Saturday November 7th, 2026 | 10am
Choose-Your-Price: $30 – $5
The holidays are a joyous time, sure, but they also cause a tremendous amount of food waste. Most of it rides to the landfill in a plastic bag.
Every bit of it could be feeding your garden next spring.
November is the month your yard hands you raw material by the wheelbarrow load. In this composting workshop, horticulturist Adam Bigelow shows you how to turn kitchen scraps and garden waste into rich, finished compost, the dark and crumbly stuff your plants will thank you for come planting season. Whether you’re starting from scratch or currently tending a pile that smells a little suspicious, you’ll leave with a plan that fits your space and your schedule.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to start and maintain a healthy compost pile that stays active and odor-free (yes, it can be done)
- The pros and cons of four methods: traditional piles, compost tumblers, vermicomposting (worm bins), and Bokashi fermentation
- What goes in, what stays out, and how to balance kitchen scraps with yard waste
- Troubleshooting the usual suspects: soggy piles, stalled piles, and piles that attract more critters than you invited
Perfect for home gardeners, anyone working toward a lower-waste household, and folks tired of hauling home bagged soil amendments every spring.
Compost happens, either in your garden or a Franklin NC landfill. Might as well put it to work.
Adam Bigelow is a horticulturist, botanist, and self-described “plant nerd” based in Cullowhee, NC, Adam is the owner of Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions and a planning committee member for the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference. He brings serious field knowledge with a storytelling style that keeps the whole room leaning in.