When we moved into our house on a wooded acre lot a little more than two years ago, my first priority was to build two compost bins. Yes, you certainly can buy bins at the local Costco or online, but I needed something larger considering the massive amount of expected yard waste. Rather than use plans, I eyeballed a photo of the two-compost bin system found in my favorite simple living book, The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour.

More on construction later but firstly, why compost? Following are two reasons:

1. Eliminate yard waste that ends up in a landfill. I can honestly say that I have never placed a bag of leaves or grass clippings at the curb for pick up. Also, in retrospect, the work that I would have done bagging comes close to the work maintaining the compost bins.
   
2. Basis for a vegetable garden. Every spring, I've added last year's compost into two raised beds planted in my backyard, I've had so much compost that I've started a third raise bed this year - will share in another blog post. The biggest savings results from not having to buy potting soil at the local garden center at $13 a bag (each raised bed required at least eight 2.5 cubic foot bags of potting soil).
   

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