Saturday, February 27, 2010

Composting

We have attempted in the past to compost, even going so far as to buy a composter. As a matter of fact, we have 2. They are placed down the hill in our backyard out of sight. Only problem is they are truly " out of sight, out of mind". Needless to say, we were good about it to begin with but in the last year have become quite slack in using it. Maybe I should clarify that statement. It was the ole DH's job to empty the kitchen container in the compost bin and "he" has become quite slack in keeping up with it. So, I have now taken over the job and started it up again, only this time I am emptying the food scraps into the raised flower bed in the front. Walking down the hill, fighting briars isn't exactly my cup of tea. I figure it can't hurt to use the flower bed right now while it is empty. Once the flowers are in I'll have to find another spot or move the composter up in the back yard where it is more accessible.

I'd even like to start a worm composting operation, the worm castings are great fertilizer and of course totally organic.

Really the hardest thing, is just getting into the routine of doing it. My grandmother kept an old milk carton beside her sink that all her vegetable waste went into. She emptied it out daily in her garden. It was her routine to do so, but then again, she was recycling way before it was the "thing to do". She never forgot the hard times during the depression, never took for granted electricity, wasted nothing, repurposed and reused everything she could.

Taking her lead, instead of using a milk carton, I am using the bottom half of a soda bottle. Not to big, doesn't hold more than a day's worth of scraps and it forces me to go out and empty it. It is quite amazing how fast it fills up with lettuce scraps, coffee grounds(with filter), orange peels, etc.

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