grow, marvel, eat, laugh, persevere

Monday, May 31, 2010

Spin Bin Composter Giveaway

On May 21st, my blog turned 3 years old - I can't believe it.  You can see a picture of my first garden here.  I still love the upsidedown tomato cages which a reader corrected me on, thankfully.

To celebrate my blog's birthday, I'm giving away this great compost tumbler, courtesy of Clean Air Gardening.  It's made from 100% recycled plastic and holds 60 gallons.  These closed system composters are great for food scraps, especially if you're too afraid of mice (or God forbid, rats) to throw them into an open compost pile like I am.

If you'd like to enter the contest and you live in the 48 contiguous United States, leave a comment here telling me why you need this composter and I'll select a winner randomly from all the comments submitted.  The deadline for submissions will be Friday June 4th at 5:00 pm central standard time.  If you win, the company will ship the composter directly to your house.  So, please make sure that you either leave your email in the comment section, or that your profile links to something with an email address.  I'll announce the winner here as soon as I'm able to notify them.

Clean Air Gardening also sent me a Spin Bin to review and I'm super excited about it.  My husband says it looks like a spaceship but all those bolts along the seam remind me of Herman Munster for some reason.  I've already assembled mine and placed it in its new home right in the middle of my kitchen garden.  I'll be posting a full review as soon as I get some greens and browns in there and see how it works.

See high tech video below for a spinning demonstration.  And, Good Luck!

77 comments:

  1. We've done a major landscape job on our small yard recently, and now that everything looks nice, we have been looking for a composting bin to keep the compost tidy as well. This one looks great.

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  2. I really want to compost but have tried two different styles of homemade composters, both of which have proven too hard to turn. I would love to try out a "real" one!

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  3. 2 of us used to produce about 3-4 bags of garbage every 3-4 days. Once we moved into our own home and started composting, we cut that down to 1-2 bags of garbage. So amazing. The only problem is, we produce so much green waste, our traditional composter can't keep up! I'd love to have a tumbler to allow composter #1 time to work, and also to compost our green waste faster.

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  4. What an awesome way to celebrate your 3rd blogiversary! Congrats!

    We'd love a compost bin because we have a tiny yard mostly filled up with the children's play area, our apple orchard (4 trees) and our garden plus my clothes line. We've no place to make a dedicated compost space, and our small pail composting just hasn't worked for us, so far. We product far too much kitchen waste, and the kids are tired of turning all those little buckets everywhere in the yard. This would tuck perfectly into a space that's not plantable in our yard and make composting something we can start doing productively again!

    Thanks so much for the chance!!!

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  5. I've been dying to try my own compost, but after needing a new shed, a new fence, and repairs on both cars, we're flat out broke! It would be so great to win this!

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  6. As the parents of two busy teens gardening can be a chore. Composting, impossible. Last year we planted in our local community garden. This year we're trying our backyard. A com poster would be very very helpful. Plus it would look great next to our rain barrel!

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  7. I'd enter but I'm Canadian. Could you tell, eh? Har har har. Anywhoo I just wanted to comment that you have yourself one wicked rocket-like composter there. I'm curious how it stacks up compared to your standard rolling composter.

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  8. I just started trying to raise veggies & would love a compost bin to aid in my new endeavor. Thanks for the chance!

    gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

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  9. First off, CONGRATS on the anniversary! It's something to be proud of! I've loved feeling like I've learned "with" you. Hubby and I have been thinking about Composting for the past few years... but we've always been afraid to try. With the success of our veggie garden last year, and (fingers crossed) this year looks even better I really would love to try composting. Thanks for offering this cool contest. I can't wait for your review.

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  10. I'm a newb to both the gardening and blogging world. Our new garden is really a delight for me and my family, and I'd love to give my new little sprouts absolutely everything they could need, but I have a little human sprout who takes a lot of our resources as well. So, we're trying to cut costs in the garden (in the hopes that all the canning we're doing will be a cost saver, too!) Pick me and I'll send you a jar of our sundried tomato pesto dipping sauce! Or, really, just keep up what you're doing. You give me good ideas for dirt projects AND computer projects!

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  11. I have never used a composter before although I have been wanting to for quite some time. This would be great for use in my garden which could use all the help it can get :)
    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

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  12. Love the redesign -- looks great! I want to be a random winner. Like you we have home-made compost systems and they're just too much trouble to turn. And hiding them away in back of the shed leads to out of sight, out of mind, so I'm not sure if our compost ever does finish and is ready to be used.

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  13. Oh my gosh! I would absolutely love a composter. I am new to composting and am currently just dumping clippings and veggie waste in a pile near the woods. I can't turn the pile because it's really hard to turn a pile that is mostly grass clippings (matted down) that's 4 feet wide and 2 feet tall! At this rate, I probably won't have a good usable material for at least a year. Happy bday for your blog!

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  14. My home's been trying every effort to go green this year and we finaly started a mini counter top composter, but this would be perfect for our vegetable garden!

    six_one_nine_girlie86 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  15. My 5 year old was recently diagnosed with yet another chronic illness. I've had enough and I'm tired of doctors telling me there is no connection to food. I learned about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and how it helps people with inflammatory bowel disease. In less than two weeks, she's had major improvement! The diet requires all homemade cooking/food prep, so I'm making lots of apple sauce, zucchini and squash chips (in my dehydrator), etc. and I have to peel all the produce. We're also going to start juicing soon. I hate just throwing all the unused produce in the trash so I decided just yesterday that I need to get a composting bin. I'd love to win, but even if I don't, I'm glad I learned about the Spin Bin from your blog because I wasn't sure where to begin.

    susan (at) cravingthesavings (dot) com

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  16. I'm not having much luck with my garden this year, and I could definitely use this compost to improve the quality of the soil. :)

    HilLesha@gmail.com

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  17. We need compost bin like this one because of the insane wolf/grass spiders that live in our current compost area. Turning the compost would be a dream - compared to the battle it is now. My husband absolutely refuses to turn the compost unless I am standing guard behind him - we both have fears of those spiders crawling up the shovel or or our legs as we turn up their little habitat. Ugh! Those suckers get a good 2 inches across! But the composter featured on your blog would definitely eliminate our spider fear problem - and maybe we'd actually turn our compost more than once every two months!

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  18. I need this composter, I haven't had luck with my open compost bin (too far from the hose to keep it moist in the summer), and there seem to be an awful lot of critters messing with it. Would love to try out a spinning compost bin, and this one looks perfect!

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  19. Thanks so much for the opportunity! I'm learning to grow my own veggies this year in a very tight space; a spinning composter would be perfect in my tight city lot. Thank you, and fingers crossed!

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  20. Three years, seriously? Has it been that long since you need help identifying the purple coneflower seeds? WOw. Anyway, congrats on the blog.

    I'm entering the contest 'cause my sister saw one of these spinning compost tumblers on a reality show and has been on a kick. She recently took up gardening and started many of her own seeds and this would be an awesome addition to her new hobby.

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  21. Because my worms can't keep up and they hate jalapeños. (We eat a lot of jalapeños.)

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  22. I'm in need of a composter to keep up with the nutrient needs of my 11 raised beds and my 20X20 garden. Thanks.

    Greg
    http://rosevillevegetable.blogspot.com/

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  23. I would love to place "Herman Munster" next to Frankenstine's crate that I use for compost now.

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  24. I would love to give it to the community Victory Garden we have started.

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  25. This composter looks awesome and would be the perfect size to my small kitchen garden.. I have 12 raised beds and the current composter is so far away from the garden its a pain to use it... and I also am a very lazy gardener :) LOL

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  26. Great looking composter and great site. 3 years, very cool.

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  27. Congrats on your three-year anniversary!

    I'd love to have the composter because my suburb just enacted a new ordinance making open piles, or an enclosed pile that sits on the ground, illegal. So a tumbler is my only option, but the cost for one is a bit out of my budget. It's killing me to throw out vegetable peels and such when I know I should be composting them.

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  28. I would love to win this composter. I need something like this where I live if I want to compost, and I do! I've been looking in to other options, but this would be perfect, esp. since I am stating new raised beds this year and more next year.

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  29. I'd love to have this composter. We have a compost bin behind our garage, but it's a tight squeeze between the garage and the back fence. The back fence also divides our yard from an apartment complex, and there are plenty of critters around so I am a bit wary.

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  30. I have been reading your blog from the beginning, and I am where you were 3 years ago. I am starting my 1st veggie garden this year, and could really use a compost bin to help next year's garden do better than this years.

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  31. I have a big compost pile way out in the back forty... it would be so nice to have a Spin Bin Compost Tumbler close by to contain kitchen scraps that I often am tempted to discard rather than make that usual long trek...!! thanks for the chance... :)

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  32. We could have a dual b-day celebration if my entry is selected. This looks fun. Can one spin compost too much? I'd love to find out.

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  33. Happy Blogaversary! I would LOVE to win...wish me luck :)

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  34. BTW-my email is mrimomma (at) gmail (dot) com :)

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  35. Okay, I'm not gonna lie- I'm not new to gardening, my kid is totally healthy, and I really have no valid excuse for not having a composter other than my husband has ignored the fact that it has been on my Christmas list for 5 years and I'd rather spend all of my money on plants or booze than buy one. There, I said it. I should get extra entries for honesty :) I'd even name it after you. I CAN say that I'd spin the $hit out of that thing and every time I did I'd yell out "DAMN GINA! WORK IT!"

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  36. My dear hubs in an attempt to appease my desire to have a rotational composter built me a bin out of scrap wood. This has solved my problem of needing a space to dump my yard waste and kitchen scraps. Most of all teach my chldren to compost.

    The problem is, I'm lazy. There I admit it, I'm lazy. I never stir or mix the pile. It just sits there staring at me wondering if I will ever take full advantage of all of the wonderful things I could have from the pile.

    So there you have it. Please help me in my laziness and provide a way for me to notto let my compost pile down.

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  37. Why do I need this compostor? I live downwind from 5 mature liquid amber trees. I rake leaves from October through May. That's a lot of composting.

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  38. I'm already composting but I'd love to try out a spin-style composter in our community garden in Chicago.

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  39. I definitely need this beyond a shadow of a doubt. - Blue_Hydrangea

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  40. This would be amazing! I have tried homemade ones before that they just have been ok. I sure hope I win this one!!
    Heidi
    hjolson@gmail.com

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  41. Bought a new "fixer-upper" in Pilsen but had to leave my old compost bin behind. New one has one, but its broken and we just can't afford a new one. Please help!

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  42. Wow, what a great giveaway and Congratulations! I would love a chance at a composter.
    Thanks for the opportunity.

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  43. We recently bought our first house. I'm planning to start my first garden next year. Because we've recently started juicing also, we have so much material that needs to be composted!

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  44. I'd love to try a compost bin outdoors. I have a worm bin indoors, but only uncontained compost heaps outside.

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  45. Composting seems to be getting more and more popular. If I had this it would seem to make it easy and quite neat!

    Sue
    gaelictoad@aol.com

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  46. We have a big front and back yard and I always feel guilty for not putting the cut grass to good use. We also have a vegetable garden that could use some good compose soil. Definite need a composter bin!

    Have a great day!
    -Ha

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  47. Congratulations on your 3 year anniversary! Personally, my birthday was May 24h. I turned 21 + taxes. :oP

    Anyway, I'd really like a composter because we just moved into a new house. The garden, apart from 9 (!) gorgeous peonies is a total wreck. A composter would greatly help us getting the garden back on track!

    choogerhuis (at) hotmail (dott) com

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  48. Congrats on your anniversary! I just celebrated my second blogversery and I'm thinking that blog years are equal to cat years 1=7!

    We fill up our composter quickly, especially in the winter. It would be great to have two going at all times. I would start the compost in the basic one we have and once it's close, I would spin it until it's done.

    containergardening.guide@about.com

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  49. My homeowners association won't let me have a "real" one, so I'd have to get a composter like this...Of course, budget doesn't allow these days!

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  50. I've been seriously gardening for several years now, and have been afraid of the word COMPOSTING. But now I am ready, after buying bags of it at the store, to make my own. We have some leaves and clippings for our yard, but I would really like to incorporate food scraps, this would be perfect.

    btw - The first two years I had the same tomato cages, I used them upside down also! Just realized my mistake this year. :)

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  51. We bought the lot next door and are in an urban area. The lot had a house sitting on it for 100+ years..so needless to say the soil isnt great. I composted for a year in 5 gallon buckets trying to improve it and now have a small kind of measly garden. A 'real' tumbler would help ever so much! Thanks for the chance!
    baypayments@yahoo.com

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  52. My wood frame compost has seen it's last days. Almost all of my lawn, front and back, has been dug up and replaced with veggies and perennials and they need great soil. My family of 5 have lots of good scraps and we have been digging holes throughout our garden and filling them since the loss of our compost bin. And I live in Oak Park!

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  54. Congratulations on your blog-iversary! I come here for inspiration often:) I'm currently using a homemade composter (metal garbage can with lots of holes drilled into it.) It was working OK until the last time I tried to aerate it. I usually strap a bungee cord around it to hold the lid in place while I roll it around on the ground. This seems to do the trick as long as the cord doesn't snap or fall off. If it does, it's messy. Very messy. A Spin Bin might be a nice alternative:)

    jacquelinederuyter (at) gmail (dot) com

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  55. We just planted out first garden at this house so a Compost would be great to have here at the house!Save us many trips to the Compost site!

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  56. My kids and I would love a real bin for our new veggie garden! Our chicken wire contraption is no deterrence to the neighborhood canines. Amberliz77 (AT) live dot (COM)

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  57. Congratulations on your 3 yr anniversary. We could really use this composter, I've printed out schematics from Mother Earth News on how to make a composter several times, but there is NO time! So I'd love to win one! Love the design too, takes up very little space :)

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  58. I don't *need* a compost bin, but I *really, really* want one! It's great for the environment and next year I won't have to schlep to the box stores to buy compost in bags. This year I've graduated to a proper full size garden and next years step will be to start a compost heap and a composting bin will surely get me on the right track!

    irrelevantheart AT gmail DOT com

    Thanks!

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  59. I'd LOVE the composter you pictured in this post. This is my second year having a vegetable garden in my New Jersey home. I tried an open pile, then I tried 3 smallish cylinders I made from chicken wire (they didn't work very well) and now I'm using a much larger chicken wire container I rigged a couple of months ago. I turn the pile consistently, but I'd love to try one of these containers - I know my family rolls their eyes when they see how excited I get about COMPOST, but hey - it makes me happy. My email address is: lisamazz1@gmail.com My blog is MyNJGarden.com THANK YOU!!

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  60. My old compost bin broke so I've just putting my scraps and such on the ground, but the critter keep getting into it. I've been looking for a new compost bin. This would be great. Thanks.

    kaythomerson(at)hotmail.com
    http://KayzKreationz.blogspot.com

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  61. I have been composting for a while. I have four compost bins and several holding areas waiting for room in the compost bins. We produce somewhere around 2 large trash bags of garden and food waste a week. Which is more than our piles can break down. Our bins are full and I need to find a faster and easier way to compost our garden waste.

    I have been looking at this compost tumbler for a while. I have heard great things about this tumbler.

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  62. This composter looks like one that I could figure out how to use. It looks lightweight. It's off the ground, so I'm not afraid of scorpions crawling out from under the compost, and it looks pretty. I want it.

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  63. I would love one of the tumbler omposters. My husband and son have helped me to put in another garden with an area to compost. I have had surgery on my hand and have a little trouble when working. The tumbler would be great for me because of this.Also, the size and looks of it would look great in my neighborhood. I would just love to be able to eliminate more of our good garbage!!

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  64. Our garden would be so grateful if we had this composter. We waste so much now and it just kills us to do it but good composters are so expensive. We've tried some homemade methods, but nothing is as good as the real thing.

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  65. I would love a tumbler because I have a tiny city lot and there's nowhere to compost that my dogs (and the raccoons and neighbor cats) won't get into. I'm a bad girl and have never composted and it's high time I started!

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  66. We're broke, we have crappy soil, plus multiple random low spots on our property, and the husband doesn't want a compost pile because of the, you know, vermin. Which probably mostly means dogs and cats, but still. We'd buy topsoil to fill in the low spots and amend the soil, but see above re: broke. So it would be useful to have something like this on a number of different levels.

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  67. My garden soil has been overworked for decades and has not received back organic materials as needed. I would love to use this to give back what I have taken.

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  68. I don't need a composter. I've got one, but my Mom just started a garden and *she* needs a composter. So, if I win, I'll give it to her.

    My Mom has an arthritic condition that makes it hard for her to do manual labor (like turning compost with a shovel like I do), so I think having a bin that spins is a must for her.

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  69. I need this composter because, well, I don't even have a garden yet, and this would be a great way for me to get started!

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  70. We're currently composting using a 3 bucket system and this would really help organize things! We're new to composting and are thrilled to have cut down on so much trash and put it to good use in our garden. :)

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  71. I save and compost everything...but I find that even though I stir and water it's not ready. Having a tumbler would really be fun and helpful getting the good stuff back into the soil. Gardening in Illinois can be a challenge but you are making it fun.

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  72. Ohhh!!!I need a compost bin that isn't too small!

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  73. I made a composting area in my backyard, but it's not working out too well. This looks like a much better option!

    starterfish (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  74. Please enter me into your drawing for the composter! Thank you sooooo much.
    Barbara Bourgeois
    barbarabourgeois@gmail.com

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