Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Dale Culver would like some leaves. Well, not just "some" - he'll take metric tons of them and recycle them into compost.
Culver, owner of Superior Excavating on old U.S. 30, is leasing a windrow machine from the Kosciusko County Solid Waste District. In three years he'll own it outright.
The contraption, with its huge paddles, can turn a 16-foot wide and 6-foot tall pile of soil and natural material into black gold.
Black gold is the organic gardener's term for compost.
And that's the secret to making good compost: keeping it turned, keeping the heat distributed evenly as organic elements break down.
"Compost is 10 times more effective in erosion control, too," Culver said, "and that helps water quality."
The enormous pile of black compost in Superior Excavating's yard, mixed with top soil and gypsum, thoroughly sifted, stood as a testimony to erosion control. Despite the recent heavy rains, there were no water gullies tracing the hill's side.
A handful of the black stuff is heavy and of just the right consistency, crumbling under pressure.
Leaves are the best main ingredient for quality compost, said Debbie Martin, Superior Excavating's office manager.
Martin managed a landfill or two before working for Culver.
"Bagged leaves, even those in biodegradable bags, don't decompose in the landfill," she said. "Trash buried 10 or 12 years ago is still perfectly intact."
Indiana has banned yard waste - leaves, grass, tree debris - from landfills. Just because a leaf pile is removed from the curb doesn't mean it's recycled.
Of the 7,781 tons of yard waste generated in Warsaw each year, most of it is leaves.
The windrow machine is available to any solid waste district with composting sites. Recently the machine was hauled to Elkhart County to be used there.
"There are so many great things we can do with this equipment," Martin said. "This particular material has such a beneficial end use - aeration, amendment to top soil, water conservation - it's a shame to throw the leaves away or burn them."
