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Curious about composting? Learn more at one of these free L.A. classes

The Los Angeles-based nonprofit L.A. Compost hosts free composting classes on June 24 at Spring Street Community Garden and June 30 at GrowGood.
(Ringo H.W. Chiu / For The Times)
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In an effort to simplify the composting process and educate the public on how to combat food waste, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit L.A. Compost hosts regular classes on how to turn your food scraps into “black gold.”

In an interview with The Times last year, L.A. Compost founder Mike Martinez noted that “composting is a wide spectrum, and it can be a little intimidating if one assumes it requires a pitchfork and a lot of time.”

His perception is understandable given all the parameters that are involved in the composting process. Sure, it may seem simple to discard your coffee grounds and banana peels in a compost bin, but how do you get the decomposition formula right? For example, are pricey compost tumblers really necessary? What is the correct ratio of green (nitrogen-rich) to brown (carbon-rich) materials? And what about citrus and dairy … and pet hair?

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Never fear, representatives will review the basics on Sunday at the “Spring Street Community Garden Compost Workshop” in downtown Los Angeles and at a kid-friendly workshop on June 30 at GrowGood, an urban farm in Bell that provides fresh produce to the Salvation Army Shelter. (GrowGood is also hosting a hands-on class with TreePeople on how to control pests in your garden without using pesticides from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 30.)

The workshops will also address how to properly collect and drop off your household scraps at a local community garden or farmers market if you are unable to compost at home. L.A. Compost collects food scraps on Sundays at the Motor Avenue Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Atwater Village Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Simply collect your scraps, store them in a freezer, bin or a container, and bring them to the farmers market.

L.A. Compost founder Michael Martinez mixes dry leaves and kitchen scraps in a compost bin at his West Covina home in 2013.
(Ringo H.W. Chiu / For The Times )
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Spring Street Community Garden Compost Workshop

When: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, June 24

Where: 220 S. Spring St., downtown Los Angeles

Info: lacompost.org

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Teaching Kids About Compost

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When: 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 30

Orchard Pest Control Workshop with TreePeople

When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 30 (Must be 16 to participate).

Where: GrowGood, 5600 Mansfield Way, Bell

Info: RSVP to jayne@grow-good.org

lisa.boone@latimes.com

Twitter: @lisaboone19

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