Backyard Composting Basics : Course Outline Online Certification Course Sponsor Unit 1   |   Unit 2   |   Unit 3   |   Unit 4   |   Unit 5   |   Unit 6   |   Unit 7 Unit 1. Composting Overview and Compost Uses. Defining backyard composting What to Compost Why Compost How to compost When to compost Affects on the environment How composting creates sustainability Different uses for compost & its benefits Review questions Unit 2. Determining Your Composting Needs. Determining your needs Available materials to compost Available space to compost Types of bins to use Different ways to compost Degrees of effort needed to compost Physical locations (urban, suburban, rural) The amount of funds needed to compost Review Questions Unit 3. What to Compost. Good and Bad materials Browns and how they affect yoru pile Greens and how they affect your pile Materials to avoid composting Carbon & Nitrogen Carbon to Nitrogen ratio Layering Importance of Oxygen, Water, & Heat Review Questions Unit 4. Building a Pile. Building and maintaining a pile Anatomy of a layered pile Wht materials are need to build a layered pile The importrance of water and moisture The importance of aeration Collecting and preparing your materials Carbon to Nitrogen ratio The Food Web Time and Temperature factors Knowing when your compost is ready for use Troubleshooting Composting Simulation Review Questions Unit 5. Composting Equipment. Types of Bins The Earth Machine from Norseman Plastics Building your own bins Grabage Can Bin Concrete Block Bin Wire Composting Bin Three Bin System Using a screen Types of screens Building your own screen Composting equipment and tools Review Questions Unit 6. Uses for Finished Compost. The multiple ways compost can be utilized The positive rewards of using compost The benefits to plants and the soil The economics of backyard composting The environmental impacts of backyard composting Review Questions Unit 7. Composting Bin Distribution. The main steps to setting up a bin distribution program Ways of distributing your bins Educating program participants Promoting your program What kinds of information should be handed out Ways to provide follow-up information How to acquire data pre & post bin distribution Review Questions