Abstract: The invention relates to a humus maker, particularly to an apparatus which turns household waste such as kitchen waste into mature humus, the apparatus having a lid and base with an internal windrow device which is operative to be turned manually to keep air holes in the base free for entry of air to promote aerobic decomposition, the air holes being in communication with channels through which water produced by the decomposition process escapes from the apparatus. The lid has hinged parts which are raisable for access to the interior, being held down by a handle of the windrow device in one operative position and freed for raising in a second operative position of the handle.