feature story / 21 WHY COMPOST? 1. At least 1/3 of your garbage is compostable. Food is a valuable resource that doesn’t belong in the trash. 2. Food rots in landfills, emitting greenhouse gases and noxious odors in an environment that interrupts the natural life cycle of organic material. 3. Compost restores depleted nutrients to the soil and therefore to our food. 4. Composting replenishes eroding soil by putting organic material back where it belongs - in the earth. 5. It’s inspiring. Composting gives your food a second chance at life. “I’m totally addicted because once you start seeing how much goes in every day and the difference it makes, you can’t stop,” Barmas says, add- ing that composting turned out to be much easier than she had expected. She’s planning to use her finished compost for raised beds. Meanwhile, Sekuler is hoping to grow cucumbers, zucchini and kale in her family’s garden. “Every time I throw something in my little bin, I just think that someday it will help grow my vegetables,” she says. “It’s a closed loop, and it’s very exciting.” Malia Rulon Herman can’t stand throw- ing away all the food her kids waste. She is seriously interested in composting and just might become the newest member of Java’s Compost.   Maplewoodian Alex Barmas and his daughter, Izzy, 5, tear up grocery bags to add to their compost tumbler. A successful compost is made up of both organic material, such as food scraps or grass clippings, and a dry carbon source, such as pa- per or wood pellets. Java's two boys help with gardening. Acupuncture, HerbAl Medicine, body tHerApy nutrition & lifestyle consultAtion Yang Yin Spring (917) 210-1063 www.sevenpointwellness.com Millburn, New Jersey – Midtown, New York