We had the privilege of receiving a Terra Composter from Algreen for the purpose of reviewing it for The Alternative Consumer.  The terra composter is as nice looking as the photos, just like the elegant rain barrel I previously wrote about.  It’s a 45 gallon container that comes with a lid and a nifty shovel that my husband thinks is similar to those in an army surplus store due to the fact that it is all metal and conveniently folds up to fit in a little pack.  The shovel is a little tricky to get it unfolded and securely opened, as it must be twisted just right, but we loved having it to use.

The Terra Composter is light when empty and has held up really well throughout the last three months.  We like that it not only has a top opening but a rear door access making it easy to turn the compost over every now and then.

It only took about 6-7 weeks to see the composting process begin, enabling us to see how our kitchen scraps were breaking down into a fine soil.  Right now, our composter is about ¾ full and we are waiting on compostable utensils to break down, as well as the rest of our vegetable, fruit and egg shell scraps so that we can enhance our garden soil with it in the spring.

The only issue we have is the abundance of fruit flies and bees that swarm every time the lid of the composter is lifted!  The ironic thing is that the composter does not emit any foul odor.  The other thing is, depending upon the day, there are often very few flies on the outside of the composter.

Ultimately we are very pleased with the Terra Composter and would highly recommend its use in any setting – country, suburban or urban.  It may be purchased directly from Algreen retailers, such as Garden SuperMart, which has it for $179.99.  Currently, Algreen is hosting a contest to win a free composter.  View details here.