Thoughts on Composting

Most people talk about composting as a viable alternative to tossing things into a landfill, but I was curious about how many people actually make the effort.

I was also interested to learn about the reasons why folks don't compost.

That was the focus of April's survey.

Let's take a look at the results:

Comments

• COnstantly traveling.
• Why NOT compost? It's great for the garden, it reduces our amount of garbage, and it's good for the earth to put food and yard waste literally back where it originated ! We had an old plastic "earth machine" one for years but it always filled up too fast so this year we built one out of old repurposed fenceposts and chickenwire, with one half for current garden and food waste and then when it fills up, we'll let it settle and start filling up the second one. They say more than 20% of our garbage dumps are filled with food - crazy!!! Every city should have mandatory curbside composting like our big cities here on the west coast - it just makes sense (economically as well!).
• Because it reduced how much trash we were throwing out, it's good for the environment and for our garden, and we get free soil.
• I compost because food waste is such a problem in the landfills, plus it's free fertilizer. I don't use bins though, I bury mine right in an empty garden plot to decompose.
• We don't have anywhere to use the compost we'd make.
• I've had a garden my entire adult life. My current one is my toughest, here in the American desert Southwest. It's hot. And dry. To manage water usage and keep vegetables comfortable through hundred-and-teens, I have to have compost (and mulch, which is sometimes the same thing)! Besides, it's the right thing to do--perfectly good coffee grounds and vegetable peelings certainly don't need to clutter landfill.
• To nourish my soil and recycle my green waste
• I am studying here and I live in apartment, thus I don't have place to plant or cultivate. In my hometown, my family lives in city and has the same situation.
• Because it good for the soil and keeps the balance of nutrients naturally. We also should be recycling everything we can and this is a great way to recycle your food scraps and make use of the that nature provides us. It is also very economical.
• Less waste, though we don't know how to make it compost faster and just put it into a bin we got at a hardware store, so any tips would be great :)
• Because it makes sense! :)

The majority of people, who participated in the survey, do compost. Reasons included things like reducing landfill waste and nourishing gardens. Some folks use commercial composting containers, others make their own, and still others simply bury compostable materials directly into an empty garden plot.

My sense is that those who do compost, use it in their gardens rather than participate in curb-side pick-up or donate it to a neighbor or community garden.

One participant asked for tips on how to make a compost pile work faster. I found a great article on the subject which you can read HERE. Suggested methods include shredding, turning the pile often, and ensuring that the carbon to nitrogen ratio is appropriate (they include the ratio of common items like grass clipping, food scraps, etc., and give you an easy way to approximate the ratio).

A few people don't compost and their comments got me thinking about situations that make the practice difficult (or impossible) and how we might comes up with solutions.

Composting while traveling

Many of our green-living practices suffer when we travel. Certainly composting seems to fall into that category. Still, we need to eat and that means generating usable waste. Here are a few tips which might help:

• If you eat out, choose restaurants which compost kitchen scraps. To find out, call ahead and ask.
• If you prepare food while traveling, bring along a bokashi composting system which can be carried back home for use in the garden. Or, carry a container with a good lid, fill it with scraps and bring it home to your bin.
• Ask the hotel, campground, bed & breakfast, etc., if they compost and, if so, how you can add scraps to the bin.
• If you are staying in a rented home, find out if curb-side collection is available or if a neighbor might be able to use scraps.

Composting without gardening

What if you don't garden and have no use for compost? Here are some ideas:

• Participate in curb-side collection if it is offered.
• Donate your compost to a local community garden, a neighbor, or offer it on Freecycle or Craigslist (I'm guessing that someone would be happy to pick it up and use it).
• Use a bokashi bin and then use the fertilizer on house plants or a lawn ... or, again, give it away. And if you don't have house plants, get some ... they are a great way to clean indoor air.

Composting in an apartment

So here's the scenario ... you live in an apartment which doesn't have a deck or patio. There's no space for a garden. There's no curb-side compost pick-up. Of all the reasons not to compost, this one is, in my opinion, the most difficult to find solutions for. But let's see what we can do. How about these ideas:

• Consider the bokashi system. Use the results on houseplants or offer it up on Freecycle. Perhaps the apartment management would appreciate a bit of fertilizer on their landscaping ... just be sure to ask, first.
• Collect scraps in an air-tight container and donate them to a community garden.
• Find out if a college or work facility has composting. If they do, ask about adding your scraps to their bin.
• Contact the city waste management department to discover options. If they have no options for you, ask them to consider providing some in the future.

A few more thoughts on composting

When we think about composting, we tend to consider it from the end results. While free, green fertilizer is appealing to those of us who garden, it really doesn't mean much to people who don't grow things.

So perhaps we need to look at this activity from the other end ... the beginning. If we consider it as a viable way to divert usable materials from landfills, it becomes a practice which all people can take part in. Yes, there's still the question of what to do with the end results but that seems relatively easy. There's always someone who could use free soil enhancements.

With the many, easy ways to recycle our food waste, composting is no longer a labor-intensive, stinky process. In fact, anyone with a counter can compost. It takes no more effort than tossing those scraps in a trash bin. Yes, perhaps it means coordinating with a neighbor or driving to a community garden but protecting our environment is worth the effort.

If you're not already doing so, I encourage you to compost. It is one way to keep "stuff" out of landfills and protect the earth.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

I'm curious ... Do you compost?

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Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Compost

Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)!

Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World!

If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.

This post contains great information and I encourage you to read through it at your leisure ... however, if you are short on time, you might find the following quick links helpful:

• The #CTWW Gang
• The Honor Society
• My Final Thoughts on Our Last Challenge
• This Week's Challenge

How did you do with last week's challenge to go meatless for a day? I'm vegan so we opted for the third part of the challenge to avoid processed foods. One might think that a vegan diet automatically eliminates processed foods but that's not true. Things like chips, candy, and even cookies are often free of animal by-products. There are also a variety of meat substitutes available. While some of them are quite good, they are processed foods with added sodium and fat. Quite some time ago, we started making a lot of things from "scratch". We make bread, corn tortillas, pickled vegetables, and sauerkraut. Recently we've added flour tortillas to the mix and make all of our own spices mixes, many from herbs and vegetables that we've grown ourselves. I feel good controlling the ingredients in our food.

The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing an article about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments.

Charlotte accepted the challenge and wrote I Failed Meatless Monday. After reading her post, I don't agree that she failed. A meatless meal is good at any time and, as we've seen with many green-living concepts, it takes some planning. Charlotte is planning a delicious day of plant-based meals and will be shopping for ingredients, with a list, soon. So I say ... Success! What do you say?

Scarlet gave CTWW a nice mention on her RebelMouse Page.

Alicia joined us and shared this: "Oh I love this challenge! I have done several blog posts on this very subject. I am more Vegan than Vegetarian. I don't eat meat or any eggs or dairy products but still eat fish occasionally. We also use raw honey. My husband still eats meat sometimes but pretty much eats Vegan the rest of the time. It's amazing how much better you feel when you eliminate meat and dairy from your diet plus all the benefits of helping the environment as well!! Most Americans have a diet of mostly acidic foods which is why so many people feel bad and have so many things wrong with them.Meat and dairy are high on the list of acid forming foods. Another good reason not to eat them. Just a side note, I read a while back that it takes 30 glasses of water to neutralize the acid in one can of cola. There are so many wonderful non meat and dairy recipes that taste amazing. It's always fun finding and trying new recipes so just be willing to take this challenge and discover how good meals can be without meat and dairy! I think you will like it well enough to incorporate this way of eating more than once a week."

Deborah accepted the challenge and said this: "I am a full time vegan so I am happy to take a good look at my diet and eliminate any processed foods. The good news is that I have paired my shopping down to fresh organic fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, herbal tea, and a few seasonings, condiments, organic vegan supplements. I am happy to say that I don't buy vegan many processed foods and prepared vegan "meats" and treats. From smoothies, juices and salads to soups and vegan entrees, I prefer to prepare and eat real "vegan" food! I have published a lot of vegan recipes and nutritional posts on my blog, Urban Naturale. One of my favorite posts is "Planning Healthy Plant-Based Meals Plus My Favorite Meal: Rice and Beans, Collard Greens, Sweet Potatoes & Sea Vegetables" - http://urbannaturale.com/planning-healthy-plant-based-meals-plus-my-favorite-meal-rice-and-beans-collard-greens-sweet-potatoes-sea-vegetables/. I am a Meatless Monday blogger so I also try to publish vegan posts on Meatless Monday, however all of the recipes that I publish on my blog are meatless."

Lois stopped in. Here's what she had to say: "Depending on the day I'm either vegetarian or vegan, lately it's been mostly vegan. I began, I might have told you this before, when I was pregnant with my second son and diagnosed with cancer. I was given the option of aborting him and having surgery and chemo or do nothing and hope for the best. I stumbled on an article about vegan eating curing cancer and figured it wouldn't hurt. I eventually cured my cancer through diet and as a result found I could also cure my kidney issues I was born with. People don't realize that we cannot digest animal products so they are shuttled to the kidneys where to break them down calcium is pulled from our bones leading to kidney stones. Eating animal products is not only hard on the environment but also stresses our bodies."

Welcome to Emily, of myeco20s, who offered this: "It's so much CHEAPER to not eat meat! Especially if you try to eat local meat. I'm not a vegetarian but my boyfriend is, and so we don't eat meat very often, and since I'm picky about the meat I will eat we've saved a ton!" By the way, if you haven't yet visited MyEco20s, please do ... it's a fabulous blog with a ton of great information. A recent post deals with buying from Craigslist and offers some valuable tips.

Aimee joined us and said, "My naturopath has ordered me to go whole foods only, nothing processed, no refined sugar, etc. while my husband and I try to get pregnant - it's amazing how we don't really think about what we consume, even when we think we're pretty awesome at watching what we put into our bodies. I am glad to live in Portland where the vegan/vegetarian options are so plentiful, with my favorite currently being Blossoming Lotus which makes a burger with cashew "brie" that is mouthwateringly awesome (http://blpdx.com/). :) "

Morag accepted the challenge and shared this: "Yes! A meatless quest :) One of the best ways to cut down your ecological footprint (it's one of our highest scoring quests!) especially if you can source things organically and locally. I am vegetarian everyday and doing lots to cut out dairy. Our Meat Less Quests are here: http://www.worldchanging.me/food/meat-less-monday/level-1 if anyone wants to celebrate with a badge or two. Level 1 is you going meatless, level 2 is if you do it with a friend, level 3 is having a totally meatless dinner with friends (or family)."

Our Twitter friends joined the conversation and shared the following:

From @HerbGir1972
- shhhhhh don't tell the fam, they go at least 2 days meatless and don't even know

From @GronaVra
- Balsamic Eggplant Steaks are the perfect #meatless meal! http://t.co/Xw5vaDCKCh

The #CTWW Gang are those folks who tweet our challenges using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I recommend following them ... they share great things. Let's meet them:

@beatepdx	@bestrawesome	@biggreenpen
@brokeblokeblogs	@clift_efst	@collegegogreen
@debsmikdav1	@dehelen	@diyfolks
@dominiquegoh	@ecoexpert1	@familyfocusblog
@freshcleanersaz	@ginavalley	@givelocal15
@greengympenge	@greenqueenofmod	@greenwithrenvy
@gronavra	@groovygreenlivi	@herbgir1972
@kaitlingarder	@kayelleallen	@krmbalclothing
@laalicia	@lady_bren	@ladyjcmuses
@leslieveg	@lyndilane	@mamasmoney
@martha_bourke	@mdgblogger	@mimibarbour
@momfindsout	@momsmadhousex6	@nolafusion
@outdoorfammag	@rckweddings	@realityarts
@rulesofgreen	@ruralmoms	@shopwhatpops
@spafloating	@sportparadise	@thefreckledrose
@theworld4realz	@treesgroup	@tulloch_tatum
@turningclockbac	@wary12	@wellminded
@wimpyvegetarian	@worldchangingme

My Final Thoughts:

Reports have shown that eating eight servings of fruits and vegetables, a day, can reduce your risk of heart disease by 22%. Antioxidants inherent in a plant-based diet are critical to neutralizing cancer-causing free radicals and the fiber acts like a scrub brush, cleaning toxins out of the body. High in vitamins and minerals, and low in saturated fats, meatless meals protect us. Even a few plant-based meals a week will add nutrition. With all the wonderful varieties of fruits and veggies available, and the plethora of delicious recipes, it really is a fabulous way to give our health a boost. We chose this challenge as a way to improve nutrition but here's another "plus": producing plant-based foods is much kinder to the earth.

Thanks, everyone! If you wrote an article, I Stumbled, Tweeted, Facebooked and posted it on Google +. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share features located below this post.

This Week's Challenge:

April's theme is: 2015 Year of the Soil

Composting adds nutrients to the soil

"The Soil Science Society of America is coordinating with the Global Soil Partnership and other organizations around the world to celebrate the 2015 International Year of Soils and raise awareness and promote the sustainability of our limited soil resources."

Have you given much thought to soil? It is a vital resource and a key "player" in food production, clean water, nutrient cycling, as well as a range of ecosystem functions.

Unfortunately, due to degradation, poor management, and urbanization, this precious resource is suffering. So it's time to act ... to protect our soil!

Here's your challenge ...

This week begin composting. This can be curb-side composting, if your city provides that service, backyard composting, or even a small container on your kitchen counter. The idea, this week, is to help our soil by turning scraps into nutrient-rich compost. If you don't garden and have no need of compost, consider giving it away to a neighbor, community garden, or offer it on Freecycle.

OR ...

If you are already into composting, review your activities and see if there's some way to amp up the process. Check out this LIST, or THIS ONE, to see if you are missing any opportunities.

Are you ready to turn scraps into soil nutrients? I know that you are!

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Until next time ...

WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!

Saving Seeds

For several years, I've been growing herbs and vegetables in containers on my apartment patio. In the beginning, I purchased bags of soil ... and for several years later, continued to buy bags of soil. Then it occurred to me that I could compost ... even in a small space. So, using a large planter, the process was started. All of our veggie peels, seeds, etc. (anything which would normally be tossed or sent down the disposal) was added to the bin. The compost did it's job, without smells, and provided us with lovely, nutrient-rich soil for the next year's planting.

An interesting "by the way" happened in the lettuce bin ... other plants were growing. Were they weeds? Nope ... they were tomato and squash plants ... volunteer plants. Evidently, some of the seeds which lay dormant in the compost bin, were now ready to grow. And grow they did! They grew and produced ... sweet tomatoes and delicious squash. They were healthy and hardy ... and better than anything we've ever eaten.

The next year, the same thing happened. Volunteer plants grew and provided us with the best produce in our garden.

So I began to think about collecting seeds. It turns out that collecting seeds is easy. When we sliced an heirloom tomato, cut into a squash or trimmed the green beans, we took some of the seeds and placed them on a paper napkin (I know ... better not to use paper napkins but read on and you'll see that even they are used). Once the seeds completely dried, they were put in envelopes (a great use for those return envelopes that come in the mail with advertisements). The seeds were then stored in a dry place for the next year.

When it was time to plant, we cut small sections of the paper napkins, with the seeds stuck to them, and planted ... seeds and paper together. The paper decomposed (wonderful recycling) and the seeds grew. And then they produced ... strong, healthy vegetables.

Collecting seeds is economical (just check the price of a small packet of seeds). It's earth-friendly because those seeds, which typically get tossed out and sent to a landfill where there isn't enough oxygen to grow, will be used. There's also something fascinating about collecting seeds ... the idea that the lineage of a plant goes on and the vegetables which we eat have a history. It's like touching the best part of the past.

So ... today's tip is easy ... save some seeds for next year's garden.

As always, I would love to hear from you!

Grow your own whole foods ...

Happy Spring! We are now officially past winter (I can hear the applause). Increasingly the days will be become warmer and we'll see more sunshine. It's the time of year when my thoughts turn to planting a vegetable garden and anticipating whole foods at my finger tips.

Last week we talked a bit about whole foods ... how they are an Eco-friendly alternative to processed foods. Here are a few interesting facts:

• Eating whole foods, preferably organic, results in a lower risk of many types of cancers and chronic diseases, and promotes healthy aging and higher energy levels.
  
  
• Consuming fruits, vegetables and whole grains rich in antioxidants translates into a lower incidence of cataracts.
  
  
• Whole foods contain high levels of minerals and vitamins.
  
  
• They are loaded with antioxidants which protect the body from free radicals (these are the culprits which promote diseases).
  
  
• Plant based whole foods contain Phytoestrogens, a special class of phytonutrients that include isoflavones and lignans. Phytoestrogens have been found to protect against certain cancers, most notably breast cancer.
  
  
• They are loaded with dietary fiber and resistant starches making them essential to intestinal health and help prevent colon cancer.
  
  
• Whole foods contain no artificial ingredients or preservatives.
  
  
• The healing properties of whole foods are non-toxic and inexpensive. For example: apples help reduce cholesterol, bananas strengthen the stomach lining against acid and ulcers, and bell peppers help to fight off colds.

Eating whole foods is definitely healthy! So, how do we get them? We can shop the perimeter of a supermarket or get them at a farmer's market. Or, we can grow them. Growing them has some definite advantages ... read on:

• It's economical ... for the price of a package of seeds (approximately $2.00), you'll get fresh produce throughout the summer. If you share seeds or use ones from previously grown crops ... the price is even less. Imagine ... for the price of one head of lettuce in the market, you can get an entire season of lettuce.
  
  
• It's healthy ... growing your own veggies means you control what goes on them. You get to decide if chemicals touch your food and, hopefully, you'll opt for organic gardening methods such as the use of lady bugs to control aphids and other pests.
  
  
• It's good for the earth ... rather than traveling across country to reach your grocer's shelves and adding to air pollution, your veggies reside just outside your kitchen door. And no processing such as chlorine washes for your veggies ... just pick them, rinse them and eat.
  
  
• It's educational ... children love to garden and watch things grow. Having a garden is a wonderful family activity and one which teaches children about sustainability.
  
  
• It's fun ... we loved digging in the dirt as children and I'm betting that most of us (perhaps secretly) love it as adults.
  
  
• And ... if we compost, we recognize an additional advantage: composting reduces waste. It's a wonderful way to nourish a home garden and it saves landfills and waterways.

This spring, consider growing your own whole foods .. it'll be good for you and the earth!

As always, I would love to hear from you!

Beautiful Falling Leaves

I love this time of year ... the air is crisp and the fall colors are lovely. Every time that the wind picks up, leaves float to the ground ... a cascade of yellow, orange and red. The ground becomes nature's patchwork quilt.

Those beautiful falling leaves bring me to today's quick tips:

• Leaves that fall in the yard and flower beds can be left to decompose and nourish the soil. They also act as mulch, protecting plants from winter temperatures.
  
  
  
• Forgo the air blower or hose for walkways and decks ... grab a broom and get busy. The only energy you'll burn is your own ... and how healthy is that!!
  
  
  
• Once leaves are gathered up from the driveway, walkway or patio, add them to your compost pile ... or start one if you haven't already done so. In the spring, you'll have rich soil for your garden.
  
  
  
• I don't usually give you tips that say "Don't ..." but in this case I'll offer one: Don't burn leaves as a way to dispose of them. The smoke caused by burning leaves is polluting and compromises air quality.

There you go ... easy tips ... big environmental benefits.


As always ... I would love to hear from you!

Recycling & Composting - Three Lessons Learned

This week's challenge is about reducing the size of our trash bins by composting and recycling. We've been doing both activities for awhile so ... I thought I'd share some "lessons learned".

Lesson One: It IS possible to compost and recycle while living in an apartment.

Truthfully, when I began this blog, I didn't think either activity would work in a small space. We'd need an indoor spot to put recycle bins and an outdoor spot to put a compost. As with most things in life, however, the largest hurdle was simply getting my head wrapped around the idea. Once I did, the rest was easy.

We rearranged our laundry room a bit and stacked about four grocery boxes in the corner. These became our recycle bins ... one each for plastic, aluminum, glass and metal. We put another box in our office for paper. They fill up fast ... and we don't have curbside recycling or even a convenient center in our complex ... so, every time we leave the house, we take a box with us and place it in the trunk. If we happen to be driving by the recycle center (which is basically on our way to anywhere), we stop in and unload.

The compost bin seemed to be a little more challenging ... I thought it would be messy and smelly. It can be if a little care isn't taken. In my kitchen, I have an empty coffee container with a lid ... this is where I toss veggie scraps, coffee grounds and other compostables. When the container is full, I take it out to my patio where we've dedicated a large planter as our composter. We tossed some dirt in the bottom, added our organic material, covered it with a little more dirt and then ... and this is key ... we covered the container (we used an Eco-bag). This keeps the smell down.

Before we knew it, we had a routine for both recycling and composting.

Lesson Two: Almost everything can be either recycled or composted.

When one really starts considering what is tossed out, almost everything can either be recycled or composted. It does require that we break the habit of just tossing things into the trash and entails looking at things like recycle codes. And it sometimes requires separating components like removing paper labels from cans. But ... once in the habit of doing so, almost everything we touch has a place other than the trash.

Lesson Three: "Real" trash smells.

One of the things that bothered me about this process is that the trash bin started to smell way before it was even slightly full. This is because the only things getting trashed were cooked food items (I don't put anything cooked into the compost bin and we don't use the disposal ... it uses too much water). Not a lot of food goes to waste in our house ... we try to only cook what we can eat in a reasonable amount of time but ... occasionally cooked items get tossed. So does canned pet food that doesn't get eaten in a day. These items very quickly smell. I didn't feel right, however, about wasting a trash bag (even the Eco variety) before it was reasonably full. So ... we came up with a trick. We put any tossed out, potentially smelly stuff, into a small Eco-bag and then freeze it. We keep adding to the bag until it's full and then we take it to the dumpster. No more smelly trash bin.


It turns out that recycling and composting are easy activities ... activities that help us walk a little easier on the earth. On Wednesday, I hope you'll stop in and check out the Honor Society ... I've been reading everyone's efforts and there are some great recycling/composting tips and ideas.

As always ... I would love to hear from you.

It's a Hair Affair ...

My family is THE BEST!! Not only have they supported and encouraged this blog ... they actively participate. Case in point ... this post. The idea for this article came from my California family (a special thanks to R for always being on the lookout for new, green ideas).

You've heard the "green" mantra a gazillion times ... Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. You'll notice that "contribute to the landfill" isn't included. That's because living a green life means trying to avoid garbage. We even try to avoid biodegradable garbage because landfills are anaerobic environments and without air, items can't decompose. So, we find new uses for things ... we recycle, we compost ... we try, very hard, not to toss out anything.

And that brings us to today's subject ... Hair. Yep, hair! If you have hair, then you probably cut it ... and comb it ... and brush it. And that means that there is hair ... cut hair, hair in combs and brushes ... which is no longer being used. What happens to it? Usually ... it gets tossed out. But did you know that it can be reused and recycled? Yes indeedy ... here are some ideas:

• Nests. Birds love hair for nesting material. Scatter hair from brushes and combs, and hair clippings, in the yard for their use. Don't forget the hair from your dog or cat ... it can be tossed in the yard as well. Birds will pick it up and use it. And don't worry about what they don't use ... it'll decompose.

• Snail Repellent. Having trouble with snails in your garden? Just toss some hair around the plants ... snails will go elsewhere.

• Deer Repellent. If you're lucky enough to have deer in your area, you might not feel so lucky when they start munching on your plants. To discourage them from using your yard as their favorite buffet, scatter hair around.

• Hair Mats. Here's an amazing video about cleaning up oil spills with mats made from human hair. If your salon isn't already participating in this program ... ask them to:

• Locks of Love. If you have long hair, 10 inches or longer, and are considering a shorter "do", donate your hair to Locks of Love. This organization helps kids with cancer who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments.
  

• Compost. Did you know that human hair can be composted? Yep ... it makes a great, slow release fertilizer. Who knew!

• Stuffing for pin cushions. Human hair, because of it's oil content, makes a great stuffing for pin cushions. The oil keeps the pin from rusting.

• Arts and Crafts. Okay ... this last one is for the die-hard repurposers among us. I've read that hair can be used in weaving and needle felting. It can be used to make clothing and furniture. Some people have used it to stuff pillows and even mattresses.

Hair ... it's one less thing in the landfill.

By the way ... be sure to stop by on Wednesday for another "Change The World" challenge. And there's still time to accomplish this week's challenge (to read it, click HERE)

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

I want to ... but (Part do ... I mean deux)

Yesterday we talked about green living road blocks ... those things that seem to prevent us from living a greener life. If you didn't get a chance to read that post, you can do so HERE. A few people wrote in with their "I want to ... buts", so today we're going to try to come up with solutions. Here we go:

ROAD BLOCK:

Mary said, "I do all these things except the short shower, and that is my own fault, since I ADORE long showers."

SOLUTION:

Sober White Woman said, "I love my tub! I have a huge garden tub and I love to soak in it. So on those days I try to cut back on using water else where. Just take baby steps and they WILL help trust me!"

How about this ... rather than take long showers every day, make them a special treat. Bargain with yourself ... for example ... tell yourself that if you take short showers for a week, you're allowed one indulgent shower. Another thing that will make showers (of any length) greener is to turn down the temperature of the water ... you'll save a lot of energy.

ROAD BLOCK:

I want to begin living greener ... but don't know where to start.

SOLUTION:

Brian said, "I would suggest doing little things first like changing light bulbs to the more energy efficient bulbs. Locate your nearest recycling location and plan your trips to town so that you drive past it on a regular basis. This will remind you to recycle and it will change from out of your way to "we can stop on the way to town."

ROAD BLOCK:

I want to live green ... but need a good reason.

SOLUTION:

Ilhami Uyar said, "We have to take care to environment, we must prevent our old world, if we shouldn't prevent some damages, what will leave our children. We haven't another different world to live, so we have to guard our world."

ROAD BLOCK:

Nina E J said, "... how about cutting down meat? doesn't that pollute the earth a lot?!"

Kathryn Magendie said, "I want to always eat vegetarian, but it's more difficult than it seems at times- when you visit people, it's hard to say "I can't eat your food..." so I just eat it (so far I've avoided eating the stuff I NEVER want to eat: pork, veal, lamb...). Unless the host asks ahead of time if anyone doesn't eat meat, meat is usually served, and unless it is a "serve yourself" buffet kind of dinner, then the meat is placed on the plate! I consider myself a "flexitarian' - since I do sometimes eat meat...."

SOLUTION:

Meatless meals are good for the earth (if you'd like to read a previous post on the subject, click HERE). Since any effort is good, perhaps incorporate a few meatless meals into the week's menu. Even the most devout carnivore probably wouldn't object to a delicious spaghetti made with marinara sauce or a hearty bowl of vegetarian chili with corn bread.

If you're goal is to become vegetarian/vegan full time, there are basically two ways to get there ... one is to just do it and the other is to gradually reduce the meat in your diet until it's gone. My choice was to just do it ... after watching a program on the health issues attributed to animal products, I decided to go vegan ... for a month. I need an "out" so I told myself that if, after a month, I really wanted some meat ... I could do it. But ... after a month I was hooked on vegetarian food. I felt better and enjoyed the food. Some people find it easier to slowly ease into a vegetarian life style. That works, too. There are marvelous resources on the Internet for ways to go veggie. I suggest checking them out and experimenting a little to see what works best for you.

As for dining out with friends ... when I became vegan, I told everyone ... my friends and family. They have all been wonderful and have taken on the challenge of cooking "veg" for us when we visit. When our hosts don't know that we're vegan, we call ahead to tell them and offer to bring some food ... helps them and helps us. We've even attended wedding receptions where the couple kindly arranged, ahead of time, for our meals to be vegan ... and everyone at our table was jealous. I believe the key is letting people know. Most of the time, they want to accommodate vegetarians. The one thing that, I believe, is a big mistake is not saying anything ... it's awkward once you're there ... you either have to compromise your diet and eat foods you'd rather not eat or say "no thanks" to the meat items and risk hurting the chef's feelings. Full disclosure, ahead of time, is always best.

ROAD BLOCK:

Cesia said, "My biggest issue is remembering the grocery bags."

SOLUTION:

s engelmohr said, "I, like you had trouble with the re-usable bags for awhile. Seems like we have about 6-8 for each vehicle now and if some get left in the house there are still some left in the car. Funny thing I leave them there on occasion too and walk out with a cart full of loose groceries. "

Annie said, "I'm going to get those reusable shopping bags this week!"


ROAD BLOCK:

Frisky Librarian said, "I need to frequent farmers markets, but as I don't have a car, it's an "I want to...but" scenario."

SOLUTION:

One solution might be to organize a farmer's market "car pool" with others (hopefully with someone who has a car). This could be a fun outing with friends and perhaps, after the shopping trip, everyone could contribute to a fabulous, farm fresh meal. If no one has a car, perhaps the bus will work. This could be a weekly trip or even bi-weekly.

Does your area have Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)? Some CSAs will actually deliver shares to members who can't drive to the pick up location.

Another idea ... check on community gardens in your area. They are cropping up all over the place and are great ways to get some fresh fruits and veggies. Some gardens offer small plots of land so that you can grow your own ... others sell to the surrounding community and still others, like one in my area, offer free fruits and veggies to anyone who cares to pick their own (they only ask that you only pick enough for your immediate use).

Here's a great, brand new, resource. It's called Veggie Trader (http://www.veggietrader.com/index.php) and it's a brilliant concept. Basically, it's a site where people can buy/trade/sell their extra produce. A quick search by zip code will tell you what's available in your area. It's a new site, and it's early in the season, so there aren't many entries yet ... but as more people hear about it, it'll grow and should become a wonderful resource for those who want local, fresh produce.

Want one more idea? How about exchanging a little of your time, volunteering on an organic farm, in exchange for food, etc.? There is a very cool website called World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (http://www.wwoof.org/index.asp) which acts as a meeting place for those who own organic farms and those who would like to volunteer in exchange for food, accommodation, etc.

ROAD BLOCK:

Ron said, "I live in an apartment building, which has no composting facility. I was thinking of starting one up in the area beside the parking lot, but sadly, I haven't had the time, nor any idea on how I can get others to participate--except for the few that I actually talk to while going up and down the elevator every day. Any thoughts?"

SOLUTION:

I would contact the apartment management to see if they are willing to participate in composting. If they are, perhaps a flier could be handed out to all residents informing them of the bin and giving them some pointers on how to use it. Composting bins do require a "stir" once in awhile and, as mentioned in my article, a layer of dirt on top keeps the odor down ... so someone would need to step up and manage the bin. I, personally, haven't found apartment managers to be overly receptive to green ideas but ... I'm a firm believer that we should keep asking. That being said, if they aren't willing, I'd try composting on a small scale. There are commercial bins which work nicely on patios or, as I do, one can use any available container.

ROAD BLOCK

I want to recycle ... but don't know how to get started.

SOLUTION

SweetPeaSurry said, "When I lived in NYC we had recycling bins for the 'house' apartments that we lived it, they were shared. So in the kitchen we used one of those three drawer plastic towers that you can pick up at any store, Target or Kmart or Walmart. It worked great ... and as it filled up ... we'd just toss stuff into the recycle 'house' bins. Worked great! "


Thanks to everyone who shared their "I want to ... buts" as well as to those who offered solutions and encouragement. See ... I told you this was a great group!

As always ... I'd love to hear from you!

I want to ... but

Last July, when Reduce Footprints was born, I felt I was doing a pretty good job at living a green life, but felt there were more things I could be doing. So ... I started blogging, hoping that I would find many new and unusual ideas for walking a little gentler on the earth. And ... I did ... lots of them. The only problem was that some of the tips and ideas seemed inconvenient and I found myself saying, "I want to, but ...".

Lately, I've heard others saying the same thing. Perhaps we're just making excuses ... but maybe (and I choose to believe that this is the more probable reason), we just haven't figured out the solutions. So ... today's post is all about the road blocks on the path to living green and how we can remove them. Here are a few of mine and how we've solved the problem:


I want to buy organic ... but it's too expensive.

"Organic" is good for the earth and good for us. But, one trip down the grocery isle will tell you that these products aren't cheap ... and with the economic times as they are, stretching a dollar is important. Some organic items have become competitive, priced similar to their non-organic counterparts ... but the majority are still rather costly. To solve this dilemma, I decided to prioritize my purchases. The Environmental Working Group has put together a handy little list of the fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide load (items to definitely buy organic) and the lowest pesticide load (items which are OK if non-organic). The list can be found here: http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php.


I want to recycle ... but don't have the room.

We try to reuse as many things as possible. Still ... there are times that a can, paper, etc. has served it's purpose and is ready to be recycled. Living in an apartment, I don't have the luxury of a lot of space or an outside area for recycle containers. The neighborhood doesn't have curbside recycling or even large bins for residents. So ... I headed to the local grocery store and picked up a few cardboard boxes. After rearranging our laundry room a bit, we stacked them up and started tossing our recyclables into the appropriate box. They aren't huge boxes and fill up fast, which means frequent trips to the center. It's near our favorite whole foods store, however, so we don't make special trips ... we just grab a box every time we shop. Since I can't accommodate too many boxes, we aren't able to pre-sort everything and do a fair amount of sorting at the center. The entire process isn't perfect ... but it works.


I want to use a reusable shopping bag ... but can't remember to take it into the store.

We all know how bad plastic bags are for the environment. Reusable bags are so much kinder to the earth. I have four of them, which is enough for anything I'm liable to purchase on any given shopping trip. My first challenge was to remember to put them in the car. I hung them on the coat rack ... and looked past them. I put them on top of my shoes and actually picked them up and moved them so that I could finish getting dressed. Finally, I set them under my car keys ... and that worked. By the time I grab for the keys, I'm ready to go so ... grabbing the bags and returning them to the car (where they live) is no problem. But then, once in the car, I'd forget to take them into the store. Ugh! I'd get into the checkout lane and remember that I didn't have my bag. Then ... I had an "aha" moment ... I simply told the cashier that I wasn't going to use a bag ... that I'd take everything, in the basket, to my car and put it in my reusable bags out there. This has actually become so convenient that I do it on a regular basis now. When one brings a reusable bag into the store, they are typically required to load it themselves ... which seems to slow up the line. So, having the cashier simply leave everything in the basket is quick and efficient. One warning ... when uttering "no bags", you might get a "deer in the headlights" look from the bag "boy" and render him inactive for awhile ... but never fear ... he'll get used to it.


I want to take shorter showers ... but lose track of time.

This one is easy ... a simple kitchen timer, which I keep in the bathroom, reminds me to hurry it up. Awareness is everything!


I want to compost ... but I'm afraid of the smell.

Composting is a fabulous activity. Rather than dumping fruits and veggies into a landfill where, because of a lack of oxygen, it takes years and years to decompose, one can create their own compost bin where tossed items will decompose rapidly. Once nature has taken it's course, the rich dirt can be used in the garden. It's a great idea ... but compost systems take up a lot of room and ... I thought they would smell. I quickly learned that compost bins don't have to be big ... we use an old planter for our bin. And, by keeping a layer of dirt on top, there is minimal smell.


Now it's your turn ... when it comes to green living, what are your "I want to ... but" problems. Share them here and we'll try to come up with solutions. If you're saying to yourself ... "I want to share, but I'm afraid I'll look foolish" ... don't worry. We are all trying to do the same thing ... live greener.

As always ... I would love to hear from you.

The Day I Bought Worm Poop, or The Crazy Get Crazier

My bloggy friend, Connie Mishali of Connie Mishali's Weblog, shared this funny story with me. It's all about ... worm poop. Yep ... you heard me right ... worm poop! When I read it ... I just knew that it would be perfect for Reduce Footprints.

Connie Mishali's Weblog is a wonderful site. She talks about relationships, green living, religion and so much more. You'll find book reviews and book giveaways. You might remember Connie from this month's vegan recipe ... Lo Mein Noodles. She graciously shared that fabulous recipe with us ... and now shares this fun post.

A big THANK YOU to Connie. And now ... her article:

The Day I Bought Worm Poop, or The Crazy Get Crazier



As promised, today I will share the story of the day I bought worm poop. It started out as a seemingly sane pursuit: my husband mentioned he was going to buy fertilizer for the lawn this past Spring. "Wait! Let me find something safe for the pets and birds." I wanted to find fertilizer that wouldn't harm our two Chihuahuas or the birds, bunnies, beach mice, toads and other wildlife we have around our home. So I started looking online for "pet safe" fertilizer and found a number of options, all of which were labeled "natural" and "organic". Do you know what's in natural, organic fertilizer? The blood and bones and manure of cows, pigs, chickens and other slaughtered animals! I felt myself getting faint.

So now I'm typing "pet safe, vegan" fertilizer into my browser wondering, "Is there such a thing?" Yep. It turns out the very, very best fertilizer for one's yard is "worm castings". That's a nice way of saying "worm poop". I found about a dozen different websites. I was overwhelmed by the choices and didn't know how I was going to make the best choice. Well, after doing some research I found out not all worm castings are the same. Long story made short, you have to find red worm castings for high quality fertilizer; you need to make sure it's 100% pure; you need to make sure the worms are fed high quality food. Unfortunately, the websites weeded themselves out with usually bad customer service. I had a number of questions being uneducated in the ways of worms, so I sent out messages to each one. Sadly, about half the website owners didn't respond. The other half gave me incomplete answers or seemed irritated by the follow up questions I had.

The only website I found which met the above product criteria AND responded promptly and completely to every question was Rising Mist Organics. http://www.wackyworldsof.com/ The owner thought it was hilarious when I wrote that I didn't mean to sound completely nuts, but could she please assure me that her worms were treated well, their poop was harvested humanely and they were given a good life. She explained to me that it sounded like I was "her kind of nut". She and her husband were both vegans and believed in doing no harm. She described the worms' diets (all organic food; their diets are better than mine) and their treatment (very good lives). She requested that when I was ready to order, I please call instead of placing the order online.

When I called her, I asked if she wanted me to call in order to facilitate my order or only because I was so crazy, she wanted to talk to me in person. She laughed and admitted it was mostly the latter. We talked for almost an hour and I found a kindred spirit! She lives in a small, rural town and we agreed that sometimes it's hard being the only crazy person where you live. She told me a couple of weeks prior, they had a huge rain storm and she was out with her front end loader, moving the worms to higher ground. She said she was sure the whole town was talking about her like they did about Kevin Costner in "Field of Dreams" when he started mowing down his corn fields. She told me several months prior, she was at the town hall for a meeting. Someone was going to kill a bug and she yelled, "No! Don't kill it!" without even thinking. She then went and scooped up the bug on a piece of paper and carried it down the center aisle to the door to set it free. She said not one of several hundred people said a word, but they never took their eyes off her or uttered a word as she made her way to the door with the bug and again back to her seat. I told her stories of my own. We agreed that living together on a commune -- or at least having a few more like minded people in the neighborhood -- would be comforting sometimes.

By the way, worm castings are the BEST fertilizer ever!!! They will NOT burn your grass (or plants or flowers or vegetables). Although "expensive", they actually are a better deal than anything you'd buy at Lowes or Wal-mart because they need application only once a year and, in fact, they continue to fertilize the ground 2-3 years after application. They are completely safe for pets, children, wildlife and ground water. Finally, no animals -- including worms -- are harmed.

I started out with a seemingly easy task . . . find fertilizer safe for our pets and wildlife . . . which evolved into finding vegan, organic, safe, humane fertilizer. I was not disappointed with worm castings, or with Rising Mist Organics and their funny, friendly, do-good owners. And now you know how crazy can feed on itself!

Another big THANK YOU to Connie for this fun ... and interesting article. I hope you'll come back on Friday ... we're going to be talking about more ... worms! As always ... I would love to hear from you!

Friday Film Fest

I hope you enjoy the following videos:















Have a wonderful weekend!

What Was I Thinking?

Today we have a real treat … a guest author. When I read that our bloggy friend, IB from Idiot’s Stew, is a certified Master Recycler-Composter … well, I just knew that we could all benefit from him. This article lives up to everything I hoped it would be. Using his own experiences, he teaches how it's never too late to start living a green life ... and how easy it is to get started (or in this case, restarted). If you’ve never been over to Idiot’s Stew … you’re missing out. IB is a talented writer who talks about everything. His posts are full of honesty and humor … they make me think, laugh and sometimes bring a tear to my eye. I hope you’ll drop by his site and look around … and while you’re there, drop him a comment. OK … sit back … relax … and enjoy:

What Was I Thinking?

Man, I am really feeling the pressure now. I have committed myself to “guest- authoring” at Reduce Footprints and I realize, 4 days into the process, I have…nothing.

What was I thinking?

I have no right to write a post about “green” living. Oh sure, I am a certified Master Recycler-Composter. I KNOW about composting. I can make a worm bin out of a 20- gallon Rubbermaid tote in 5 minutes. I can separate recyclables quicker than the curb-side collection guy can even get out of his truck yet, sadly, have turned my back on my training and my commitment to living in harmony with nature, for the last 10 years.

It is true. I am not proud.

So here I am, sitting at this keyboard, with a dead-line fast approaching, and I am struggling with my guilt. For a decade, I have possessed the power to affect change for the better, and I have chosen to not. What is worse, I have contributed to the current situation with apathy so great it borders on malicious. I have shunned the environment because I couldn’t be bothered, because I was too busy, because I didn’t want to believe in global-warming, because it wasn’t trendy or cool, and for it, I am a tortured man. It serves me right. Today, I look at the world around me and I see the effects of global- warming on the weather, on food supplies, on people, and I know I can claim at least a part of the responsibility because I have been, “…part of the problem”. My behavior has been deplorable, despicable and unforgivable.

But mother-earth IS forgiving. I believe she loves me and only wants me to live in that state of harmony with her; align myself with her energies and do that which is needed to give back to her rather than live the recent parasitic life I have. And so, I am returning to organic gardening.

It is still cold and wet outside, but I’ll be headed down to the hardware store today to get some supplies. The first thing to do will be to build a 3-compartment compost bin (see plans here). There are plenty of semi-decomposed leaves and other yard debris left over from last fall and my neighbor has a horse, so I can start a compost pile immediately.

After the bin is up and the compost is cooking (see a recipe for compost here) my son and I will build a couple of raised garden beds. By this spring we will have our organic vegetable starts in the ground. We will mulch around them with our compost and fertilize with our worm-castings (how to build your own worm-bin here) and I will finally feel right. I will rest comfortably knowing that I have found my way back home to a balanced relationship with our planet: one that I will never abandon again. Maybe one man’s vegetable garden won’t be enough to reverse the ill-affects of millions living and treating our earth like we are rude house-guests, but it’s a start.

That’s what I’m thinking, anyway.

IB

A big THANK YOU to IB for this post. As always ... I'd love to hear from you!

The year in review ..

I love the news programs on TV that review the year and remind us of all the events that took place in the last 12 months. So, what better time than the last day of the year to update you on some of the green living changes we made and how they worked out. Here are a few of the things that had the biggest impact on our house.

Composting and Recycling

This year we began composting ... something that we thought would be difficult in an Apartment. It has worked surprisingly well. We turned planters, not in use, into compost bins and started tossing raw fruit and vegetable matter into them. We now have three bins "working". There is no smell, no bugs and no "icky" factor. The food scraps are decaying rapidly and hopefully we'll have fertile soil in the spring.

Recycling was another activity that we thought would be difficult in a small space. But ... where there is a will, there is a way. We converted trash cans in our office to "paper only" cans. We also put some boxes in our laundry room, which is right off the kitchen, and now toss all recyclables into them. Every week or so ... we make a run to the local recycling area.

The result of these two actions is that the garbage bin has become our smallest can. And, before tossing anything into any bin, we consider whether or not it can be re-purposed.

Energy Consumption

This year we kicked up our energy saving practices. Out of 12 light bulbs in two bathrooms, we twisted off 8 (no one needs that much light). All electrical devices, with the exception of the VCR, the refrigerator and the stove, were put on power bars and when not in use, the power was completely off ... no phantom power gluttons. Things like cell phone chargers or battery chargers were unplugged until needed and then, they were only plugged in long enough to charge up the device. In the summer, rather than use air conditioning, ceiling fans were employed and we ... well ... opened the windows. Adjusting the curtains throughout the day also helped keep temperatures comfortable. In the winter, we dressed warmer and used blankets while watching TV. If the temperatures dipped too low, we turned on the heat ... but only long enough to warm things up and take the chill out of the air.

By far our biggest energy change was the use of the hot water heater. Rather than leave it on, all the time, we opted for turning it on for 30 minutes a day. Our water heater doesn't have an on/off switch but ... the circuit box is easy to get to so ... we just flipped it on and off as required.

These efforts were rewarded by lowering our electric bill considerably ... from $90.00 at it's highest to $34.00 last month. More importantly, there was an energy savings ... from a high 1054 kWh to the current 320 kWh.

Starting this blog

One of the most important green living changes in my life has been writing this blog. Through it, I have learned so many things. In addition, I've met wonderful people ... people who care about each other ... and the planet. In the beginning, my goal was to create a place where we could share ideas and perhaps, between us, compile a large enough list that everyone could do something. Thanks to all of you, that goal has been met.

Now it's your turn

What green efforts have you made this year? What are the efforts that you are most proud of ... and why? Of the green efforts you began this year, which has had the most impact? And has there been anything that was a bust?

I look forward to 2009 and sharing even more green ideas.

To all of you ...

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

Food ... Glorious Food

Recently, to kick off the holiday season, we watched "A Christmas Carol". I love the scene where Scrooge comes out of his bedroom to find the Ghost of Christmas Present sitting atop a bountiful table of delicious food. This scene seems to represent everything we hold dear ... a table with plenty ... a generous and happy spirit ... the very essence of human kindness. In homes around the world, we try to recreate that opulence and generosity ... offering our guests much more than they could ever consume. And what is left over often becomes landfill waste.

As landfill contributions go, I've always thought that food would be less imposing than other items. After all, it will compost down and ultimately enrich the soil, right? Unfortunately ... there are problems with this thinking. To maximize the space used for landfills, the trash is compacted before being buried in the soil. These tidy bricks of garbage are air tight ... preventing decomposition. Simply put, the process of composting requires air. No air ... no compost. For landfills which allow organic materials to compost, there's another problem. We simply have too much waste. According to the EPA, methane (the gas produced by food waste) traps 23 times as much heat in the atmosphere as the same amount of CO2. Landfills account for 34 percent of all methane emissions in the U.S.

So ... how do we prevent food waste? I'm glad you asked. Here are some ideas:

• Planning a party? When entertaining, consider sending leftovers home with guests.
  

• Plan ahead ... twice. When I shop, I have an idea of what I'd like to cook during the week. This ensures that I have a use for everything ... and if I stick to my plan, everything gets used. But what happens when that dish that sounded oh so great at the beginning of the week, sounds less than appetizing today? That's where planning ahead twice comes in. Be sure that for every item purchased, an alternate dish is considered.

• Don't shop hungry ... and bring a list. Grocery stores are in the business of selling. They plan out their displays to entice us. And who can resist that box of donuts when their stomach is growling. So eat before shopping and make up a list ... it'll help avoid any impulse buying.

• Buy local produce. Have you ever purchased a bag of produce at a supermarket chain, just to get it home and find that there are rotten items at the bottom of the bag? Or how about those lovely tomatoes ... grown halfway around the world ... that are black inside? Produce in big chain supermarkets is older and typically isn't handled with care, causing many items to become bruised or broken which speeds up the decaying process. Buying produce locally ensures that the item is fresh ... which means less waste.

• Buying in bulk saves money and lessens the amount of packaging that gets sent to the landfill. However, one must use caution when buying large quantities. Ensure that the item being purchased has an adequate "use by" date. Also, make sure that the item is something you'll actually use. Most items, regardless of their shelf life, will get tossed out if, after a year or so, they haven't been used up.

• Store foods properly. If the food you purchase doesn't come with storage instructions, check out the Internet. Storing food properly will ensure it's maximum shelf life and safety ... not to mention it's taste.

• Check your refrigerator ... and your pantry. Adopt the grocer's strategy and rotate. Foods that are out of sight, usually get forgotten. Browse the contents of your food storage areas often ... at least once a week. You'll remind yourself what's there and you can move forgotten items to the front where they'll get used instead of turning into fuzzy, green stuff.

• Use what you have before shopping for more. In our house, we have fun with this. We try to use almost everything before making another shopping trip and this has generated some very creative meals.

• Cook only what is needed. If you're cooking for two and the recipe is for eight ... cut it down. Even if your family adores leftovers, there comes a point when everyone is tired of the same old thing.

• Don't toss out bits and pieces. You know the ones ... that last piece of bread in the package ... the crumpled chips at the bottom of the bag ... the peelings from the carrot you had at lunch. These things can be re-purposed. Save pieces of bread to make your own bread crumbs or take them to a park and feed the ducks. Crushed chips are great for topping a casserole or use them as coating for your favorite fried food. Vegetable peelings can be saved and turned into a natural, additive free, broth.

With a little effort, we can reduce ... if not eliminate ... food waste. And that ought to make the Ghost of Christmas Present joyous indeed.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

Falling Leaves

In Asheville, NC, the fall colors are peaking. It's beautiful.


Soon, the colors will fade and the leaves will fall ... all over the yard ... the patio .. and the driveway.


That brings me to today's quick tips:

• Leaves that fall in the yard and flower beds can be left to decompose and nourish the soil. They also act as mulch, protecting plants from winter temperatures.
  
  
• Forgo the air blower or hose for walkways and decks ... grab a broom and get busy. The only energy you'll burn is your own ... and how healthy is that!!
  
  
• Once leaves are gathered up from the driveway, walkway or patio, add them to your compost pile ... or start one if you haven't already done so. In the spring, you'll have rich soil for your garden.

Easy tips ... big environmental benefits.

As always ... I'd love to hear from you!

Check this out ...

If you have a moment, click over to Tomus Arcanum and check out these two posts:

English Course Goes Green

It's all rubbish really

Both of these posts deal with the author's "green" efforts and show that living green doesn't have to be time consuming or costly. Thanks to Argentum Vulgaris for showing us how easy it can be.

Composting in a small space

I've always liked the idea of composting ... enriching the soil with plant matter that would otherwise go into the trash can. From a monetary point of view, it makes sense ... reuse the dirt I have rather than buying new bags of top soil each year. But I thought that composting took a lot of space or required a specialized bin, neither of which I have.


What I do have are planters which are no longer being used and dirt that has done it's duty growing herbs and veggies for our table. So I decided to give composting a try.


First I removed most of the dirt from one container, leaving a couple of inches at the bottom. Then I tossed in bits and pieces of vegetables and fruits ... the stuff which normally gets trimmed and tossed when one is preparing a meal. Next I sprinkled the plant matter with powdered plant food which I've been told will aid in decomposition and will give the soil added nutrients. I covered the whole thing up with another inch or so of dirt to help prevent any smell. Compost needs moisture so ... a quick sprinkle of water came next.


The container I'm using is a rectangular box which hangs on our railing ... like a window box. To ensure that it wouldn't smell and to keep bugs from "bugging" us, I covered the box with a plastic trash bag. This also keeps it warm and moist.


Every few days I add plant matter to the box and a little more dirt and water ... and every week or so I give the whole box a good stir. Mostly we ignore it and let it work.

And guess what ... it's working. I am totally amazed at how quickly plant matter decomposes. As for smell and the "icky" factor ... so far, so good. Here's a tip if you should decide to try this: keep an air tight container (coffee cans with lids work well) in your kitchen for the bits and pieces of veggie matter. That way, you won't have to run to the compost bin after preparing each meal and there won't be any smells in your kitchen.

As the weather cools down and the summer plants fade off, I'll have more containers ... and used dirt ... for composting. Hopefully, by spring, I'll have a bounty of fertile soil for next summer's crops.

Stay tuned ... as this is definitely a work in progress.

Do you compost? If so and you have any tips and/or advice ... send them my way.