Dearborn in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Compost Then and Now
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, March 2, 2023
1. Compost Then and Now Marker
The marker has replaced an earlier version with the same wording and photos.
Inscription.
Compost Then and Now. .
Then. Every year in March, when the Fords lived here, truckloads of sod from nearby fields were brought to Fair Lane along with cow manure from farms. These items were mixed in layers with grass clippings and leaves. Two months later, this blend was ready for use in the greenhouse and gardens. The original compost pile was approximately 30 feet square by 8 feet high and low in the center, so the rain would not run off.
Now. Compost made at Fair Lane today consists of dry leaves (from fall raking), green grass clippings, flower bed cuttings, and a small amount of last year's compost, which provides beneficial micro-organisms for the decomposition of the leaves and green material. The organic material is turned several times a season, then allowed to "rest" over the winter prior to use. Source: Louie Hagopian, Henry Ford Estate Gardener from 1942-1950
Then
Every year in March, when the Fords lived here, truckloads of sod from nearby fields were brought to Fair Lane along with cow manure from farms. These items were mixed in layers with grass clippings and leaves. Two months later, this blend was ready for use in the greenhouse and gardens.
The original compost pile was approximately 30 feet square by 8 feet high and low in the center, so the rain would not run off.
Now
Compost made at Fair Lane today consists of dry leaves (from fall raking), green grass clippings, flower bed cuttings, and a small amount of last year's compost, which provides beneficial micro-organisms for the decomposition of the leaves and green material. The organic material is turned several times a season, then allowed to "rest" over the winter prior to use.
Source: Louie Hagopian, Henry Ford Estate Gardener from 1942-1950
Erected by Henry Ford Estate and and MotorCities National Heritage Area.
83° 13.873′ W. Marker is in Dearborn, Michigan, in Wayne County. It can be reached from Fair Lane Drive 0.3 miles west of Evergreen Road. Marker is on the grounds of the Henry Ford Estate, Fair Lane, along a path that leads east from the potting shed and greenhouse, and downhill to the Rouge River. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Fair Lane Drive, Dearborn MI 48128, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan and in Greater Detroit. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France and also the Northwest Territory.
The marker was replaced in a new location in 2023. The marker was down the hill behind the gate close to the Rouge River, about 100 feet away.
Photographed by Joel Seewald, September 1, 2010
4. Compost Then and Now Marker
Photographed by Joel Seewald, September 1, 2010
5. Composting Area at Fair Lane
Credits. This page was last revised on July 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2020, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 338 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on March 3, 2023, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. 2. submitted on February 26, 2020, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 3. submitted on July 17, 2023, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 4, 5. submitted on February 26, 2020, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
