In recent years, people have become increasingly aware of the waste that they generate. Twenty years ago, only a small portion of the people in the US recycled, yet today this is the norm. Yet, a lot waste is generated that is just as commonly hauled away, rather than recycling it.

This is in the form of vegetable scraps. Potato peels, lettuce cores, carrot and fruit peels, spoiled fruit and vegetables, egg shells, house plant and tree leaves, grass clippings, old unseasoned salad, the list goes on, but what these have in common besides being from plant sources (except the egg shells) is that they are very often hauled away.

This is a great pity, because every one of these items can be turned into nature's miracle soil; compost.

Compost is made from the natural breakdown of plant matter. It is not hard to make, isn't expensive, doesn't need to take a lot of room, and doesn't need to be offensive smelling. How do you get started?

The first step is to determine where and how you are going to have your compost pile, keeping in mind that it isn't always a "pile". The only qualifications are that the pile should have good airflow and should be easy to turn and to water. Beyond this, your options are very large. You can buy a composter if you want to, but this really isn't necessary. Building a wooden enclosure out of 2x2's that are separated to allow air circulation, 4 feet wide, 4 feet high, 8 feet long and divided in the middle so that there are actually two side by side enclosures, is quite adequate. (The double enclosure allows for easier mixing, since the pile can be turned from one side into the other.) Likewise, chicken wire can be used to enclose the compost pile. In fact, you can even use plastic garbage cans that have numerous 1/2 inch holes drilled into them.

A pile that is 4 feet high will usually be the most efficient, but much smaller piles will still compost, it will just take longer.

Put vegetable trimmings, leaves, grass clippings or other vegetable matter into the enclosures to start building your pile. Fine items should be mixed with thicker items to help prevent matting, which prevents good airflow. After adding a layer of vegetative matter, add some dirt. The dirt contains the bacteria that will aid in the breakdown of the plant debris. More vegetation can be added to the pile until it gets to the height you want it to be, however the pile should be turned or mixed periodically. This prevents some areas from drying out while

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