Put in your green waste and stir it with brown;

Mix in some water and watch it shrink down.

This is composting as most simply stated,

A model of cycles that nature created,

 

Where “black gold” results from organic decay

Of waste you put into your compost today.

Outdoors we compost things that are growing,

Flowers, and tree leaves, and grasses we’re mowing.

 

Can you believe it? It’s got me twitchin.’

Sixteen percent of our waste’s from the kitchen!

Egg shells and apple cores, coffee grounds, peels—

Much that’s left over from each of our meals—

 

Can be found in landfills piled up to the sky

Taking up space that is in short supply.

But composting’s fun and it’s not hard to do.

You might even think it’s too good to be true.

 

What’s going on in this bin of composting?

Inside’s a party of bugs you’ve been hosting.

Fungi, worms, thermophilic bacteria

Use your bin as their own cafeteria.

 

Truly an ideal microbial zoo,

A composter eats up things that once grew.

When you open the lid to put in some more,

You wonder where everything went from before.

 

Big leaves are smaller, the corncobs are brown,

Worms are a-squirming and the level is down.

There are so many reasons—I’ll give you a handful—

For keeping these valuable things from our landfill.

 

Putting compostables into the trash

Gives haulers and landfills more of our cash.

It costs us dearly to pick up and haul it

And pay landfill fees from Monona’s wallet.

 

Hauling less garbage out to the street,

You’ll save your back, your shoulders, your feet!

The finished compost is great for your garden,

Loosening soils that clay has made harder.

 

Compost feeds plants in a slow-release way,

Giving them nutrients day after day.

It helps soil hold moisture, adds air for the roots,

No need for shopping to buy it, to boot.

 

So now that you’re jumping to have your own bin,

I bet you’re wondering how to begin.

Just go, this Saturday, down to Alliant

Energy Center and there you will find it.

 

The once-per-year sale of bins is ideal.

At thirty-nine dollars plus tax, they’re a steal.

On Saturday, May third, from nine until four,

Or until supplies run out—go early to score—

 

The sale will be on, whether sunshine or rain.

Cash or check only and you can obtain

An Earth Machine made out of recycled stuff

That holds eighty gallons and is really tough.

 

It comes with a lid—critters can’t come to stay—

A sliding door helps you take compost away.

Mother’s Day’s coming. Perhaps you could win

Kudos for buying the gift of a bin.

 

This is a simple and effective means

Of moving our lives toward a bright shade of green.

This is all good, no need to debate your

Positive effect on our Mother Nature.

 

Composting helps in our planet’s rebirth.

Join with your neighbors in respecting her worth.

It’s not a big effort to make a big dent

In correcting the harm to our environment.

 

Saving our earth will this small step feels great.

Move your foot forward, there’s no need to wait.

 

 

We hold an annual sale of compost bins each May.