Register by Sept. 6

HILLSBOROUGH – The Somerset County Division of Solid Waste Management and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County will hold two backyard-composting workshops for Somerset County residents and employees on Thursday, Sept. 13, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and again from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The workshops will be held in Conference Room C at the Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy, 402 Roycefield Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844.  The $50 registration fee includes the workshop, a compost bin and literature.  Registration is requested by Thursday, Sept. 6.

Participants will learn how to compost kitchen and yard debris into a "black gold" organic material for use in the yard and garden and for houseplants.

The program also will include a brief presentation, titled "Cut It & Leave It," and other environmentally friendly lawn-care strategies.

“Composting reduces the amount of discarded garbage, acts as a natural fertilizer by returning nutrients to the soil, improves soil aeration and reduces soil diseases,” said Freeholder Patrick Scaglione, solid waste and recycling liaison. “It also helps to conserve the Earth's resources.”

For more information and to register, contact Recycling Coordinator Melissa Harvey in the Somerset County Division of Solid Waste Management at (908) 231-7109 or harvey@co.somerset.nj.us