Gainesville Compost

From waste to food. That's Gainesville Compost's motto. Compost is nothing new. So what's it all about?

Chris Cano and Steven Kanner run a new operation called Gainesville Compost in Florida. It's a novel idea where they take bikes fitted with trailers and go around picking up compost here and there, from businesses and individuals. Then, then haul it back to the hub and weigh it, drop it off and the magic begins.

3-phase composting is the workflow for the process by which the raw organic refuse first heats up and ultimately becomes "black gold: rich, fertile soil that can be used then to plant tasty edibles that wind up in your belly!

That's not all. There's a vermiculture operation going on at the hub, too. Vermiculture is what you call it when you take a bunch of creepy crawlers and give them space to have their own party. The organic waste that you just saw is to those worm's what Ken Kesey carried around on his magic bus. They frolic and play in the bio stuff and get so happy they just shit. Their castings are another form of "black gold". Why? Because it's a rich medium to use as plant fertilizer.

You might think it's useless to try and harness all that garbage and turn it into fertilizer. I mean, lots of folks see swelling landmasses of garbage dumps, our contemporary midden, as it were, and think whattayagonnado? Too much. These guys are nuts. 650 LBs is bupkis. We're talking tons and tons, mountains of crap. But, there's more.

Kanner makes trailers and bike racks. Not just junky stuff you see in discount store. This is artisan product that he's crafted with his two hands, some beautiful metal and a welder. He makes trailers and racks that convert your bike into an uber-hauling machine.

Did you notice that front rack in shiny metal? He made that out of electrical conduit. It's strong, light, looks nice and costs practically nothing. What could be better? Those trailers are like the song that mention no rough edges. Forgive me, the name escapes me, but my point is that you take some clean metal, a talented welder with a vision and some paint, in this case mellow yellow and put 'em all together and what do you get? Like Reese's you wind up with great tastes that taste great together. That lightweight, strong, beautiful trailer turns you bike into a utilitarian device that combined with pure energy from your quads, etc is a superb hauler.

And, yes - you can have one, too! Not only that, but if you buy one, here's what you get for free: kidding. But, you really can have one. Kanner is taking small orders and making friends and business partnerships to help spread the joy. It's a good idea he and Steven are not afraid to share. I don't see no stinkin' trademarks or intellectual property. I just see enthusiasm, clear thinking and a desire to do good and have a frippin' blast.