Compost

Did You Know? On the Farm, We Make Our Own Soil 🌱

(And you can too—right at home.)

One of the most surprising things kids learn at our farm school is this: soil can be made. It isn’t something that only appears in bags at the garden store. In fact, nature has been making soil forever—and composting is simply a way to copy what already happens outdoors, just a little faster and closer to home.

This is an easy, meaningful lesson families can do together using everyday materials. It blends science, observation, patience, and care for the natural world in a way kids can truly understand.

🌿 Just Like Nature

In nature, soil is always being made. Leaves fall to the ground, plants die back, animals leave manure, and tiny living helpers—worms, bugs, fungi, and microbes—get to work breaking everything down. Over time, those pieces turn into rich, dark soil that feeds new plants.

On the farm, compost is simply copying what nature already knows how to do—just a little faster and in one place. We give the helpers food, air, and water… and they do the rest.

You can tell kids:

“The forest makes soil all by itself. Compost is us helping it happen in one spot.”

🌱 The Five Things Compost Needs to Work

At its heart, compost is very simple. To turn scraps into soil, it needs five basic things:

1. Nitrogen (Greens) – the food

Nitrogen feeds the tiny helpers and helps compost heat up.

• Fruit & veggie scraps

• Fresh weeds

• Coffee grounds

• Grass clippings

• Manure (from plant-eating animals like chickens, rabbits, goats)

Nitrogen helps compost get started.

2. Carbon (Browns) – the structure

Carbon adds air space and balance.

• Leaves

• Straw

• Cardboard

• Paper

• Paper towels or egg cartons

• Eggshells

Carbon helps compost breathe.

3. Water – the moisture

Living things need moisture to survive.

• Too dry → helpers slow down

• Too wet → compost smells bad

The goal:

Like a wrung-out sponge.

4. Air – the oxygen

Most compost helpers need oxygen.

• Air comes from loose materials

• Air comes from turning the pile

Turning helps compost breathe.

5. Patience

Compost doesn’t happen all at once.

After we add food, water, and air, we wait. The helpers keep working even when nothing seems to be changing.

You can tell kids:

“We help compost, and then we let nature do the rest.”

🧠 The Simple Compost Formula

Greens + Browns + Water + Air = Soil

Or for kids:

Feed it. Water it. Let it breathe.

🪴 What Should I Put My Compost In?

The best place for compost is directly on the ground.

When compost sits on the soil:

• Air can move through it

• Worms and bugs can crawl in

• Microbes from the earth can join the work

This connection helps compost break down faster and more naturally.

You can tell kids:

“Compost works best when it can touch the earth.”

That said, not everyone has space for an open pile—and that’s okay.

🌱 Compost System Options

(From most natural to most contained)

🌍 1. Open Pile (on the ground)

• Best airflow

• Easy for worms and bugs to enter

• Simple to turn

• Most like nature

Best for: yards, farms, families with space

🪵 2. Wooden or Pallet Bin

• Touches the ground

• Holds its shape

• Easy to expand

Best for: backyards that want a little structure

🧺 3. Wire or Hardware Cloth Bin

• Excellent airflow

• Great for leaves and garden waste

• Simple and inexpensive

Best for: leaf-heavy compost

🔄 4. Tumbler Bin

• Fully contained

• Easy turning (just spin it)

• Keeps pests out

Note: less soil contact = fewer worms
Best for: small yards, tidy systems

🪣 5. Bucket or Trash Can (with holes)

• Works for small amounts

• Needs holes for air and drainage

Best for: patios, apartments, beginners

🧪 6. Mini Compost (bottle or jar)

Not meant to make finished compost, but great for learning and observing how scraps begin to break down.

Best for: kids, science lessons, curiosity

🎥 Try this at home:
Watch “Making a Homemade Composter!” (PBS Kids) to build a mini compost in a 2-liter bottle.

🔥 Why Compost Gets Warm

If you’ve ever felt warmth near a compost pile, that’s not magic—and it’s not fire.

Compost gets warm because tiny helpers are eating.

• Microbes eat greens (nitrogen) and browns (carbon)

• Eating uses energy

• Using energy creates heat

“When we run, we get warm. When microbes eat, compost gets warm.”

Warm compost means it’s alive and busy.

🌡️ Measuring Compost Temperature

A compost thermometer like THIS AMAZON LINK turns this into hands-on science.

What the numbers mean:

• Below 90°F: Helpers are resting

• 90–120°F: Working and healthy

• 130–160°F: Hot and ideal

• Over 160°F: Too hot—helpers need help

Warm is good. Hot means lots of helpers. Too hot means we help the helpers.

🌡️ If It’s Too Hot or Too Cold

Too hot:
Turn the pile, add browns, spread slightly

Like taking off a jacket.

Too cold:
Add greens, add water, turn the pile

Feed the helpers and tuck them in.

Just right:
Leave it alone.

They’ve got this.

⏳ How Long Should Compost Stay Hot?

Heat comes in waves—that’s normal.

• Hot for days or weeks after feeding

• Then cooling as helpers change jobs

Hot means eating fast. Warm means working. Cool means resting.

Time matters more than temperature.

🌡️ Compost Safety When Using Manure

On the farm, we compost manure because we have plenty of it, and our kitchen scraps are often prioritized for animals.

When compost includes manure from plant-eating animals (chicken, rabbit, goat), heat and time help make it safer.

Safety goal:

• 130–160°F

• At least 3 consecutive days

• With turning

If it never gets that hot: that’s okay—use time.
Let it age 6–12 months before using on food crops.

Farm rule: Hot makes it faster. Time makes it safe.

🔄 Turning the Compost

Turning:

• Adds air

• Shares food

• Controls temperature

• Speeds breakdown

Turn when:

• It smells bad

• The center is very hot

• The outside isn’t breaking down

“If it smells weird or looks stuck, it’s time to turn.”

🚫 Avoid Adding

• Dairy

• Oils or greasy foods

• Dog or cat waste

• Diseased plants

• Weeds with seeds (unless compost gets hot)

• Glossy or treated paper

• Plastic or synthetic items

Kid rule:

If it grew, it can usually go. If it’s plastic or oily, it stays out.

🐛 Who Lives in Compost (and What They Do)

• Worms: eat scraps → poop out soil

• Grubs: chew tough pieces

• Potato bugs: shred leaves

• Microbes: do most of the eating and heating

Soil is made when living things eat old plants and poop out something new.

🐛 How Bugs Get There

• Beetles lay eggs in warm, moist compost

• Worms and bugs move up from the soil

• Heat and food attract helpers

Bugs don’t invade compost — they join it.

🔬 Try This: Compost Soup Under a Microscope

Mix a tiny pinch of compost with water, place one drop on a slide, and look closely.

You might see:

• Bacteria (tiny dots)

• Fungal threads

• Protozoa (wiggly movers)

• Tiny mites

• Plant fibers

Healthy soil is full of life—even when we can’t see it.

⏳ What Happens Next?

• The pile warms

• Materials shrink and darken

• It smells earthy

When it cools, compost is either ready for more food or ready to feed your plants.

🌎 The Big Takeaway for Kids

Nothing here is trash. Everything has a job.

Compost isn’t just rotting food—it’s a living system working together to make soil.

If you try this at home, we’d love to see it. Keep us posted and tag @k2acres 🌱