General Composting

Hello we are three students from Shakopee High School; we are trying to develop a better compost bin that will optimize the way you compost by monitoring the levels of heat, moisture, and aeration. Please help us by answering a few questions about your gardening habits.
The following questions will be used to establish the survey participant’s demographics and will not be used in any other way.
1. Are you male or female?
2. How old are you?
3. Do you consider where you live to be urban, suburban, or rural?
4. Do you recycle?
5. Do you compost?
a. If yes, move on to question 6
b. If no, move to question 13
6. How often do you put new material into your compost? Never, less than 2 times a week, 2 to 4 times a week, or almost every day?
7. What do you use your compost for?
8. How often do you monitor/check your compost? Never, less than 2 times a week, 2 to 4 times a week, or almost every day?
9. What do you usually compost?
10. Do you use a compost pile or a compost bin?
a. If you used a compost bin what company and how much did it cost –estimated?
b. If you use a pile about how big is it? 3ftx3ft, 5ftx5ft, 7ftx7ft, bigger?
11. What would you like to see done differently – improved? Do you have compost that gets too wet, never gets warm, have troubles loading or unloading composted material, or aerating your compost?
12. General comments or concerns
End of survey if you compost
13. Why don’t you compost?
a. If it is inconvenient what could make it more convenient?
b. If another reason please state why.
14. Have you ever thought of composting?
15. Do you know the benefits of composting?
16. How much would you be willing to spend on a compost bin?
Please comment or email us your answers. If you have any other questions or input, please leave an e-mail and we would be happy to answer.
*note that we will not use your email address for anything else but to answer your questions or reply to your inputs.

1. Are you male or female?
MALE
2. How old are you?
30
3. Do you consider where you live to be urban, suburban, or rural?
Not sure
4. Do you recycle?
absolutely
5. Do you compost?
absolutely
a. If yes, move on to question 6

b. If no, move to question 13
6. How often do you put new material into your compost? Never, less than 2 times a week, 2 to 4 times a week, or almost every day?
almost every other day
7. What do you use your compost for?
garden amendments
8. How often do you monitor/check your compost? Never, less than 2 times a week, 2 to 4 times a week, or almost every day?
less than 2 times a week
9. What do you usually compost?
food scraps, tissues, paper, chicken manure, straw, grass, weeds, garden waste
10. Do you use a compost pile or a compost bin?
built a compost bin from pallets
a. If you used a compost bin what company and how much did it cost –estimated?
hand built. free. 4w x 8L x 4t
b. If you use a pile about how big is it? 3ftx3ft, 5ftx5ft, 7ftx7ft, bigger?
11. What would you like to see done differently – improved? Do you have compost that gets too wet, never gets warm, have troubles loading or unloading composted material, or aerating your compost? about to build more so that i can stop using one and start a new so that the first one has a chance to break it down
12. General comments or concerns
I let mother nature do its work. My compost is generally ready at the first of the year. I stir about once a month or 2 months. my chickens scratch it up daily. composting is the easiest thing i have ever done with maximum results. I also have a leaf compost bin and an indoor worm farm.


End of survey if you compost
13. Why don’t you compost?
a. If it is inconvenient what could make it more convenient?
b. If another reason please state why.
14. Have you ever thought of composting?
15. Do you know the benefits of composting?
16. How much would you be willing to spend on a compost bin?
Please comment or email us your answers. If you have any other questions or input, please leave an e-mail and we would be happy to answer.
*note that we will not use your email address for anything else but to answer your questions or reply to your inputs.[/QUOTE]