Boulder County’s Resource Conservation Division hosts composting workshops

Boulder County returns with the annual workshops on managing your garden, preparing it for winter and getting composting ready for next spring. The virtual workshops will be led by Boulder County’s Master Gardener instructors, along with Boulder County’s Master Composter, Melanie Nehls Burow. 

Burow has led composting classes through Boulder County for 20 years, including Master Composting workshops in the past.

The free two-hour workshop is open to aspiring amateur gardeners and experienced horticulturalists looking to dig in to new techniques. Topics to be covered include cleaning up vegetable gardens and readying perennials for cold weather, as well as winterizing backyard compost piles and making sure it will be ready for the spring.

For apartment dwellers and homeowners looking to keep composting going over the winter, Burow will also discuss the ins and outs of indoor worm composting. Keeping indoor compost can help with an easier start to spring planting and Burow will help navigate the details of a healthy indoor compost bin that won’t smell up the house.

“She has a wealth of experience and is spreading the gospel of compost,” said Boulder County Resource Conservation Division Sustainability Specialist Michal Duffy.

Held since 2007, the shift to virtual composting classes due to the pandemic has opened up new opportunities, Burow said. The spring composting workshop had nearly 100 people in attendance for one class, bringing in gardening enthusiasts from around the country. According to Burow, the digital workshop gives more space for gardeners to ask questions in the chat and share their own tips and experiences.

Composting has benefits for all manner of landscaping, supplementing a grassy lawn and healthy trees in addition to the gardens, according to Duffy. The composting workshops are a part of the county’s Zero Waste initiatives to reduce landfill waste and promote a healthier ecology. According to Boulder County, approximately 20% of the waste that goes to landfills are plant trimmings, yard waste or food scraps that could otherwise be compostable.

“Organics like food and yard waste are a real problem when they are sent to the landfill because of the methane they produce,” Duffy said. “It’s really important to keep compostables out of the landfill, and this is a great way to take it into your own hands and make your own soil.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, municipal landfills are the third-largest source for human-generated methane emissions. Methane emissions in 2019 accounted for equivalent greenhouse gas emissions for 21.6 million passenger vehicles driven over one year or carbon dioxide emissions from 12 million homes, according to the EPA.

Boulder County Resource Conservation Division is selling soil saver compost bins at cost to make composting more accessible to the greater community, Duffy said. According to Burow, the bins sold through the county are some of the best on the market. The bins retail for more than $100, but can be purchased through Boulder County for $60 by contacting Duffy directly.

Residents also have options for curbside compost pickup through local municipalities. The city of Longmont offers curbside pickup every other week as part of its waste disposal services, for an additional $6.60 per month. Boulder County is developing plans for a county-wide composting facility as well, though as of August 2021 the location had yet to be determined.

There are five dates available for the free composting workshops, with registration links available online. The compost workshop from this past spring is also available for gardeners looking to study up.