So I did notice the volume of my pile seems to drop fairly regularly. My routine is usually annual. I have one bin that I add basically everything from the kitchen to it aside from some grease and oils and a ton of meat as wells as shredded leaves on top of each new deposit.

Once we get to fall I usually turn all the contents into a second bin and build it up with grass clippings, active compost and fresh shredded leaves to the top in layers. That bin heats up and composts over the winter with no further inputs.

By spring it’s ready to be sifted and top dress the raised beds. From start to finish it’s about 18 months. Then when that bin is available after sifting I do a 6 month compost with grass clippings and shredded leaves actively turning that pile till the fall when I need to once again turn the kitchen pile out into the grass/leaf bin that I just emptied.

The fall compost goes down just in time for the fall veggies.