How to construct a pallet composter

Yard waste, coffee grounds, orange peels, banana peels, avocado skins, and all the other stuff that your animals will not eat can go into a compost bin. We were lacking one this past year and decided it was finally time to construct one. We had been collecting and storing pallets over the past year from big mulch and soil deliveries and we finally got enough of the same sized pallets to start constructing one.

A long long while ago, Klint went to growing power in Milwaukee to learn how to do some rad urban farming from Will Allen. Among those skills he learned, he gleaned how to create this compost bin.

Step One: Set up the pallets the way they will sit. One as a base and four sides. The one at the bottom allows for proper airflow.

Step Two: Take a roll of chicken wire sized properly for your pallet height and start stapling it around the sides. By stapling the wire to the sides and back this will allow for greater stability. After creating a U shape with the wire and three pallets we put the chicken wire on the front.

Step Three: We lined the “floor” with chicken wire, going up the sides creating a shallow U shape. (Sorry no pictures)

Step Four: Fill the bin with your organic material. Layering carbon (dry brown stuff) and nitrogen (coffee grounds and green stuff) to create approximately a 50/50 mix. Stir and water as needed… it shouldn’t be smelly.