Check out my new post over at The Grow Network:

“When I tell people I compost meat, dairy, bones, bread, etc., I often get the immediate “but you CAN’T!” reaction from normal people who follow all the silly rules on composting.

It’s ridiculous how complicated we’ve made composting.

Today we’ll talk about composting the scary stuff—the stuff THEY don’t want you to compost!

Composting Meat

The reason you’re often told “NO!” on meat is because it attracts varmints when placed in bins or tumblers above ground. There’s a simple solution to this problem: bury it. Blood and bone meal are both valuable organic fertilizers. Fish emulsion is another good food for the soil. How come we buy these expensive slaughterhouse- and fishing-derived amendments while chucking bones and meat into the trash?

You’ve probably heard how the Indians taught the Pilgrims to bury fish carcasses beneath corn plants. That’s composting! I’ve followed their lead and buried organ meat, beef stew, animal carcasses, and rotten leftovers in 2-3 feet deep holes and then covered them with a mound of dirt. A month or 2 later, I planted squash and sunflower seeds on the hills. I’ll tell you what—the plants didn’t need any additional fertilizing! Plus, those areas remain fertile for years. The slow release of nutrients is just what the doctor ordered.

You can also add meat and bones to a regular compost bin. Just bury it in the middle. If you have a varmint-proof bin, that’s a big help. I had a big galvanized metal bin at one point that worked very well for throwing in everything from fish guts to lasagna.

Composting Bread, Dairy, and Oils

I’ve been told not to put these things in the compost pile. Oils gum up the decay process, bread takes a while to break down, and dairy makes things stink to high heaven. So—do we throw them away? Naw, not a chance…”

Click Here to keep reading.