That retired guy at the farmers market who changed my mind about composting

Met this old timer named Frank at the Saturday market in Portland. He was handing out free samples of his soil, just dirt in little cups. Told me he'd been composting kitchen scraps for 40 years and his tomatoes were the size of softballs. Made me start a bucket in my apartment that weekend. Anyone else have a random stranger convince them to try something?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_blair2mo ago

That "dirt in little cups" line got me... I used to think composting was just for people with big yards and fancy gardens. But Frank handing out soil samples like it was free candy made me try it with a little bin under my sink. Now I'm three months in and honestly shocked how my basil actually grew.

noah_chen1710d ago

Fruit flies and smell are usually a sign of too many wet scraps or not enough browns. Toss in some shredded newspaper or cardboard on top and it balances right out. Did you try adding more dry material before giving up?

adam_nguyen72mo ago

Frank is a cool dude and I respect his hustle but composting in an apartment is a whole different ballgame. Tried it myself with a little bin under the sink and ended up with fruit flies everywhere and a weird smell that my roommates hated. You gotta be super careful with what you put in there, especially if you're not running a hot compost pile outside. Lots of people end up with moldy, slimy messes that attract pests inside. Plus the payoff is tiny compared to your effort unless you're growing a serious garden. Just saying, it's not for everyone, and that's okay.