Knowledge Inventory

We recommend that you answer these questions before and after reading the book or attending a workshop to help you understand what you have learned and what you might need to go back and reread for clarification. If you are at a workshop, the results of this quiz may help the teacher/ facilitator decide what information to focus on when everyone has a range of existing knowledge and experience! Answers can be found at the back of the book.

1. Circle the items that should not be included in cold or worm-based compost piles because they may create odors that attract pests, may deter worm activity, or may not break down fully, causing biological hazards or incomplete compost.

• Fallen leaves • Vegetable stems • Bacon • Chicken bones

• Pet waste • Grass clippings • Sawdust • Fruit rinds

• Pesticides • Eggshells • Newspapers

2. True or False: Composting is a physical process that occurs without biological activity.

3. Circle one answer. What is one way that composting contributes to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions?

• Composting organic waste creates a less potent greenhouse gas than the same waste breaking down in a landfill.

• Composting prevents oxygen from entering the atmosphere.

• Composting generates heat to power homes.

• Composting turns plastic into a usable soil amendment.

4. Identify key differences between cool/worm composting and hot/aerated static composting by labeling each point with one of the following: Worms, Aerated Static, Both, Neither

Can break down meat scraps: Requires moisture: Requires electricity: Finished compost in 3–6 months: Finished compost in 30–60 days: Process kills weed seeds: Best kept under a thick layer of high-carbon materials:

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