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Rain Barrel & Composting Workshop

An advertisement for a "Rain Barrel & Compost Workshop" with images of compost and a blue barrel.
Come learn about the do's and don'ts with rain barrels and composting at home. After the workshop you will take home your own rain barrel!

In 2016 the Decatur County SWCD partnered with Decatur County Solid Waste Management and Purdue Extension Decatur County to host workshops on the benefits of rain barrels and the do's and don'ts.  Attendees then took home a rain barrel, complements of the hosts. 

To date, we've hosted nearly 20 workshops and given away over 425 rain barrels!

Workshops are held in the late spring with a cap of 25 attendees at the Decatur County Purdue Extension office.  Multiple workshops may be held with enough interest and barrel availablity.  

A person examining blue barrels near a "Decatur County Soil & Water" truck.
Sabrina Allen, Purdue Extension doing rain barrel prep
A white pickup truck towing a blue trailer, parked outside an industrial building.
Picking up barrels from KB Foods
A person is using a drill on a plastic barrel in an industrial setting.
Jeff Hermesch, Purdue Extension drilling holes for rain barrels
A presenter in a room with an audience, discussing composting methods featuring backyard piles and vermicomposting, displayed on a screen.
Megan Ayers, Urban Soil Health presenting on composting
People examining and rolling large plastic barrels in a workshop or storage space.
Attendees putting together their rain barrel
A presentation about rain barrels with an audience listening to a speaker.
Jeff Hermesch, Purdue Extension presenting on rain barrels
Two people smiling by blue barrels in a warehouse. Image is upside down.
Attendees with their rain barrels
Two people posing with thumbs up near blue barrels in a garage. (Image is rotated 90 degrees.)
Jeff Hermesch, Purdue Extension and Scott Sanders, Decatur County SWCD
Presentation about rain barrels to an audience in a room with photos on the wall.
Jeff Hermesch, Purdue Extension presenting on rain barrels
A person using a drill on a white barrel with a blue container nearby.
Scott Sanders, Decatur County SWCD drill holes for rain barrels
People observing colorful wooden boxes with levers, possibly at an educational or voting event.
Attendees picking out blue bird houses
A rain barrel collects water, topped with rocks, under a downspout beside a brick house.
Painted rain barrel by Darren Covington
A person examining blue barrels near a "Decatur County Soil & Water" truck.
A white pickup truck towing a blue trailer, parked outside an industrial building.
A person is using a drill on a plastic barrel in an industrial setting.
A presenter in a room with an audience, discussing composting methods featuring backyard piles and vermicomposting, displayed on a screen.
People examining and rolling large plastic barrels in a workshop or storage space.
A presentation about rain barrels with an audience listening to a speaker.
Two people smiling by blue barrels in a warehouse. Image is upside down.
Two people posing with thumbs up near blue barrels in a garage. (Image is rotated 90 degrees.)
Presentation about rain barrels to an audience in a room with photos on the wall.
A person using a drill on a white barrel with a blue container nearby.
People observing colorful wooden boxes with levers, possibly at an educational or voting event.
A rain barrel collects water, topped with rocks, under a downspout beside a brick house.