Canada: City Farmer’s Compost Hotline
Change but the same after 30 years
By Michael Levenston
City Farmer
March 27, 2022
When Sue Ray answered the Hotline back in 1990, it was the size of a shoe. Today, I answer the Hotline on my Apple wrist watch. It travels with me everywhere at all hours so we don’t miss a call. From now until June, when garden fever becomes holiday fever and our line calms down, we are answering a variety of calls about subjects such as compost delivery, compost and worm bin pickup, and “Can I bring my old bin to you for resale?” Microsoft just asked us for the second year, to provide an outreach class virtually.
Many calls are as simple as “My green waste has not been picked up.” Other requests demand decision-making answers, such as “Should I put this invasive plant into the green bin or the landfill bin?” An always popular question is “Where can we buy red wriggler worms?” That is why we update our source-list regularly.
Surprisingly, as we pick up the phone, many people ask, “Are you live?” and are delighted to hear that we are not a recording. Technology has changed but we remain the same – giving person to person advice 365 days a year.
