Week 9 - COMPOSTING

I have been recycling for about 9 weeks now and it has greatly reduced our amount of garbage. So given that summer is almost here, I thought I would move on to the next step and begin composting. I don't even have to be doing it yet to know we will see another big drop in our amount of trash. I know this because we eat a ton of fruits and vegetables.

Now, this is not my first attempt at composting. Several years ago I went to a mini seminar at our local cooperative extension and received a free composter made of recycled plastic (you can find your local office at csrees.usda.gov and click on local extension office on the right; they seem to have these seminars annually). I started composting in earnest and then... I don't know what happened, I just stopped. So this week my plan is to remove all the weeds around my composter so I have easy access, "turn" what's still in there and start adding to it again.

Some people may not have the space or the desire to compost at their home. That's okay. In many areas you can still compost by collecting your trimmings and leaving them by the curb to be picked up (many urban areas have added this service in conjunction with their recycling programs), or like in our area you can drop your organic matter off at the town composting site.

But for those that are interested, here is a quick how-to from www.montgomerycountymd.gov.

Slow and Easy Composting

1. Build your compost pile anytime of year.
2. Create a simple, freestanding pile no more than 5 feet high (preferably 3 feet long on each side), or build or buy an inexpensive bin to keep your pile tidy.
3. Locate on level, well-drained ground in either sun or shade -- stay away from wooden fences and buildings, and avoid placing on your neighbor's property line. Don't set up over shallow tree roots.
4. Build a six inch base of branches, twigs or brush for drainage and aeration (old wooden pallets work extremely well).
5. Use leaves by themselves -- or mix in grass and other "green" garden trimmings for quicker compost. When adding new materials to an existing pile, be sure to mix them in thoroughly -- especially green materials like grass. Don't create layers.
6. Don't build your pile with grass alone -- mix in dry leaves, straw or wood chips to avoid odors. 7. Moisten materials as you add them and leave a concave depression at the top of the pile to capture rainwater.
8. Keep materials moist throughout the year -- but not wet. It is often best not to cover your pile to let water in. A dry pile will not compost.
9. Never add meat, bones, fat, oils, dairy products or processed foods to avoid odors and pests. Never add diseased plants, weeds with seeds, or cat or dog wastes.
10. Try to turn, fluff, or aerate on occasion -- whether every week, every month or just once or twice a year.
11. Wait a while (6-12 months) and get ready to use your compost as a top-dressing for your lawn, a mulch for trees and shrubs, or a side-dressing for annuals, herbs, and vegetables.
12. Compost is ready to use when it is dark brown-black, crumbly, and sweet-smelling. Enjoy!

Now here's my two cents:

1. I prefer a bin since it hides the waste not only from view, but also from animals.
   
2. What can be composted? Anything except meat and dairy. This includes coffee (with paper filter), tea bags, veggie/fruit trimmings, straw, grass/yard clippings, weeds (before they've gone to seed), shredded newspaper, manure, etc. Speaking of shredding, cutting the waste into smaller pieces helps it break down faster. You don't have to do it, it just speeds things along. When you add veggie/fruit waste, bury it in your bin instead of just placing it on top. This will prevent fruit flies, gnats and other things you don't want.


3. There are a number of containers available to collect your waste in. If you want to keep your container on the counter (and more accessible I might add), you probably want something attractive. If you are keeping your container under the sink it doesn't matter so much. You can purchase containers with filters that reduce odor. Consider how often you will be emptying the container and that will help you determine what you need. I happen to be "nose sensitive". I don't want to gag every time I open the container, so I will need some kind of odor control. But if that sort of thing doesn't bother you, a simple plastic container with a tight fitting lid should do the trick. I have found some reasonably priced plastic compost pails at www.leevalley.com which can be attached to a cabinet door.

If you would like more in-depth information, there are a ton of websites and you can check out "The Rodale Book of Composting" which is a comprehensive guide.

I am interested to see how well I do with this. Although it says "slow and easy composting" it seems really involved. But I'm willing to give it a try. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Week 8 - BUYING LOCALLY

It's that time of year when farm stands and farmers' markets will be opening all around the country. What do farm stands have to do with being kind to the environment and what are the benefits of buying locally?

1. When you buy locally, you prevent food from travelling long distances, and therefore reduce the use of fuel. I've recently read, "before reaching your table, the average food item in the United States will travel 1,300 miles! In fact, only about 10% of the fossil fuel energy used in the world’s food system is used for production. The other 90% goes into packaging, transportation, and marketing of the food. All this inefficiency creates many environmental problems."


2. Buying locally, keeps money in your region's economy.
   
3. You support your local farmers and protect their livelihood from developers.
   
4. You develop a face to face relationship with your growers. Farmers are typically quite proud of their product and are dedicated to what they do. Fostering this type of relationship is helpful when you want to know more about how something is "raised", whether it's a tomato or beef. (Not every grower is going to be organic and that doesn't mean those who aren't, don't grow their products safely. Personally, I would rather buy my produce from a farming couple I have known for years, then organic produce that has travelled across country or from another country all together. Think of what can happen when produce travels 1,000+ miles - mine comes from about 10 miles away.


5. Produce grown locally is picked when ripe. This usually means it tastes better.


6. Farmers' market prices are generally lower than at grocery stores. I tend to pay less for better quality at my local market.
   
7. To find a farmers' market near you, go to www.usda.gov and search farmers markets.

Farmers' markets are not the only way you can buy locally. Here are some other ideas:

1. Find a local meat grower. I know the family that raises our beef. I know what the cattle eats, I know the family grows the food themselves, I know if they need more feed they have a relationship with another family they trust and I know they eat their own product.
   
2. Support U-picks. Each year my kids and I pick blueberries and strawberries. We eat some fresh, I'll make a few desserts, and I'll freeze the rest to make delicious smoothies or even crisps, throughout the year.
   
3. You can also support your local farms that maintain their own stores. We have several in our area. They always have some special event going on when a particular fruit or vegetable has come into season (IE. strawberry, peach or pumpkin festivals). It's a great opportunity to show your kids a working farm and how something ends up on their plates.


4. Trade with your neighbors (including food cupboards, if applicable). Maybe you have a bumper crop of something, so share!

Now a word about organic produce. I have no doubt ingesting less pesticides is better for you, but I do have concerns about whether or not I will be taken where I want to go if I jump on the organic band wagon. For example:

1. Fairness. It is very expensive to become a certified organic grower. This excludes a lot of family owned farms.


2. I have not yet heard any evidence from an unbiased party that organic produce (pesticides aside) is nutritionally better. I have repeatedly heard, nutritionally, there is no difference. I take issue with the fact every time I read something by an organic supporter, they make reference to how the "other" produce is SWIMMING in pesticides; as though non-organic growers don't care about their product or their customers; as though they are all irresponsible and use no controls. I get miffed about that - it's a scare tactic.


3. How do we truly know something is organic and how can that be managed if an organic farm is sitting in the middle of non-organic farms? If pesticides leach into the soil and groundwater, than...
   
4. Walmart purchasing a large organic grower. They're trying to corner the organic produce market edging out small business owners (again), in this case farmers.

Anyway, this summer whether you choose organic produce or non-organic produce, choose to buy it locally. Your family and the environment will be happy you did.

Oh, and don't forget to take along your reusable bags!

Week 7 - VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

Last week I learned something interesting - it seems the US imports about 70% of it's food. First we're dependent on others for gas, and now food (fuel of another sort). This is obvious when you take a look at the labels on produce in the grocery store. You'll find: product of Chile, product of Peru, product of Mexico etc. It's not such a bad thing having asparagus available all year round, right?

But there is something else taking place in the produce section that may be cause for concern. Have you ever wondered why we have a choice of say, 3 types of apples, oranges, or tomatoes and maybe a choice of 2 types of cucs, etc. These limited choices are what commercial seed companies (there are about 5 major ones) and large growers are making available to us, but they are by no stretch of the imagination what is possible. Here in lies the root of the agricultural biodiversity (variety) vs. monoculture (one crop) debate.

Seed companies and large growers strive to create a product that is completely disease resistant, can be grown as cheaply as possible for the largest yields and can withstand travel cross country (or internationally). As a result they focus on a single variety (even going so far as to genetically engineer one) and this is what creates a monoculture. In fact, according to thegreenguide.com "63 percent of Native American crop varieties have disappeared since Europeans arrived on the continent". So maybe you're thinking, what's wrong with specializing? LOTS! First there are all the ecological ramifications like soil depletion, the effects on wildlife, and the overuse of crop specific pesticides which can lead to mutant diseases and the poisoning of groundwater, just to name a few. Then think what can happen if something does attack a particular crop! Remember the Irish potato famine, the European wine grape blight (eek!), or the Boll Weevil's effect on our Cotton industry in the early 20th century? Should I even get into how these seed companies are controlling the price of seed and even their use by obtaining patents for seed (when anything comes under the control of a few, the results are usually negative for us, the consumer). This is a worldwide trend that really needs to be examined. Although proponents of monoculture insist it is perfectly safe (and it may well be), I for one, do not want my and my family's dietary sustenance reliant upon a few crops that are grown in a few places!

Speaking of family, let's look at another major reason to promote agricultural biodiversity - our health! The greater the variety of fruits and vegetables we consume, the more likely we are to get all the nutrients we need. So how do we do this in the face of narrowing choices? We plant a garden of course and it doesn't have to be a big one, it can be a few pots. The key is to look for heirloom plants and seeds. Heirlooms are varieties that have been passed down through generations. They are beautiful in color and appearance. They may not look as "perfect" as what we see in the grocery store (we can live without the waxy coating anyway), but they also won't taste mealy or lack flavor. As a matter of fact, flavor is the number one reason given for growing heirlooms. They will look real and taste splendid! Here are some websites that offer heirloom seeds and in some cases, plants:

1. tastefulgarden.com
2. heirloomtomatoplants.com
3. johnnyseeds.com
4. seedsavers.org
5. seedsofchange.com
6. heirloomseeds.com
7. victoryseeds.com
8. reneesgarden.com

You can also check out your local garden centers (and even discount stores) for heirloom varieties. I'm fairly confident you will be able to find at least one type of tomato.

If you want to really get serious about things, you can learn how to save your seeds so you can have them from year to year. Check out seedsave.org and click on "free online seed saving instructions". It will give you information on how to save seed from 27 common vegetables. I think it would be really nice to pass down seeds from a favorite vegetable (or even flower for that matter). True, it's kind of old-fashioned, but I think we could use a little of that these days.

So whether you save heirloom seed or support companies that do, whether you grow your own heirloom produce or buy from someone who does, you can feel proud that you help preserve our agricultural biodiversity - our agricultural history. At least in this case it's true, variety is the spice of life!

Week 6 - BOOKS & MAGAZINES EVERYWHERE!

I LOVE books and magazines! I mean, I get pretty excited about them. I grew up watching my Mom and others always with a book in hand and a few at the ready. I have to say reading is one of my favorite things to do. This love has caused me to become fairly anal-retentive when it comes to my reads. I like my books and magazines to look new - brand spanking new. I won't choose any that have the spine creased or any corners bent. I don't like it when I try to remove any store placed stickers and some of the stickiness remains. I don't even like the idea that someone has touched a book or mag I'm going to purchase, which always has me pulling from the back (to be honest this is true of anything I buy, I tell my kids, "don't pick the front one"!). Yeah, I'm pretty rigid about what comes home with me. So one can imagine my feelings about libraries and until pretty recently, even loaning books out!

A few years ago when my kids were very small, I knew it was in their best interest to teach them about the library process. You know, making a trip to the library to peruse and select our reads for the week, whipping out our library card (aah, when can I get one of my own Mom?) and returning them when finished. It's great, it's free (or at least cheap) and it encourages reading. But ugh, all those hands on those books. I'm happy to say I've gotten over it (kinda). I just try not to give it too much thought!

Today when I think of libraries, I think this is recycling at it's finest. The bottom line is, if you share you will not only save trees and energy, but money too.

Outside of texts, coffee table books, and the classics, most people purchase soft-covered books. Here are some ideas on what to do with them once they've been read:

1. There is a cool website called Paperbackswap.com. It is currently free and allows you to post "like new/gently used" books you are willing to part with. When someone requests a book you've posted and you send it to them, you earn a point (when you sign-up you are given 3 points as a welcome). You can then request a book and a person will send it to you. One book "costs" one point. There are wrappers you print off of the site for you to mail the book in. You then pay the postage, which is about $1.59 for one book and in turn someone will pay the postage to send you a book. This site is really worth checking out and they have books for all ages.
2. Second hand bookstores are another way to go. You can sell them your books or at least make a swap.
3. You can make a little money by selling your books on Amazon.com or BN.com (Barnes & Noble). The sites will walk you through the process.
4. Donate your books to the local library. They will let you know what they are looking for, or if they have a book sale coming up. Some libraries have a program where you purchase a book selection from the library's wish list, and once you've read it, you donate the book to them.
5. Donate your books to the Salvation Army or Goodwill.
6. Check with your school libraries and area preschools to see if they are in need of any of the titles you have.
7. Get together with friends and have a giant book swap.
8. RECYCLE them!

Did you know magazine production uses more than 2.2 million tons of paper per year? What about the fact that according to idealbite.com "2.9 billion magazines delivered to newsstands each year are never read; placed end to end they would encircle the earth 20 times." How many people do you know either subscribe to or purchase the same magazines you do? Here are some easy ways to make a difference:

1. Talk to your friends and see who gets what - maybe you can share the cost of ONE subscription.
2. If you must have your crisp, new copies of your favorite mags (or if you tend to tear out a lot of articles, etc.), at least see if anyone would like to read them after you.
3. Maybe doctors' offices, nursing homes or salons could use them.
4. Check your local library to see if they have a magazine exchange.
5. Consider if you really need to purchase a hard copy. Most magazines now have websites which contain a lot of the information included in their monthly issues.
6. RECYCLE them!

There are also a number of household and crafty uses for old magazines (some of these might be a stretch, but to each his/her own):

1. Use colorful pages as gift wrap.
2. Use crumpled pages to shape wet shoes/boots
3. Line small drawers with pages.
4. Use them for kids craft projects.
5. Make your own framed art.
6. Use them for scrap booking.

If you have any other ideas on what to do with our used books and magazines, let us know!