RE: It's over!/compost

Kitty, I'm so tickled your presentation went so very well!!!  I knew you
would put on one very professional program.  I don't think you do anything
half way.  

As for the composting in Indiana, I remember starting to get interested in
recycling and conservation because of the efforts of the local government.
Sometimes, when governments change or their budgets are downsized, they lose
the focus of what a program saves overall or something else seems to be a
better money maker for the state.  

I was very upset with how backwards Ohio was when it came to recycling and
yard wastes and such when I moved here nearly 2 decades ago.  Now it is our
local government who has put on a large push to use composting and
recycling.  Who knows how long it lasts.  However, for those who have been
introduced to the ideas and the wisdom of such things, we can pass the
information on to our children, our neighbors and our grandchildren.  If
enough of a grass roots outcry confronts government, government will listen
(at least around election time.)  Even if it doesn't listen, if the
individuals continue what the government began, it will still make a
significant difference.  The government doesn't have to do everything for
us.  We need to take on more responsibility ourselves when either the funds
or the interest isn't there.

Well, that's my personal opinion anyway.

Blessings,
Bonnie (SW OH - zone 5)

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf
Of Fort Wayne, IN
Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 6:27 PM
To: chat
Subject: [CHAT] It's over!/compost

Dear Friends,
I just wanted to write and thank all of you for your support, information,
and treasures some sent, to help me with my presentation at the Home &
Garden Show.  It went well.  I had an audience of 77; the MG who assisted me
stretched out my 60 booklet handouts by only giving one to couples.  The
powerpoint presentation I had on a borrowed laptop connected to a provided
projector and it all flowed seamlessly - except for the time I dropped the
microphone.  I was happy I had samples of materials and bulbs to show as
most of the other speakers simply relied on slides and I think some of the
attendees enjoyed the opportunity to actually see and touch the materials.
Thank goodness it is over, though.  On to real gardening.

The last presentation yesterday was on composting so I thought I'd see if
the speaker had anything new to say.  Well, it was nothing like what I
expected.  He is the president of Hoosier ReLeaf and he showed videos of his
38 acre composting site.  They compost absolutely everything - drywall,
sawdust, manure, all building materials, leaves, etc.  He began this in
conjuction with a local construction company when Indiana was pushing to
reduce yardwaste going to landfills.  Then the state decided it didn't care,
so of course, the construction company didn't care either and dumped the
project.  This man, owner of a nursery, was able to scrape up enough money
to buy just one of the machines.  And now he does it himself.  It is
soooooooooo amazing!  I haven't seen the website yet, but you might like to
look at it:
www.hoosierreleaf.org
He explained how, if McDonalds changed just their straws, he could compost
all their waste.  If Pizza Hut changed just their pop lids, he could compost
everything.  But he can't get in to talk to the right people.  He sells his
compost for about $70 a ton.  He says they do the same thing in CA, but
there they get $400 per ton.  When he worked with the county, he was able to
do 26 times as much as he can on his own, but he still keeps 14 rows of
compost going all the time.  Unfortunately, he said the state is making some
new zoning restrictions and they pay force him down to only one row, which
would put him out of business.

How can Indiana be so incredibly stupid?  Separating yardwaste isn't
difficult and the benefits are from here to the moon.  Instead, everything
goes to the dump.

Kitty

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