Compost Happens...

With the talk about bees, and us realizing we should put in a garden--at least a place to grow tomatoes which I will turn into tomato sauce, tomato paste, catsup, stewed tomatoes,etc.--the conversation has naturally turned to compost. (As an aside, don't you hate when conversations turn to compost...I kid...)

Is there anything more hopeful and trusting than a compost pile? You have to have faith that Nature will do her thing and turn all of the vegetation and scraps into a rich soil. You are also trusting in the future--"I will do this now, and it will bear fruit...er..uh...it will turn fruit into fertilizer in a year or so!" I trust Nature, so, I want to compost.

What do you guys know about compost? I will research more, but here you all are from around the world and different backgrounds and I realize that you all are a wonderful resource--you are fonts of knowledge and I would like to pick your brains.

Do we need sun? Do we have to layer green with brown? How do you keep rodents out? Do you have to turn your kitchen scraps into it, or can you just pile them on? If you keep leaves over from the fall, how do you store them? Do you have to dry them out first? How often do you turn your pile? How? Do you keep 2 bins and transfer from one to another? Anyone use a drum? Chicken wire, or slats of wood? How big should it be? Just how big a hassle is this?

What else should I ask?

Thanks, soil lovers. Thanks, Nature lovers. Thanks, lovers of natural processes. Thanks, gardeners. Thanks, green-minded folks. Thanks, cyber-friends!