2021 Backyard Home Composting Program

Have you ever wanted to try home composting?  The City of Florence Environmental Management Advisory Committee (EMAC) recently invited you to participate in its 2021 Backyard Home Composting program to evaluate home composing practices for the Florence area. 

EMAC is selecting nine City of Florence households who have submitted a participant form to try one of three different composter types. These composters will be distributed to households to try and then keep, but there is a catch!  Each household will be required  to evaluate the composter they received and agree to fill out and return a questionnaire upon receipt of the composter, again after three months, and again after six months. The information received from the program participants will be used to determine if there are specific composing practices that work well, or not so well, in Florence. The results of the program will be publicized.

The three home composters being tested are the Earth Machine, the Miracle Grow Small rotating compost bin, and a tiered worm composing farm (we'll supply the worms). Each has different methods of use, size and production levels. Whether you are new to composting or have been composting for decades, those selected to try a composter will be asked to provide feedback on their composting experience. 

Home composing reduces the amount of food waste and yard debris going to the landfill which in turn saves money in disposal costs, hauling and landfill tipping fees. Keeping yard debris and food waste out fo the landfill helps reduce the amount of methane a landfill produces, a powerful greenhouse gas. When people successfully compost, they then have free soil amendments that they would otherwise have to purchase at a garden supply store.

Submission for the online form has now closed. Thank you all who have submitted the form- we collected a competitive list and will be updating this site and notifying all who applied. Thank you for your participation!