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Ready to start composting? Composting turns food waste into a valuable product that can improve the health of your yard and garden. Close the loop on your local food system and start composting at home today! Benefits of Composting: - Compost is good for gardens—it returns nutrients to the soil and improves soil aeration, texture, and drainage. It also remediates soil and allows it to sequester more atmospheric carbon and hold more water, which can help during periods of drought. - Composting keeps organic matter out of landfills and prevents the buildup of methane in landfills caused by organic decay. Methane has a climate-forcing potential 25 times higher than CO2, and reductions in methane emissions are critical to blunting the most immediate effects of climate change. - Using compost in gardens decreases the need for chemical fertilizers and reduces pollution. - Composting helps close the loop on our food system. Locally produced food is eaten and the waste is turned into a local product, thus reducing amount of waste that needs to be transported to landfills and decreasing transportation emissions. Helpful Guides: Home Composting Guide (MSU Extension): http://store.msuextension.org/publications/YardandGarden/MT199203AG.pdf ---PAGE BREAK--- • Provides a thorough description of how the composting process works, what the best materials to use are, and how a composting bin can be built • FAQ answers common questions like how to know when the compost is ready to use and how to limit smell and avoid animal interactions WasteNot Project (Citizens for a Better Flathead): • Home composting information: getting started, can I compost it?, and troubleshooting • Includes tips for composting in bear country • Provides information about the option of composting with Dirt Rich compost