start decomposing in your
kitchen. So you want to try toget it out there more
frequently.
Bridget Doherty (12:54):
See, and what do you put it in? Like when you
put it into that bin doesn'thave like a plastic bag because
I'm trying to avoid plastic. Ifeel like you know, maybe or you
just are constantly cleaning outthat bin after you dump it.
Michelle Balz (13:05):
Yeah, I rent my bin after after everyone. You
can buy compostable liners. I'vetried them before, but they
don't really decompose veryeasily in your backyard bin. So
I would just recommend rinsingit out afterward. Okay.
Bridget Doherty (13:22):
My other thought is, you know, what, what
are some of the things thatyou've seen where you're like,
No, that doesn't belong in thecompost, or
Michelle Balz (13:30):
you definitely don't want to compost meat or
cheese or anything with oil,those things are going to create
odors. And if you're juststarting out and you're really
concerned about odors, I wouldjust stick to fresh fruit and
vegetable scraps. You know thepeels Do you peel off your
carrot, your banana peels, yourApple cores, that kind of thing.
(13:50):
And then don't do anythingcooked. Once you get comfortable
with the fresh fruit andvegetable scraps then you could
graduate to your cookedvegetables that you didn't get
quite get to that got a littleslimy in your fridge, but those
have a little bit more risk ofan odor. So you want to try to
get comfortable with that. Alsoto mask odors. You want to make
(14:10):
sure every time you put foodscraps in your bin that you're
putting a nice layer of leafs ontop brown leaves and that is
going to make it so you have noodors but it's also going to
make sure you don't have fruitflies and you know bugs getting
annoying and you're been
Jeff Aluotto (14:26):
so we're just a clarification. So I'm a brand
new composter by best to startas you said with fresh food.
There, you know someone hadsauteed up some zucchini and
mushrooms and some olive oil orsomething like that. And they
have some leftover, maybe notthe best choice right out of it
right out of the gate.
Michelle Balz (14:47):
Right if you're a brand new composter I always
recommend just starting with thefresh stuff and then graduating
up to the cooked food cookedfruit and vegetables once once
you're you know a Little bitmore experienced.
Bridget Doherty (15:01):
Gotcha, gotcha.
And I also have to graduate toeating more fruits and
vegetables.
Jeff Aluotto (15:08):
What about what about space? So I know. And we
were talking before the show,one of the things that we
brought up as one of theseissues was the space that it
takes to compost in the actualbackyard. Bridget said, she
lives in a townhome. So you walkout the back, you probably have
a neighbor, your right neighborto your left, or depending upon
where you are, how do you? Howdo the modern compost systems
(15:32):
for the home deal with thatissue?
Gage Bradford (15:35):
That's a great question, Jeff. So I think it's
important to realize thatthere's a lot of different ways
to get the job of compostingdone. If you're a homeowner with
a huge backyard and kind of a doit yourself kind of person. You
know, you can build your owncompost bin system. And you can
learn about all of these thingsin our seminars, which I will
(15:56):
continue to plug on HamiltonCounty recycles.org. Maybe if if
you're a little bit lazier ordon't have the space, or
whatever it is, and you decideto buy a compost bin premade off
the market, that's going to beyou know, it's not going to take
up a lot of space. And thatcould also curtail some of the
(16:19):
concerns you may have aboutanimals or bugs or smells. But
there's there's a ton ofdifferent ways to get the job of
composting done a lot ofdifferent things, you can buy a
lot of different things you canbuild. Then, obviously, you
know, the more experienced youbecome with with your compost,
you know, your compost in thebackyard, it'll talk to you,
(16:40):
it'll tell you if it's too dry,it's too wet. If it's too wet,
it'll be smelly, maybe throwsome leafs on there. Simple as
that.
Bridget Doherty (16:47):
So what have you heard from your seminars?
Like? What are some frequentlyasked questions where you're
like, Okay, I need to cover thisevery time,
Gage Bradford (16:55):
every single time. You know, obviously, I
think making the distinctionbetween maybe some commercial
composting, which can break downthings like bones and meet,
making that distinction, that'snot something we're going to be
doing. You know, in a typicalbackyard, your compost doesn't
get active enough, it doesn'tget hot enough to break those
(17:15):
things down. But one thing isdog waste, or even human waste
if you're buying compostablediapers and things of that
nature. So typically, thedistinction there is you just
want if you're going to bethrowing in any kind of animal
waste, keep it to herbherbivores, you don't want your
(17:37):
dog feces in there. Becausethere have different things in
their waste that just nothealthy for your for your
compost bin. So that would thatwould be something I touch on
every single time you get a lotof doggie bags that are supposed
to be compostable, but no,that's a no go.
Jeff Aluotto (18:01):
So what about using the compost when you're
done with it. So when we talk alittle bit about how long it
takes to get a good compost outof that, and then what it what
that type of material is thengood for afterwards.
Michelle Balz (18:14):
So it usually takes anywhere from three months
to a year to back your compost.
And it just depends on how lazyyou want to be and how active of
a composter you want to be. Soif you get out there, and you
aerate your pile once a week,you're making sure you balance
the brown material and the greenmaterial which we talked about
in the seminars, you really canget finished compost in a few
(18:35):
months. Most people aren't thatactive though they they turn it
maybe once a month, maybe never.
And they just want a place toput their compost and they're
harvesting at once a year. I'mmore of the once a year person,
I've got two little kids, I justdon't have time to be out there
all the time. But if you knowthe material is going to compost
(18:57):
whether you're really active ornot. So I would expect you know
once a year, if you really arewanting finished compost quickly
there are some methods that youcan use such as like a compost
tumbler, which is up off theground and really easy to turn
that's going to get you finishedcompost faster. But for the most
part, it's going to take almosta year.
Jeff Aluotto (19:18):
And then primary use of the material gardens were
any other uses that you'drecommend.
Michelle Balz (19:25):
Absolutely. So it's really great soil and then
if you have heavy clay soil orreally sandy soil, it's going to
make your soil a betterenvironment for your plants. So
digging it into your soil if youhave a new bed that you're
trying to amend the soil. Youcan also use it as a mulch so
you can spread it over the top.
It turns out it's actually looksreally beautiful so it's going
(19:46):
to look nice as a mulch. If youdon't have garden beds and you
just have a lawn, you cansprinkle it over top and that
will that will work its way downinto the ground and help Your
your grass, you can also makecompost tea and almost treat it
like a fertilizer. And sothere's instructions online and
making that you don't drink it.
(20:09):
You, you spread it out.
Important, don't it's reallygonna taste like dirt. But you
spread it out and you can youtreat it almost like a
fertilizer and it helps it helpsfertilize your plants.
Jeff Aluotto (20:21):
Especially if you've had your dog waste in
there. I suppose that would notbe best for your health. So,
Bridget, how are we doing?
Bridget Doherty (20:29):
I think we're doing pretty good. I feel like
okay, I feel like maybe theseminar is gonna help me if I
sit through that to kind of getany, you know, pat me up in
order to get ready to buy thecompost bin, I'll definitely
look into something that I cansit on my counter that I can
just wash out every time I'vegot some scraps. We've got it my
mother in law always puts eggshells and anything she ever
(20:51):
plants, can you put egg shellsin your compost,
Michelle Balz (20:54):
you can it's going to be the last thing that
decomposes. It does decomposereally slow, but egg shells are
a great addition, you can't putthe actual egg but the egg shell
you can and that adds some goodcalcium and other minerals. in
it. I've heard I'm not agardening expert, but I've heard
that it also deters slugs. So ifyou have it in your finished
compost, it will deter slugsfrom getting into your plants.
(21:17):
And then another question,coffee grounds, which are all
over my house. Absolutely.
coffee grounds are a greataddition they're really high in
nitrogen, and they're reallysmall, the smaller the material,
the faster it's going to breakdown so it will break down
really fast, it'll add a littleboost to your compost.
Gage Bradford (21:35):
And that's the same whether it's you know,
pumpkin gourds, or, you knowanything else your your egg
shells, if it's broken down alittle bit more before you put
it into your composting bin, thequicker it's going to biodegrade
and in break down into eventualfinished compost.
Jeff Aluotto (21:53):
Great. gauge you mentioned earlier about the
compost generating enough heat.
What's the what type of heatwithin a compost bin? Are we
talking about? What whentemperatures did that get to
Gage Bradford (22:07):
with backyard composting, you know, you don't
reach the heights of things tobreak down bones and whatnot
you're looking at with a healthycompost ban, I would say in
between 90 and 120 degrees,would you agree Michelle
1900 4090 and 140 degrees. So ifif you're really active and you
know really taking a liking togoing out there and fiddling
(22:31):
around with your compost acouple times a month, some
people do like to check thetemperature just to see how
active it is. So if you go outthere and it's you know, 110
degrees, you've likely got avery active compost bin that's
really healthy and heading inthe direction you want.
Jeff Aluotto (22:46):
So I asked that question, because I know it was
not on our list of questions toask here today. But I wanted to
number one, throw in a littlebit of science and number to
challenge our guests here alittle bit because right before
the show, I think Michelle saidthere's not a question you can
throw out to us about compostingthat we won't be able to answer.
So I just wanted to tell youthat on the spot to see if that
was true. And and you guyspassed with flying colors. So
(23:07):
awesome. Good job. And
Bridget Doherty (23:09):
also, can we talk about how Michelle is kind
of the local celebritycomposting, you run a blog,
what's your blog handle?
Michelle Balz (23:16):
It's called Confessions of a composter. And
I would highly recommend youfollow it. If you want tips on
backyard composting, we try tokeep them really short and fun
and entertaining. So we havelots of tips on their new
materials. And you know, it'sjust an easy read. Fantastic.
Bridget Doherty (23:36):
So gauge how long have you been doing this
with environmental services?
Unknown (23:40):
Well, I've only been with Hamilton County
environmental services for abouta half a year. So most of my
composting experience actuallygoes towards the industrial
side. I spent a couple of yearsserving in AmeriCorps at the
University of Tennessee. Andwhen you're talking about
(24:02):
universities, you're talkingabout a lot of wasted food and
you're talking about 1000s oftons of food that's been
untouched, basically going tothe landfill, which is not what
we want. So you know, that's alittle bit different. We were we
were making t bone steaksdisappear in less than a month
(24:22):
with some of the temperatures wewould get with the wind rose
there. But growing up, I wasalways very aware of food waste
and how that was close to thedevil in my household. So you
know, I think it's just beensomething that's been around me
in my life for for quite awhile.
Jeff Aluotto (24:44):
Awesome. So the great thing about that is I love
the fact Bridgette, that youhighlighted once again, just the
expertise that we have here inHamilton County, whether it's
whether it's in the 911 field orelections, the courts, the crime
lab, wherever you are in FultonCounty and in this case in the
environmental field, there'sjust so many experts in our
(25:05):
departments in our agencies, whoare the best in the business at
what they do, and show engageand really appreciate everything
that you do on behalf ofHamilton County residents and
helping them take a moreenvironmentally responsible
approach to to their lives. Sothank you for that. And on
behalf of Brittany, who is now awill be an active composter, I
(25:30):
want to thank you for listeningto episode eight of heart and
hustle in Hamilton County. Andjust a reminder to subscribe on
Apple podcast, Spotify and otherproviders. As always, you can
find the podcast on our website,Hamilton County ohio.gov on the
county administrator's page sothank you for listening and we
will see you next time on heartand hustle in Hamilton County.
Welcome to heart and hustle in Hamilton County, a
podcast about the people placesand policies that govern our
local response to the covid 19outbreak. I'm your host, Jeff
Alito and the countyadministrator with Hamilton
County. I'm here with my cohost, as always, Bridget
Doherty.
And today we're going to bediscussing as we always do the
issues, challenges andopportunities Hamilton County
(00:27):
faces as we battle this globalpandemic. Today, I'm really
excited about this episode,we've got a very special version
of heart and hustle. We all knowthat during COVID, people have
had to find ways to pass thetime and just keep themselves
sane. So whether we have startedreading more, maybe watching
more TV, getting involved inexercise program and buying
(00:50):
bikes, watching the governor onTV in the afternoon, whatever it
might be. And Bridget I don'tknow if you know or not one of
the things that has gottenbigger, I was gonna say gotten
big, but it's actually bigger isgardening. And with gardening
with this, this expansion ofgardening in the community, and
all in addition to all the takehome food that we're eating, we
(01:12):
need to find a way of disposingof all this material in an
environmentally friendly way.
And that brings us to the issueof composting today. Yes. And so
today, we're going to talk aboutcomposting. We are fortunate in
Hamilton County to have two ofthe preeminent experts in the
field with us here today. Wehave Michelle bolts engaged
(01:32):
Bradford from the HamiltonCounty Department of
Environmental Services,Michelle, engage. Welcome.
Thanks for having us. Hello,hello. Hello. Well, so today we
want to talk about compostingtoday. And I think it probably
helps to start at a high leveland talk about the benefits but
let's let's set the stage forwhat we're really going to be
(01:53):
trying to do today.
Yeah, so we have with us here myco host is always Bridget
Doherty and Bridget I know for afact is probably one of the most
environmentally conscious peopleI know and I can say this from
experience and with someauthority. I do have some
background in the environmentalfield. And I do know watching
(02:16):
Bridget and her day to day lifewhether it's recycling I mean
the woman bikes into work everyday, rain or shine, sometimes to
her the detriment of her ownpersonal safety but she does do
it.
But in conversations withBridget one of the struggles
that she has had is getting overthe hump on backyard and home
(02:38):
composting Bridget Am I correct?
Bridget Doherty (02:40):
You are I haven't done it yet. I just
having pulled the trigger. Idon't know exactly what's
holding me back. But I do feellike a less than complete
urbanist because I am notcomposting.
Jeff Aluotto (02:54):
Okay, so today we've got the perfect fix for
this because we have Michelleengaged with us today. So we're
going to call Bridget, TheReluctant composter. And let's
just not put need. We know allof us that might point fingers
in shame and Bridget know that a90% of the people out there
probably in the same boat. Andwe've got a lot of reluctant
(03:15):
composters out there. So we'regoing to talk with Michelle
engaged today to try to figureout a way over some of this
reluctance. But before we dothat, I think it's probably for
first best to set the set thestage here for what we're really
talking about and talk aboutcomposting for so someone who
might be listening to thepodcast just doesn't know a lot
(03:37):
about it. Michelle, we'll startwith you. Tell us just a little
bit about what compost is. Andwhat are the benefits to
composting in your home.
Absolutely. So
Michelle Balz (03:48):
backyard Composting is when you try to
control the breakdown of organicmaterial. And when I say
organic, I mean things like foodscraps. So banana peels, orange
peels, that kind of thing. Andthen also yard trimming so the
leaves that fall in your in yourbackyard. So you're trying to
control that just like you wouldcontrol in gardening, what
(04:09):
plants grow where you arecontrolling that decomposition
and you're creating a reallybeautiful soil amendment for
your yard. And that soilamendment has tons of benefits
for your garden it helps loosenthe soil for better root
penetration, it helps increasethe water retention it acts like
a sponge so that when it rains,it'll hold the water there for
(04:32):
your plants to use later on. Andthen it provides essential
nutrients for healthy plants.
And it also not just providesthe nutrients but it creates an
environment where themicroorganisms that give your
plants the nutrients that theyneed can grow. So it is really
beneficial for the soil. Andit's only about 30% of what most
people are throwing in thegarbage could be easily
(04:56):
composted in their backyard. Soyou're creating This beautiful
soil amendment out of what mostpeople consider garbage. So it
really is a beneficial thing foryou to do in your backyard.
Jeff Aluotto (05:08):
So as we talk about this from the perspective
of Hamilton County, and we'llstill try to stick to the focus
of backyard composting, but in abigger does composting happen at
a bigger level in this communityas well outside of just home
composting. And when you thinkabout waste management in
Hamilton County, you know,people have leaves that they put
out at their curb and thingslike that. Are there bigger ways
(05:29):
to compost? Or is it mostly justat home backyard?
Michelle Balz (05:32):
Absolutely. So most of the communities in
Hamilton County have curbsidecollection of things like leaves
or our brush, and that materialdoes go to a big composting
facility and get composted. inHamilton County, we also have
three yard trimmings drop offsites that you can bring your
yard materials if your communitydoesn't have curbside pickup,
(05:54):
where you can bring it and itwill be composted there as well.
Jeff Aluotto (05:58):
Got it. So it is a is Hamilton County has a solid
waste management plan that weput together to determine what's
the best way to manage our wasteand to preserve our precious
landfill space, etc. Compostingis a is a big part of that I
would imagine
Michelle Balz (06:16):
it is it's really important for us to reduce that
waste going to the landfill.
Jeff Aluotto (06:22):
So as we as we think about this, then as a
strategy for a homeowner, thesolid waste district, I know is
very active in trying to botheducate homeowners on why this
is a good thing to do, and alsoget the tools into their hands
to allow them to do this. And Iknow gauge that's where you come
(06:46):
in in terms of some of thecommunity work that you have
done in terms of getting toolsinto the into the hands of
people so that they can moreeffectively compost at their
homes and I would have met. So Iwanted to ask you a little bit
about that to talk a little bitabout how you go about doing
that. But also recognizing thatwe're now in the day and age of
COVID bringing a whole bunch ofpeople together to sell them
(07:08):
compost bins that are maybe alittle bit more challenging than
it was in the past. So talk tous a little bit about how the
district goes about promotingcomposting through its through
sales and through other events.
Gage Bradford (07:21):
Sure. Thanks, Jeff. So right now, the
recycling and solid wastedistrict is hosting
unfortunately, virtual seminarsto go through the intricacies of
backyard composting. In aperfect world, we would be doing
that in classrooms, communityspaces in person COVID has has
(07:43):
nipped that in the bud. ButBridget going to you and being a
reluctant composter. You know, Ithink I've got great opportunity
and information for you today.
All right. So, the county, likeI said, we're doing we're
hosting backyard compostingseminars right now, which I
think if you attended one wouldreally lessen some of your
(08:05):
concerns. And through thoseseminars, we're also kind of
semi promoting a compost binsale that we're doing. So
whether it's you don't feel likeyou're educated enough on
composting to get the job donein your own backyard, or you
don't have the material or theactual bin to get it done. We've
(08:26):
got all that settled for youhere today. So briefly, Hamilton
County recycles.org. If you wereto go home and jump on that
website, you would findavailability to join one of our
seminars, we've got three moreupcoming this month, April
21 6:30pm, April 22 2pm, maybe alittle late lunch in there with
(08:53):
you, and April 29 at 6:30pm. Sothese are one hour long, they're
brief, they're nice, you'regoing to learn all of the
different things you need to doto become a confident backyard
composter. There you go. And ontop of that, everybody likes a
good discount. So not only do wehave a compost bin sale going,
(09:13):
if you attend one of theseseminars, you're going to get
another $10 off coupon for thesecompost bins. So not only can I
teach you how to compost, I canget you the best deal in the
county for compost.
Bridget Doherty (09:29):
And I've looked at that. So you guys actually
sell like if you were to Googleor go onto Amazon, your compost
bins are a little bit moreaffordable than what you would
just find out in the marketplace
Gage Bradford (09:39):
from my research and the rest of our team that
knows everything there is toknow about composting. The bins
that we're selling that we'reoffering through a program,
start as low as $45. Andtypically you're going to find
these same kinds of bins for90 $100. And that's before you
(09:59):
In the seminar and get thecoupon, there we go.
Bridget Doherty (10:02):
All right, I don't know what I don't know
what's stopping me, I do knowthat of my friend group that a
lot of my girlfriend's willshare and want to, you know,
take part in the compostingseminars together and kind of
make it a thing online so thatwe can get together because I
haven't seen him in, you know, ayear much like everybody else.
(10:24):
So I feel like you were totallyspeaking directly to me and my
friend group, we need to gettogether for one of these
seminars,
Gage Bradford (10:32):
we don't hesitate too long, there is limited
seating in these virtualseminars and our compost bin
sale, importantly to know doesend end of day may 3. So attend
a seminar and I'm prettyconfident that you will end up
buying a compost bin once youget the needed information and
worries concerns out of the way.
But this is a timely thing. endof May 3, no longer past that,
(10:58):
will you be able to get thisgreat discount.
Bridget Doherty (11:02):
No procrastination,
Jeff Aluotto (11:03):
so we've got the opportunity, right. So no
excuses there. So now as Gabesaid, we've got to provide you
some of the information. SoBridget, this is gonna be your
time. So what is it that whatquestions do you have, what
concerns you have that may havekept you to this point in your
life from backyard composting,let's you've got the two experts
(11:27):
here. Let's just get it outthere.
Bridget Doherty (11:28):
Okay, besides being a little on the lazy side,
which I feel like I totallycould have done this a long time
ago. But hey, Evan, I think oneof my major concerns is the
smell, I live in a townhome. Andso my kitchen is on the second
floor. And I know I'm not goingto be running downstairs to
compost everything right away.
But I might need some kind ofreceptacle to hold, you know,
(11:48):
scraps while I have them until Iyou know, run downstairs and
throw them outside. So what doyou say to people who are
concerned about being the owner.
Michelle Balz (11:58):
So definitely, you want to have a compost
collection system in place inyour kitchen. If you if you just
rely on carrying it out one at atime, you're never going to do
it, you'll forget about it. Sohaving a special compost
container, it can be one of thefancy ones that you buy that has
the the carbon filter in the lidand a stainless steel or bamboo.
(12:18):
But it can also be just an oldbutter tub that you you know, or
an old coffee can that has theodor or the locking lid on it.
If you has a lid and you put itin there, then that's going to
that's going to help keep theodors down. You can also freeze
your food scraps if you feellike it's going to be a while
before you get out there.
freezer food scraps. I tried totake mine out every other day.
(12:41):
And I get no odors in my kitchenwithout if you wait four or five
days in your kitchen. You it'sgonna start decomposing in your
kitchen. So you want to try toget it out there more
frequently.
Bridget Doherty (12:54):
See, and what do you put it in? Like when you
put it into that bin doesn'thave like a plastic bag because
I'm trying to avoid plastic. Ifeel like you know, maybe or you
just are constantly cleaning outthat bin after you dump it.
Michelle Balz (13:05):
Yeah, I rent my bin after after everyone. You
can buy compostable liners. I'vetried them before, but they
don't really decompose veryeasily in your backyard bin. So
I would just recommend rinsingit out afterward. Okay.
Bridget Doherty (13:22):
My other thought is, you know, what, what
are some of the things thatyou've seen where you're like,
No, that doesn't belong in thecompost, or
Michelle Balz (13:30):
you definitely don't want to compost meat or
cheese or anything with oil,those things are going to create
odors. And if you're juststarting out and you're really
concerned about odors, I wouldjust stick to fresh fruit and
vegetable scraps. You know thepeels Do you peel off your
carrot, your banana peels, yourApple cores, that kind of thing.
(13:50):
And then don't do anythingcooked. Once you get comfortable
with the fresh fruit andvegetable scraps then you could
graduate to your cookedvegetables that you didn't get
quite get to that got a littleslimy in your fridge, but those
have a little bit more risk ofan odor. So you want to try to
get comfortable with that. Alsoto mask odors. You want to make
(14:10):
sure every time you put foodscraps in your bin that you're
putting a nice layer of leafs ontop brown leaves and that is
going to make it so you have noodors but it's also going to
make sure you don't have fruitflies and you know bugs getting
annoying and you're been
Jeff Aluotto (14:26):
so we're just a clarification. So I'm a brand
new composter by best to startas you said with fresh food.
There, you know someone hadsauteed up some zucchini and
mushrooms and some olive oil orsomething like that. And they
have some leftover, maybe notthe best choice right out of it
right out of the gate.
Michelle Balz (14:47):
Right if you're a brand new composter I always
recommend just starting with thefresh stuff and then graduating
up to the cooked food cookedfruit and vegetables once once
you're you know a Little bitmore experienced.
Bridget Doherty (15:01):
Gotcha, gotcha.
And I also have to graduate toeating more fruits and
vegetables.
Jeff Aluotto (15:08):
What about what about space? So I know. And we
were talking before the show,one of the things that we
brought up as one of theseissues was the space that it
takes to compost in the actualbackyard. Bridget said, she
lives in a townhome. So you walkout the back, you probably have
a neighbor, your right neighborto your left, or depending upon
where you are, how do you? Howdo the modern compost systems
(15:32):
for the home deal with thatissue?
Gage Bradford (15:35):
That's a great question, Jeff. So I think it's
important to realize thatthere's a lot of different ways
to get the job of compostingdone. If you're a homeowner with
a huge backyard and kind of a doit yourself kind of person. You
know, you can build your owncompost bin system. And you can
learn about all of these thingsin our seminars, which I will
(15:56):
continue to plug on HamiltonCounty recycles.org. Maybe if if
you're a little bit lazier ordon't have the space, or
whatever it is, and you decideto buy a compost bin premade off
the market, that's going to beyou know, it's not going to take
up a lot of space. And thatcould also curtail some of the
(16:19):
concerns you may have aboutanimals or bugs or smells. But
there's there's a ton ofdifferent ways to get the job of
composting done a lot ofdifferent things, you can buy a
lot of different things you canbuild. Then, obviously, you
know, the more experienced youbecome with with your compost,
you know, your compost in thebackyard, it'll talk to you,
(16:40):
it'll tell you if it's too dry,it's too wet. If it's too wet,
it'll be smelly, maybe throwsome leafs on there. Simple as
that.
Bridget Doherty (16:47):
So what have you heard from your seminars?
Like? What are some frequentlyasked questions where you're
like, Okay, I need to cover thisevery time,
Gage Bradford (16:55):
every single time. You know, obviously, I
think making the distinctionbetween maybe some commercial
composting, which can break downthings like bones and meet,
making that distinction, that'snot something we're going to be
doing. You know, in a typicalbackyard, your compost doesn't
get active enough, it doesn'tget hot enough to break those
(17:15):
things down. But one thing isdog waste, or even human waste
if you're buying compostablediapers and things of that
nature. So typically, thedistinction there is you just
want if you're going to bethrowing in any kind of animal
waste, keep it to herbherbivores, you don't want your
(17:37):
dog feces in there. Becausethere have different things in
their waste that just nothealthy for your for your
compost bin. So that would thatwould be something I touch on
every single time you get a lotof doggie bags that are supposed
to be compostable, but no,that's a no go.
Jeff Aluotto (18:01):
So what about using the compost when you're
done with it. So when we talk alittle bit about how long it
takes to get a good compost outof that, and then what it what
that type of material is thengood for afterwards.
Michelle Balz (18:14):
So it usually takes anywhere from three months
to a year to back your compost.
And it just depends on how lazyyou want to be and how active of
a composter you want to be. Soif you get out there, and you
aerate your pile once a week,you're making sure you balance
the brown material and the greenmaterial which we talked about
in the seminars, you really canget finished compost in a few
(18:35):
months. Most people aren't thatactive though they they turn it
maybe once a month, maybe never.
And they just want a place toput their compost and they're
harvesting at once a year. I'mmore of the once a year person,
I've got two little kids, I justdon't have time to be out there
all the time. But if you knowthe material is going to compost
(18:57):
whether you're really active ornot. So I would expect you know
once a year, if you really arewanting finished compost quickly
there are some methods that youcan use such as like a compost
tumbler, which is up off theground and really easy to turn
that's going to get you finishedcompost faster. But for the most
part, it's going to take almosta year.
Jeff Aluotto (19:18):
And then primary use of the material gardens were
any other uses that you'drecommend.
Michelle Balz (19:25):
Absolutely. So it's really great soil and then
if you have heavy clay soil orreally sandy soil, it's going to
make your soil a betterenvironment for your plants. So
digging it into your soil if youhave a new bed that you're
trying to amend the soil. Youcan also use it as a mulch so
you can spread it over the top.
It turns out it's actually looksreally beautiful so it's going
(19:46):
to look nice as a mulch. If youdon't have garden beds and you
just have a lawn, you cansprinkle it over top and that
will that will work its way downinto the ground and help Your
your grass, you can also makecompost tea and almost treat it
like a fertilizer. And sothere's instructions online and
making that you don't drink it.
(20:09):
You, you spread it out.
Important, don't it's reallygonna taste like dirt. But you
spread it out and you can youtreat it almost like a
fertilizer and it helps it helpsfertilize your plants.
Jeff Aluotto (20:21):
Especially if you've had your dog waste in
there. I suppose that would notbe best for your health. So,
Bridget, how are we doing?
Bridget Doherty (20:29):
I think we're doing pretty good. I feel like
okay, I feel like maybe theseminar is gonna help me if I
sit through that to kind of getany, you know, pat me up in
order to get ready to buy thecompost bin, I'll definitely
look into something that I cansit on my counter that I can
just wash out every time I'vegot some scraps. We've got it my
mother in law always puts eggshells and anything she ever
(20:51):
plants, can you put egg shellsin your compost,
Michelle Balz (20:54):
you can it's going to be the last thing that
decomposes. It does decomposereally slow, but egg shells are
a great addition, you can't putthe actual egg but the egg shell
you can and that adds some goodcalcium and other minerals. in
it. I've heard I'm not agardening expert, but I've heard
that it also deters slugs. So ifyou have it in your finished
compost, it will deter slugsfrom getting into your plants.
(21:17):
And then another question,coffee grounds, which are all
over my house. Absolutely.
coffee grounds are a greataddition they're really high in
nitrogen, and they're reallysmall, the smaller the material,
the faster it's going to breakdown so it will break down
really fast, it'll add a littleboost to your compost.
Gage Bradford (21:35):
And that's the same whether it's you know,
pumpkin gourds, or, you knowanything else your your egg
shells, if it's broken down alittle bit more before you put
it into your composting bin, thequicker it's going to biodegrade
and in break down into eventualfinished compost.
Jeff Aluotto (21:53):
Great. gauge you mentioned earlier about the
compost generating enough heat.
What's the what type of heatwithin a compost bin? Are we
talking about? What whentemperatures did that get to
Gage Bradford (22:07):
with backyard composting, you know, you don't
reach the heights of things tobreak down bones and whatnot
you're looking at with a healthycompost ban, I would say in
between 90 and 120 degrees,would you agree Michelle
1900 4090 and 140 degrees. So ifif you're really active and you
know really taking a liking togoing out there and fiddling
(22:31):
around with your compost acouple times a month, some
people do like to check thetemperature just to see how
active it is. So if you go outthere and it's you know, 110
degrees, you've likely got avery active compost bin that's
really healthy and heading inthe direction you want.
Jeff Aluotto (22:46):
So I asked that question, because I know it was
not on our list of questions toask here today. But I wanted to
number one, throw in a littlebit of science and number to
challenge our guests here alittle bit because right before
the show, I think Michelle saidthere's not a question you can
throw out to us about compostingthat we won't be able to answer.
So I just wanted to tell youthat on the spot to see if that
was true. And and you guyspassed with flying colors. So
(23:07):
awesome. Good job. And
Bridget Doherty (23:09):
also, can we talk about how Michelle is kind
of the local celebritycomposting, you run a blog,
what's your blog handle?
Michelle Balz (23:16):
It's called Confessions of a composter. And
I would highly recommend youfollow it. If you want tips on
backyard composting, we try tokeep them really short and fun
and entertaining. So we havelots of tips on their new
materials. And you know, it'sjust an easy read. Fantastic.
Bridget Doherty (23:36):
So gauge how long have you been doing this
with environmental services?
Unknown (23:40):
Well, I've only been with Hamilton County
environmental services for abouta half a year. So most of my
composting experience actuallygoes towards the industrial
side. I spent a couple of yearsserving in AmeriCorps at the
University of Tennessee. Andwhen you're talking about
(24:02):
universities, you're talkingabout a lot of wasted food and
you're talking about 1000s oftons of food that's been
untouched, basically going tothe landfill, which is not what
we want. So you know, that's alittle bit different. We were we
were making t bone steaksdisappear in less than a month
(24:22):
with some of the temperatures wewould get with the wind rose
there. But growing up, I wasalways very aware of food waste
and how that was close to thedevil in my household. So you
know, I think it's just beensomething that's been around me
in my life for for quite awhile.
Jeff Aluotto (24:44):
Awesome. So the great thing about that is I love
the fact Bridgette, that youhighlighted once again, just the
expertise that we have here inHamilton County, whether it's
whether it's in the 911 field orelections, the courts, the crime
lab, wherever you are in FultonCounty and in this case in the
environmental field, there'sjust so many experts in our
(25:05):
departments in our agencies, whoare the best in the business at
what they do, and show engageand really appreciate everything
that you do on behalf ofHamilton County residents and
helping them take a moreenvironmentally responsible
approach to to their lives. Sothank you for that. And on
behalf of Brittany, who is now awill be an active composter, I
(25:30):
want to thank you for listeningto episode eight of heart and
hustle in Hamilton County. Andjust a reminder to subscribe on
Apple podcast, Spotify and otherproviders. As always, you can
find the podcast on our website,Hamilton County ohio.gov on the
county administrator's page sothank you for listening and we
will see you next time on heartand hustle in Hamilton County.
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