LEWISTON – Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District Office Manager Jane Heikkinen, recently asked two questions in a planning meeting, “What can individuals do to promote the 2005 Soil and Water stewardship theme, The Living Soil?’ ” and “Would selling the Maine Resource Recovery Association’s earth machine composter give the residents of Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties a practical means of responding to the stewardship theme?”

She added, “The earth machine composters, suitable for a family of up to five, come with a how-to guide at a retail value of $80 and can be purchased for only $36 (including tax).”

The conservation district asks that individuals try using the composter to protect living soil. Orders must be received by Thursday, June 30. For more information call Heikkinen at 753-9400, ext. 400.

Heikkinen noted, “There are good reasons for an individual to compost. It is estimated that $65 is saved by a town for every ton of waste composted. The promotion of buying and using the Maine Resource Recovery Association’s earth machine composter would benefit the towns by reducing the amount of garbage, reducing the costs to towns for shipping disposables and reducing the amount of taxes to be collected to cover this cost.

“Residents would be benefited by having less garbage, reducing the amount of soil amendment to be purchased for their gardens, assisting to reduce the tax rate, increasing the productivity of crops and adding to the health of our living soil.”

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