I originally intended “Compost Guy” to be my primary site for sharing my passion for composting (and related topics) with the world. Over time, while I certainly HAVE shared quite a lot of information here, my REAL focus has been on my other composting site, Red Worm Composting – which has definitely become my main stomping grounds online.
Apart from not having enough time to fully develop both sites, I was worried that I’d end up being too redundant with my content (posting similar articles), and thus basically defeat the purpose of having two sites. I thought perhaps that I could bring some contributors on board to freshen things up, but…well…that plan didn’t work QUITE as well as I had hoped. People weren’t exactly beating down my door to get their articles posted. Haha
Anyway, I have decided to put things in suspended animation here at Compost Guy for a while. I know I will be back at some point to further develop the site, but for now I need to keep my focus elsewhere. If you are a composting fan, please be sure to see what I’m up to over at Red Worm Composting. I add at least a few new blog posts over there each week – that is also the best place to get in touch with me!
Written by Compost Guy on April 13th, 2010 with no comments.
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Hi Folks! Sorry I’ve let the site go silent for so long (yes, a recurring problem – haha). I think the important thing is that I don’t completely give up on it – nor will I likely ever do so (I’m kinda stubborn that way). As per usual, I’ve been spending most of my time over at Red Worm Composting - so I certainly haven’t fallen off the planet or anything.
Aside from being tired of staring at ‘Monet’s Pallette’, and apologizing yet again for a lapse in posts, I also wanted to take the opportunity to tell you about a fairly new project of mine. Don’t worry – it’s much more of a static resource site than this one was intended to be, so people won’t end up disappointed when new blog posts aren’t added.
Let me start by saying that it is VERY MUCH a work-in-progress, so please don’t judge ‘the book by its cover’.
As the name of this post implies, it is called ‘Compost Bin Plans‘, and also as the name implies it is all about DIY composting equipment (and then some). One of the things I’ve noticed since writing about composting online is that there are a LOT of people really interested in creating their own composting bins/beds and related ’stuff’ (harvesters, tumblers etc etc). What’s great is that there are also lots of good resources instructing you HOW to make a lot of great systems.
My aim is to basically provide a central resource for tracking down this information. Another major (now longer term) goal is to actually make available various DIY composter plans as well – I was all set to team up with a talented builder/designer this fall, but things ended up having to be put on the back-burner due to commitments on his end. As I have likely written here (and have certain written elsewhere), I myself am “all thumbs”, with very little in the way of building/designing skill – you might even go so far as to say that I ‘couldn’t build my way out of a paper bag’!
Ok, so I’m being a little hard on myself! After all, I DID manage to build my own decent backyard worm bed (see ‘Building a Compost Bin – Part I‘ for a picture of it) – and in fact, I think it is that accomplishment (I truly shocked myself) that has also helped to make me want to create this site. I want to encourage/inspire all those folks who think they “can’t building anything” and make them realize that they CAN!
Due to my passion for vermicomposting, I am of course going to be including plenty of ‘how tos’ for making vermicomposting systems and equipment (worm harvesters etc) as well. I also will be dedicating a full section to ‘Compost Tumbler Plans‘, and ‘Composting Toilet Plans‘ since both of these are very expensive pieces of equipment when purchased from a manufacturer (not that I’m saying that buying one is “bad” – just want people to realize that you can indeed make all of these things). You’ll notice that these other pages have not been developed yet – but I’m definitely hoping to do so very soon. Again, the entire site is going to be growing and changing a LOT over the next few months.
Compost tumblers in particular seem to have become hugely popular in recent years, and with that popularity seems to have come an army of ‘Do-It-Yourselfers’ who don’t feel like shelling out hundreds of dollars for one of these systems. Just on YouTube alone there are lots of cool ideas and ‘how tos’ for making one of these systems at home.
By the way – if you have cool/helpful plans that you want to share, or you know of some quality DIY composter (etc) plans, please don’t hesitate to let me know so I can add them to the site. Also, if there is some particular system or piece of equipment that you would really like to build yourself but can’t find instructions to do so, please email me as well, and I’ll see if I can track something down.
Just so you know, aside from developing the Compost Bin Plans site further over the next few months, I also have plans to get things moving along here as well. My search for interesting DIY plans has certainly reminded me of just how many cool websites and resources there are out there focused on the topic of composting – so I’ll likely be spending more time writing about some of these here.
Technorati Tags: compost, bin, plans, blueprints, composter, diy, compost barrel, compost maker, compost tumbler, compost spinner, compost turner, compost crock, composting bins, compost bed, worm bin, worm bed, worm composting system, worm harvester, building a compost bin, build a compost bin
Written by Compost Guy on November 5th, 2009 with 5 comments.
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Howdy!
Believe it or not, CompostGuy.com is not abandoned web real estate! Just been choosing to spend more time over at Red Worm Composting this fall. Will be back in the saddle again over here very soon!
Written by Compost Guy on December 17th, 2008 with no comments.
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Well, I must say these promised posts have been flowing out like cold molasses!
I guess it’s better to be slow than to not write at all!
Anyhow…
As some of you undoubtedly know already (especially if you follow Red Worm Composting) I decided to take a leap of faith and start up my own ‘real world’ eco-business this spring – focused primarily on a topic that is near and dear – COMPOSTING!!
Initially, my main activities have involved selling vermicomposting supplies (worms, bins, kits etc), but I am slowly expanding from there. I will be focusing primarily on selling in my own region (Southwestern Ontario) and in Canada in general. As such, I decided to put together a new website called Worm Composting Canada.
Luckily I’ve been able to connect with a great supplier in the U.S. as well so I’ve even been able to sell to U.S. customers (essentially a separate business altogether) – this has certainly helped, since much of my website traffic comes from the U.S. The one limitation of the U.S. biz is that I am only currently selling composting worms (am looking into dropshipping for other products however).
So far it has been a very interesting experience to say the least, and I am SO glad I finally decided go for it. Originally I had planned to wait until I had a larger property (preferably in the country), but I finally just got sick of planning for some future date. At the risk of sounding cheesy, this is the sort of business I’ve always dreamed about owning one day, so it’s been pretty exciting thus far.
One thing I’ve really loved about the new gig is the fact that it’s allowed me to get outside and do a lot more composting/gardening work this year – thus giving plenty of ideas for blog topics (the sad irony is that I now have less time for writing). As mentioned in my recent update post, I am now working with a local restaurant to help divert a fair bit of their food waste (more about that in an upcoming post). It is far more material than I’ve ever had available for composting so it has been an interesting experience to say the least. It has certainly provided me with a great opportunity for various composting experiments (some working out really well – others, not so much! haha).
Anyway, I’m really excited to see where this business takes me, and have little doubt that it will (as mentioned) provide me with plenty of good material to write about…hopefully I can just learn to write a little faster.
Technorati Tags: worm composting, vermicomposting, red worms, worm bins, composting, ontario, canada
Written by Compost Guy on June 24th, 2008 with 3 comments.
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Hi Everyone,
I realize my blog postings have followed a “feast or famine” type of cycle ever since starting the site. I guess the important thing is that I’m continuing to move slowly forward.
I’m happy to report that I’ll be providing you with another ‘feast’ of new posts soon.
I’ve been really busy with lots of ‘real world’ activities, and very soon I’ll be able to get back to the computer and tell you all about it.
Here’s what’s coming down the pipe:
1) My New Business Venture – From the virtual world to the real world, Compost Guy is ready to make his mark!
2) Community Composting Initiative – Learn about my partnership with a very popular local restaurant, and what I am doing with 100’s of pounds of their food waste each week.
3) Make Your Own Pet Poop Composter – I’ve written previously about pet waste composting. Well now I’m going to show you how to make your very own pet waste composting system.
4) In Situ Vermicomposting – Last summer I had a huge tomato plant growing out of the side of my large outdoor worm bin. This year I’m taking in situ composting to a whole new level.
5) My new lawn mower – I finally said good bye to my emission-spewing, gas-guzzling hunk-a-junk, and said hello to a sleek new rechargeable. My impression after testing it out? AWESOME!
6) Fun With Biobags – A while back I wrote about my purchase of some cornstarch polymer ‘Biobags’ to test out in my compost bins. I’ve been doing exactly that for the last few weeks, with some pretty cool results!
7) Suburban Aquaponics – Going even further back into the archives, I promised everyone that I was going to set up my own aquaponics system. Originally it was going to be an indoor system, but unfortunately the project just never got started (other than me planning it out and purchasing some of the key supplies). I am now hoping to try out a small outdoor system. Should be fun!
So there you have it! I’m sure there will be other posts along the way – but these are some of the exciting things I want to tell you very soon.
Stay tuned!
Written by Compost Guy on June 5th, 2008 with 2 comments.
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For the record, to the rumors about me ‘finding the edge of the earth and falling off’ have been greatly exaggerated!
All joking aside, I do apologize for the lapse in posts over the last little while! I’ve been taking a wee bit of a holiday since last week, and have also been busily absorbed in the planning stages of an exciting new venture, which you will certainly hear a lot more about in coming weeks.
I have also been dusting off the cobwebs from my Compost Guy vermicomposting section, which I had actually intended to publish quite some time ago (surprise, surprise). While certainly still a work-in-progress, my new Worm Composting Basics page is now ready for visitors. Originally I thought it would be rather redundant to have a vermicomposting page on this site when I have an entire site dedicated to the topic, but then I realized that there are probably a lot of people who are simply looking for a decent worm composting overview – not necessarily the ‘whole enchilada’!
For those of you already actively (or at least familiar with) vermicomposting, it may not be all that exciting – but my hope is that it will help newcomers gain a basic understanding of the process and get pointed in the right direction should they be interested in learning more.
Technorati Tags: worm composting, vermicomposting, worm bin, red worms, red wigglers, composting worms, vermicompost, worm castings
Written by Compost Guy on May 22nd, 2008 with no comments.
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Ok everyone – we are back in business! From the look of things I’d say we’re definitely on a faster server! The site is now loading much more quickly for me. Thank goodness!
Hopefully I won’t have to worry about hosting again for a LONG time!
Written by Compost Guy on April 1st, 2008 with no comments.
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Good news – the transfer went relatively smoothly and Compost Guy is now live on the new hosting account!
I’ll definitely get back into the swing of things tomorrow (technically later today – Jan 24th) so we can put all this behind us!
Written by Compost Guy on January 24th, 2008 with no comments.
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As mentioned recently, we’ve been having some major issues with our current webhost and have been looking for greener pastures!
Well, the good news is that I have a new account elsewhere (and I’m very optimistic that there will be far fewer hassles there), but alas the bad news is that I need to move the site, which of course means MORE downtime for Compost Guy!
When it comes down to it, I should be thanking my lucky stars that A) I signed up for a monthly plan with the current host (rather than saving some money with a yearly plan) and B) This all happened when the site was still relatively new, so I won’t likely lose too many readers (and hopefully all my regular readers will get this msg.
My aim is to make this as fast and pain free as possible. I need to redirect my domain to new nameservers (which may sound like ‘Greek’ to some of you) – that’s actually what will result in the downtime (since there is inevitably some time required for the domain to get ‘hooked up’ to the hosting provider. At least once that is finished I can put up a temporary page until everything else is taken care of.
Anyway, I’ll likely start the process later today so the site may appear to be offline.
Hopefully everything goes according to plan and I have it up and running again tomorrow!
Thanks very much for your patience. It’s all UP from here – I promise!
Written by Compost Guy on January 23rd, 2008 with no comments.
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Hi everyone! Sorry it’s been so quiet on the blog as of late! We’ve encountered some serious issues with our currrent webhosting provider. Late last week the site was down for a good chunk of time, then the server it sits on got hacked, effectively rendering the site usesless. Thankfully nothing was lost, other than time and patience on my part!
Needless to say, I’ll be shopping for a new webhosting company in coming weeks, and will be doing some major backups to make sure I am ok if anything serious happens (plus will be helpful for the move to new server).
Lots I want to write about this week – I am long overdue for a Winter Composting update for starters!!
Anyway, I’ll definitely get back to it tomorrow!
Thanks for your patience!
Bentley
Written by Compost Guy on January 16th, 2008 with 2 comments.
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