Bluehouse Composting: Seeking Funding to Keep Composting
Coming Home: Natural Living in a Modern World
watch this winning documentary short to meet me and learn about my project
Since 2017 I have offered community composting to friends and neighbors, I have on average 35 people bringing food scraps to my house, with only a few offering tips to support costs.
Over the years have produced several tons of organic compost from local food scraps and used it to build the soil to sustain diverse plants, providing a habitat for native wildlife.
The design requirements of any project are always changing, and I must adapt to them, and I need your help.
2017
Bluehouse Composting Project Begins in the St. Pete Timebank
Inspired by the Timebank principle that everyone is (or has) an asset, I offered my composting skills to the community as a drop-off site and regenerative living demonstration site, offering workshops and fruits and greens for helpers.
2018
The Elaine Ingham Method Open Bins
A low-cost, high-volume, very efficient way to compost, and it worked for a very long time. All that was needed was for my Soil Supporters to add a thick layer of mulch, and no pest activity was observed.
2021 & 2022
Raccoons and Rats Take Up Residence
Recently raccoons and rats have taken a great interest in our composting project, making it their buffet. The raccoons decided to dine on the compost and live on the roof under my solar panels (and chew on my solar panel wires and dig in the roof) and the rats were found snacking in the compost bin and returning to live inside my home's walls between meals.
Unexpected expenses were incurred to the tune of $6,000 related to their activity. This sum includes the raccoon roof repair, solar panel removal, replacement, and repair, rodent remediation, and costs related to a broken wheelbarrow that made me get stitches and a tetanus shot. I've had the solar panels removed and repaired twice from raccoon chewing.
Today
New Pest-Proof Bins Needed
In order to continue sharing my composting and with you and upgrade the bins, I need donations from the Soil Supporters that use my compost bins. With your help, I'll be able to purchase rat and raccoon-proof compost bins and help cover some of the repair costs I've had as a result of the attractive compost we make as a community.
My community composting project has become very popular with lots of volume; more than I can handle without paid help. I'm very grateful for the interest in regenerative living in my neighborhood. I hope I have inspired you to support the growth of this project in a more sustainable way.
Click here to become a monthly Soil Sustainer for $10 a month
(scroll to bottom of pricing plan page)
Continue Composting!
Become a Monthly Soil Sustainer
Effective immediately, access to my compost bins will be offered exclusively to monthly Soil Sustainers, or those that make an up front donation of $50 or more to cover 6 months of usage and costs.
If you wish not to participate as a Soil Sustainer, there may be other compost bins around to use, although many are not responsive or active any longer, including commercial composting services.
Click here to make an up front donation of $50 for 6 months of usage and costs