As most Colorado gardeners know, the first step to growing strong and healthy vegetables is to have good soil; and the first step to having healthy soil is to add organic matter by way of compost. While there are many sources for purchasing finished compost, creating your own compost is often a more rewarding alternative that will allow you to divert plant material from the waste stream (compostable materials comprise a staggering one-fifth of all waste in landfills in the United States) and will improve your overall soil quality.