yes it freezes a bit, im in the northeast part of tennessee. but the compost, done right (actually, it is pretty forgiving, mother earth decays lots of things left to her own devices) will get really hot! compost is not an instant fix for this plant, but it will be great for the next grow and for earth in general. if you look online, you can find things that you can add to make it faster or better, but basically it just works.
for this grow, use what you have to, but with your top soil, your friend the farmer's manure, a bit of ash and ... hmmm... im sure someone here can tell you other stuff you probably have that you can make a dirt out of that will work while you "grow your own" dirt. keep in mind you need to add something like those little white things in potting soil, because most of what you have on hand is going to need something. but you can find lots of things, wont be perfect, but you can make a decent soil for what you want