Ms. Debbie Dillion: Composting
Author: Caleb Loy| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25
Debbie Dillion, from the NC Cooperative Extension office in Union County, came and spoke to the Living-Ed students for a Thursday forum this month. They received an informative lesson on the benefits of composting and instructions on making a functional compost system for their homes one day. Union County, NC, provided this opportunity thanks to the outreach program they offer to the local community. The Living-Ed students are often given these opportunities to broaden their understanding and learn from different people in their weekly forums and regular field trips.
Ms. Dillion works for the Union County office’s Agriculture and Natural Resources department. She began by explaining the Union County outreach program and how it works. Most counties in the U.S. have a program like this. She explained that she worked for the Fairfax County outreach program in Virginia before moving to North Carolina. She described the organization’s goals as bringing unbiased research based on science.
Ms. Dillion focused on educating the students about the benefits of composting. It is an excellent form of recycling that can be done for the environment while still offering immense nutrients to plants. She transitioned to the process required to develop compost at home. She offered the students hope by informing them that composting is possible to a degree while still living together in dorms. Too many people are frightened by the idea of taking the leap and failing, but Ms. Dillion brought encouragement and boosted the student’s confidence in their abilities.
She went into more detail on the different techniques and tools for making compost. Showing examples of bin composting versus tumbler composting and warning them of a common misconception about using a tumbler composter. It is meant to be a single batch, meaning they add once, wait until the compost is made, remove it, and then start the process again.
The students come from a wide range of backgrounds, and they are all grateful to hear from a local speaker on a topic to which they may not have been previously exposed. The new knowledge they gained on composting can be applied in their current situation at the dorms and in the future. The students left the forum with a greater appreciation for the art of composting and more of a drive to work and make their own.
