{"id":18484,"date":"2026-10-23T14:23:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T14:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/?p=18484"},"modified":"2026-10-23T14:23:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T14:23:00","slug":"know-the-facts-composting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/2026\/10\/23\/know-the-facts-composting\/","title":{"rendered":"KNOW THE FACTS…. Composting"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"Composting is nature\u2019s way of recycling. It is the simple, managed process of letting organic waste, like food scraps and yard trimmings, decompose into a rich, dark material called compost. Instead of throwing your kitchen scraps into the trash, you can turn them into a powerful, nutrient-rich “black gold” that feeds your plants and heals the earth.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Why Composting Matters<\/div>\n
When we throw food scraps into a trash can, they get sent to a landfill. Sealed tightly under piles of garbage without oxygen, these scraps rot and release methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Composting gives these materials oxygen, preventing methane and providing incredible benefits:<\/div>\n
\u25cf Enriches the Soil: Compost adds organic matter and healthy microbes to your garden, acting as a completely natural fertilizer.<\/div>\n
\u25cf Conserves Water: Soil mixed with compost acts like a sponge, holding onto water much longer and reducing the need for constant watering.<\/div>\n
\u25cf Reduces Erosion: It builds strong soil structure, stopping precious topsoil from washing away during heavy rains.<\/div>\n
A healthy compost pile relies on a balance of two main ingredients: Greens (which provide nitrogen) and Browns (which provide carbon). It is strongly advised to use two to three parts browns for every one part greens.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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These are your wet, fresh materials that break down quickly:<\/div>\n
\u25cf Fruit and vegetable scraps<\/div>\n
\u25cf Coffee grounds and paper filters<\/div>\n
\u25cf Eggshells<\/div>\n
\u25cf Fresh grass clippings and green leaves<\/div>\n
Browns<\/div>\n
These are your dry, woody materials that create airflow in the pile:<\/div>\n
\u25cf Dry leaves, twigs, and straw<\/div>\n
\u25cf Shredded newspaper and plain cardboard<\/div>\n
\u25cf Sawdust and wood chips<\/div>\n
What to Leave Out<\/div>\n
To keep your compost pile smelling fresh and to keep pests like mice and raccoons away, never add:<\/div>\n
\u25cf Meat, fish, bones, or dairy products<\/div>\n
\u25cf Fats, grease, or cooking oils<\/div>\n
\u25cf Pet waste (dog or cat feces)<\/div>\n
\u25cf Diseased plants or weeds with mature seeds<\/div>\n
Sources:<\/div>\n
https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/composting-101<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/sustainable…\/benefits-using-compost<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Composting is nature\u2019s way of recycling. It is the simple, managed process of letting organic waste, like food scraps and yard trimmings, decompose into a rich, dark material called compost. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-notices"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18484"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18486,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18484\/revisions\/18486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}