Compost! Feed the Soil That Feeds Us
The University of Illinois Extension Lake County Master Gardeners, SWALCO, and the Lake County Forest Preserve District present the 2026 Garden Learning Series
Programs will be held virtually on the 2nd Wednesday of every month, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Zoom information, Handouts and Slides will be provided via email by 2pm on the day of the presentation.
Zoom information, Handouts and Slides will be provided via email by 2pm on the day of the presentation.
Programs will NOT be recorded, unless otherwise noted.
April 8th - Virtual – Compost! Feed the Soil That Feeds Us - Presented by SWALCO
Programs are Free and Virtual via Zoom
Learn about the wonders of compost. Merleanne Rampale from SWALCO, a long-time gardener and composter herself, will share information on the various types of composting, share some fun facts on composting in general, and talk about the many benefits and impact it has on our soil and environment. Gardeners will also learn about adventures, events and opportunities taking place here locally and across Illinois during this year’s celebration of International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) in May. These include Compost Givebacks (free compost!), garden tours, backyard and large-scale composting demos, plant sales (including native), bin building demos, vineyard tours/tastings, compost bin giveaways, plant and seed giveaways, activities for kids and families, and farm festivals, to name a few. ICAW also incorporates the related topics of climate, wasted food reduction, soil health, waste diversion, hunger, growing healthy food, biodiversity, conservation, and more. Bring your composting questions and we’ll try to answer all of those too! And speaking of “spilling the compost tea”, we’re letting you in on a little secret and we’ll be giving away a couple of fun prizes for our April attendees as well!
Programs are Free and Virtual via Zoom
Learn about the wonders of compost. Merleanne Rampale from SWALCO, a long-time gardener and composter herself, will share information on the various types of composting, share some fun facts on composting in general, and talk about the many benefits and impact it has on our soil and environment. Gardeners will also learn about adventures, events and opportunities taking place here locally and across Illinois during this year’s celebration of International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) in May. These include Compost Givebacks (free compost!), garden tours, backyard and large-scale composting demos, plant sales (including native), bin building demos, vineyard tours/tastings, compost bin giveaways, plant and seed giveaways, activities for kids and families, and farm festivals, to name a few. ICAW also incorporates the related topics of climate, wasted food reduction, soil health, waste diversion, hunger, growing healthy food, biodiversity, conservation, and more. Bring your composting questions and we’ll try to answer all of those too! And speaking of “spilling the compost tea”, we’re letting you in on a little secret and we’ll be giving away a couple of fun prizes for our April attendees as well!