Posted: February 15, 2024

Written by: Education & Outreach Coordinator, Hanna Meyer

Thanks to grant funds, Winneshiek County residents now have the opportunity to bring home a free home composter (pictured above) after attending a compost training put on by Winneshiek County Conservation’s Recycling & Waste Reduction Educator, Evan Neubauer. While home composters are only available for free to Winneshiek County residents while supplies last, non-residents are also welcome to order a composter for $55. The order form and more information about compost trainings can be found at https://www.winneshiekwaste.com/compost.

The goal of the Winneshiek County Composting Program is to promote backyard composting and to help our community reduce pressure on our landfill to extend its usage for as long as possible. The Winneshiek County Sanitary Landfill serves Winneshiek, Howard, and Clayton counties and the municipality of Postville. Organic matter in the landfill, such as food waste and yard clippings, breaks down, creating methane gas that can pose a hazard unless vented properly. With collaborative efforts of all households in our communities, we can minimize the amount of food waste, yard clippings, and other organic matter that enter the landfill. Instead, this organic matter can be converted to compost and added to gardens and lawns to create rich, healthy soil.

Winneshiek County Conservation offers educational programs on composting, recycling, waste reduction, and more to local schools, community groups, and civic organizations. If you are interested in scheduling a program to learn more, visit https://www.winneshiekwaste.com/programs-and-tours#.

Want to see a home composter for yourself? Currently, there is one on display at the Decorah Public Library and at Decorah City Hall. There will also be a home composter available for viewing at the Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 20th at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds.