Would the Olin College of Engineering students be interested in helping the Community Gardens in Westford, MA design and build a composting bin system and also a trommel screen for sifting large amounts of cured compost? We want to create a bin system at the community gardens to also serve as a prototype for public schools to use on their school grounds with students and teachers managing the composting process. Please contact schew@westfordma.gov at the Westford Agricultural Commission if interested.

I have a community garden plot in Northern California. What I have been searching for and cannot find but I think would be a very useful tool in this setting is a hand cranked chipper or grinder to chop up plant matter at the end of their growing cycle. Now, I have to chop everything by hand for adding to my compost pile and it is a lot of work. I hardly ever have anything woody so it doesn't need to be like a heavy duty garden chipper but needs to grind up things like corn stalks or fava bean stalks which are both rather hard and stringy. Something battery operated would be nice as well..... I often think something like a garbage disposal could be adapted. Anyway, some kind of chopper or grinder that works without electricity or gas would be WONDERFUL

@rhoder, your garbage disposal idea is already in use!

Disposal used for composting

Interesting video!! Although, now that I see the garbage disposal in action, I doubt that would handle garden waste.... Thanks for the link, pursianegarden.