Question
Good morning Long Island Gardener: I am in charge of mowing large areas of grass totalling around 5 acres. I dump the grass cuttings near the edge of the property.  These cuttings sit around and get slimy and putrid after a while. What would you do with these cuttings if you had my job? I can't leave them on the lawn, they turn brown and don't look good so I use a grass catcher attachment.

Answer
All the wonderful free Nitrogen sitting somewhere in a heap and wasted!  Holy mackerel, Lee!

What do you do with the Autumn Leaves?

Got any chopped up wood shavings or chips?

What happens to this family's vegetable peels and scraps?

Get these all together and mix them with that pile of mowed grass clippings.  This is un-baked, rich, dark compost just waiting to be discovered!  I assume you had a feeling about this.  You're right.

You don't have to buy a compost bin - sounds a little impractical for that much grass anyway.  But those aren't needed for composting anyway.  Just be sure you turn the stuff with a pitchfork every few days to get air in.  Water the heap on the outside and buy a thermometer to plunge in and monitor the temperature - it should go sky-high while the microbes cook all your ingredients and make pure, delicious compost.

There are "accelerators" you can buy, special worms, all kinds of paraphernalia.  Bottom line: You have all you need and everything it takes.

Any questions?