Why does my compost stink and how can I fix it?

If your compost is starting to smell bad there are two things you can consider to fix this!  The first is that maybe the ratio of "browns" to "greens" is out of balance.  The bad smell is happening because you have too many nitrogen-rich or green items.  Try adding some more fluffy brown leaves, cardboard or sawdust to even out the balance.  The second thing you can try is to provide more aeration.  Composting shouldn't be a chore and if you can figure out a good balance it will take care of itself, but occasionally you should turn over your soil to allow access for air, water and beneficial insects to break down all parts of your garden. An added bonus is that those nutrients you're creating in your compost basket will spread around your garden providing nutrition throughout the soil and down deep into the roots of the plants.

Lastly, here is a great tip to keep flies or unwanted critters out of your composting basket.  Find a plain, inexpensive ceramic tile from your hardware store and set it on top of your basket creating a lid, it will help prevent animals digging and flies accumulating on top of the soil.