Compost
Where is this compost from?
GrowTorah’s compost came from food scraps distributed by Chopstix and Narruto Bowl restaurants in addition to GrowTorah team members’ personal food scraps. These comprised the “greens” (nitrogen) for our compost. Garden Educator Farmer Spence then mixed the food scraps with “browns” (leaves and/or woodchips), supplying the carbon half of the nitrogen-and-carbon mix needed to create compost.
The composting process consists of three states: psychrophilic, mesophilic, and thermophilic. The thermophilic stage is the hottest, fastest, and most effective way to compost; it’s where most of the decomposition happens. This stage starts as microorganisms consume the organic material in our compost pile. As these microbes consume the waste materials, they produce heat. They multiply in numbers and spread out in the compost, thereby increasing the heat. However, the pile won’t reach the necessary temperatures in the absence of already existing, ambient heat from the sun. This is why compost works much slower in the winter. The last components are the addition of oxygen and water. As the microorganisms feed on the organic matter, they deplete the oxygen and water supply. This is why each week the pile was “turned” (mixed) allowing oxygen to reach different areas of the pile and providing the opportunity for microbes to decompose the material in these areas. Farmer Spence also watered the compost in the hotter months of the year. What a process; who knew?!
Why Compost?
In addition to the practical efficiency of composting, transforming our waste into reusable matter fulfills the mitzvah of bal tashchit (commandment prohibiting wasting physical things).
How do I sign up?
Click the green Get Compost! button on this page and complete the form.
Open your email receipt from Givebutter (subject: “Your Receipt from GrowTorah”).
Click “Schedule your pickup time now!” on the receipt.
Select your preferred pickup time.
What should I bring when I pick up my compost?
Your “ticket” receipt (you will receive this after filling out the form above)
Gloves
Bucket/s or bag/s to carry your compost home (we do NOT provide buckets)
How do I pick up my GrowTorah Compost?
To take your compost, with your gloves on:
Open the gate
Fill your container with your hands or shovel
Make sure no compost is left beyond the confines of the compost pile
Close the gate fully
You can apply your compost to your garden and/or lawn right away! Enjoy!