OJAI : County OKs Funds for Compost Garden

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has agreed to pay for about half the cost of building a $27,000 garden in Ojai to demonstrate composting.

The board voted 3 to 1 Tuesday to approve the plan, which county waste management officials hope will spur residents to learn how to transform their garbage into compost and reduce waste at landfills. Because of dwindling landfill space, the Legislature requires local governments to reduce waste 25% by 1995 and 50% by the year 2000.

Visitors to the garden would see how organic waste can be composted into mulch. Monthly classes would also be available. A similar program is under way in Ventura.

The county Solid Waste Management Department will contribute $14,175 to the project and the rest will come from the city of Ojai, local businesses and the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Supervisor John K. Flynn cast the only vote opposing the garden, saying that people have known how to compost for some time and “certainly don’t need a grant to see that (composting) will work.”