"Andrew McMichael" wrote

What do y'all put in your compost. Our pile is fairly far from the house,
and
we don't have a garbage disposal, so I put most everything in there--all
organics (veggie cuttings, scrapings from the plates, oils, meat
trimmings,
etc]. But I've heard that one should stick to vegetable material. Is this
so?
Why?

As others have posted, a "hot" pile will probably consume an old boot.
More casual "cold" composting will turn leaves, grass, veg and fruit
waste, and an occasional spade- or potful of dirt into a lovely
mixture for digging into your garden. In addition to the above, I add
(rinsed and crumbled) eggshells, coffee grinds, and sometimes a teabag
or 3. The only time my pile has any odor at all is immediately after
adding something like canteloupe rind. Fats, proteins, bones, etc. may
attract rodents. I don't want oily stuff in my soil, so I keep that
out, too. Trimmings from making salad? Into the pile. Leftover salad
with dressing? Into the garbage.