Final Thoughts on Backyard Farming Composting by Kim Pezza
Book: Backyard Farming: Composting | Author: Kim Pezza | ISBN: 978-1-57826-587-9 | Hatherleigh Press, 2015
We made it. Twelve posts later, we’ve covered everything from ancient Egyptian worm decrees to DIY bin plans to the science of thermophilic bacteria. And honestly, I think composting might be one of the most underrated things a person can do.
Let me wrap this up properly.
What I Took Away From This Book
After spending this much time with Pezza’s book, a few things really stuck with me:
Composting works for literally any living situation. Big yard, tiny balcony, studio apartment. There’s a method for every space. Vermicomposting bins fit under your kitchen sink. You don’t need land to start turning your food scraps into soil.
A good compost pile smells like the forest floor. If your pile smells like a dumpster, something is wrong. And it’s fixable. That “composting is gross” thing that keeps people away? It’s based on bad composting, not composting itself.
Browns and greens are the whole thing. Carbon-rich materials (browns) and nitrogen-rich materials (greens) need to be in balance. Aim for roughly 25-30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. Get that ratio right and everything else falls into place. Get it wrong and you’ll know fast.
Worms are seriously good at this. Red worms can eat about half their body weight in food scraps every day. Vermicomposting works indoors, it’s quiet, and kids are absolutely fascinated by it. If you want a family project that’s both useful and a little bit weird, this is it.
About 30% of household waste doesn’t need to go to the landfill. That’s nearly a third of everything you throw away. When organic waste sits in a landfill without oxygen, it produces methane. When you compost it, you get rich soil instead. The math is simple.
The science happens on its own. The four stages of composting (mesophilic, thermophilic, cooling, and curing) will play out naturally as long as you give your pile the right conditions: air, water, and a decent carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Bacteria show up and do their thing without being asked.
This isn’t new. People have been composting for thousands of years. Cleopatra declared earthworms sacred and made it illegal to remove them from Egypt. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson composted on their farms. You’re joining a very long tradition.
Who Should Read This Book
If you’ve never composted before and want a clear starting point, this is a solid pick. Pezza doesn’t overwhelm you with chemistry or jargon. She writes like someone who’s spent years with her hands in dirt and wants to help you get started without overthinking it.
The book covers a wider range than you’d expect. Beyond basic backyard bins, she gets into livestock composting, which most beginner books skip entirely. The DIY plans for building your own systems are practical and detailed. And the troubleshooting section answers the questions you’ll actually have when things don’t go perfectly.
It’s a good fit for families too. The vermicomposting chapters are the kind of thing that gets kids genuinely excited. There’s something about worms eating banana peels that just works for younger audiences.
What Could Be Better
The book was published in 2015, so some of the resources and links may be outdated by now. That’s not a huge deal since the composting science hasn’t changed, but it’s worth noting.
A few topics could use more depth. Some chapters feel like they’re just getting started when they wrap up. But for a beginner guide, covering a lot of ground at a practical level is probably the right call.
About the Author
Kim Pezza grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York, raising pigs, poultry, game birds, rabbits, and goats. She grows herbs and vegetables. This isn’t someone who googled composting and wrote a book. Her farming background shows up in the practical, no-nonsense tone throughout.
The Bottom Line
Composting is one of the simplest things you can do that actually makes a difference. You’re reducing waste, creating free fertilizer, and participating in a process that humans have been doing since before written history. You don’t need special equipment. You don’t need a lot of space. You just need to start.
Pezza’s book is a good way to do that.
All Posts in This Series
- Composting for Beginners: Series Introduction
- A Brief History of Composting
- What Is Composting
- DIY Composting Systems
- Choosing Your Compost System
- Vermicomposting with Red Worms
- What to Compost and What to Avoid
- Composting Livestock
- Carbon and Nitrogen Ratios
- Composting Processes and Stages
- Cleaning and Using Finished Compost
- Composting Troubleshooting Guide