We have a municipally run compost program in HRM. It's great, and a big step forward from putting all our organic waste in the landfills, but we also need to remember the importance of composting at home, or in our neighborhoods. When growing our own food we want to make sure we have the best possible compost: that we know what went into it, and therefore know what will come out of it. And as is the case with all things, it's good to keep it local.
We all have the materials needed to make great compost, so why rely on your city to truck your resources away, process and pack them, and then truck them back again? Every time you rake up your leaves or grass clippings to put on the curb or put your fruit and vegetable waste in your green bin you are removing resources and nutrients from your soil and garden. Composting returns these nutrients to the soil: improving the soil structure and nutrient levels, which will help produce productive and resilient crops. It doesn't have to be either/or, we can use our municipal programming and maintain our personal or collective composts. So, let's reclaim our compost!