A more formalized system of composting has begun at the Leelanau County Poor Farm. On May 29, 2024, thirty-two participants joined us for this event spearheaded by Kama Ross, County Commissioner for District 5, Kate Thornhill of Leo Creek Preserve in Suttons Bay, and Jane Eccelstone, volunteer for Row-by-Row (formerly Buckets of Rain) and the Poor Farm Perennials Garden.
Steve Stier, President of the Leelanau County Historic Preservation Society (LCHPS) our host for today, built our 3 bins for composting. Participants then viewed the process from the outset, beginning with building the pile in the first bin. The big advantage of this system is that it involves rotation of the decomposing materials through the bins to hasten the breakdown and, once it is going, yields a nearly ever-ready pile of finished compost.
Immediately following the 3 Bin Demonstration, Jane Ecclestone had the participants turn their attention to the Row-by-Row vegetable garden where she talked more about the specifics of composting there and using the finished compost to fertilize the plants.
The morning ended with a short trip over to Krull’s Composting. 857 W Burdickville Rd, Maple city, MI 49664. Barry Krull explained much more about the types of compost he sells and various uses for it. There’s more to it than most of us realized. It was a very worthwhile and informative morning.
There are several excellent websites that provide detailed instructions on how to build and maintain a 3 bin system. We recommend this handout from Leo Creek Preserve.
Top Row, left to right: Signage for 3-Bin Composting, click on images to enlarge. Next more signage, bottom row, right to left, Former County Commissioner, Kama Ross, Master Gardener, volunteer at the gardens, and caretaker of the comport system, Jane Ecclestone, and Board Member and volunteer at Leo Creek Preserve in Suttons Bay, working on finishing touches to the composting bins at the Poor Farm Barn site.
