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City launching backyard composting during Home Show

Red Deerians can get rid of their vegetables and other food scraps and make good compost from them through a free green initiative.

Red Deerians can get rid of their vegetables and other food scraps and make good compost from them through a free green initiative.

The City of Red Deer’s backyard composting program will be launched for the second year during the 2013 Red Deer Home Show running Friday through Sunday.

The first year was a hit for the pilot program.

A total of 259 households signed up. This year’s second phase of the program hopes to attract 200 households, less than last year so it’s more manageable.

Registration will get underway at the show at Westerner Park and will continue until May 13, or until the 200th household is signed.

Environmental program specialist Lauren Maris said they’re looking for people who want to learn how to compost, but aren’t composting already.

They will also make a one-year commitment to compost and will need to attend a workshop.

In exchange, they’ll receive a free composting bin, a kitchen catcher to store organic waste from their kitchen, and an aerating tool, plus training and access to expertise help. Workshops begin on April 13 and end on May 14.

“The response (from last year) has been incredible and I’ve been so pleased,” said Maris.

“People have said to us so many times how they’ve wanted to do this for so long, but they didn’t know what composter to get, didn’t know where to put it . . .”

Anyone who is interested can check out www.reddeer.ca/composting

Andrea Malyon and her husband and their teenaged daughter were part of the first-year project.

The West Park family received a lot of knowledge about composting and now hope to have their first vegetable garden this spring.

They’ve been doing the program since last spring.

“It was very surprising how easy it was,” said Malyon.

“It’s really a matter of knowing what to put in it and how to layer it, so it pretty much does it all itself.”

It’s become a real habit. The family is down to about a garbage bag and a half from about two and a half.

ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com