Quality time with the Compost Pile

I have been putting kitchen waste into a compost bin for years (no sense in sending vegetable peels to the landfill!), but the bin was in the shade and I never turned the contents or made much of an effort to do anything with it. I used to purchase 3 or more yards of composted cow manure from a local dairy farm, and that's what I would use on the vegetable and flower beds. The farm did a great job of making sure the manure was properly "cooked." There was never any odor, and the vegetable garden thrived on the stuff.

But now I'm vegan and I realize that I can't ethically purchase composted cow manure since my money would be contributing to the farm's ability to continue as a dairy. Dairy cows are repeatedly impregnated, their calves are taken away almost immediately, to the great distress of their mothers, and the boy calves are turned into veal. When the cows are "spent" (ie: they no longer produce enough milk) they are sent to the slaughterhouse.

I needed to either find another source of vegan compost, or figure out how to make my own in a more efficient way. I was wary of other sources even before researching the subject. I checked the bags of compost at the garden center and saw that most are not vegan, containing ingredients such as "turkey meal" (what the heck?) and bat guano. I had read that some communities offered compost made from yard waste, but knowing how much chemical fertilizer and pesticides are commonly used, I really didn't want to take the chance. What's the point of trying to grow my vegetables organically if I'm going to get someone else's recycled pesticides? No thanks. The Mother Jones article I have linked to confirmed my suspicions about municipal composting programs.

As a result, I have been spending some quality time with my compost pile this spring, and so far it is working out pretty well. In the early spring, I borrowed a chipper/shredder and shredded up leaves and stems, adding them to the pile. My kitchen waste still goes in there, with vegetable peels and coffee grounds being the primary ingredients. In addition, I'm raking up the grass clippings (I don't use any chemicals on my lawn, of course) and adding them in. I have two bins side-by-side so that I can mix the pile and layer the things I put in. I have already used some of the compost I made in the spring. Those shredded leaves were great, and I'm planning to borrow the shredder again soon to shred more leaves. I also added some organic alfalfa meal to the pile the last time I turned it. I read that it is supposed to heat up the pile like manure would, and encourage microbes to do their composting thing. I'm looking forward to using my own compost, made for free, with my own sweat equity. Knowing exactly what went in there will give me greater confidence that what I'm eating is good for me!

Great Green Kitchen Ideas

Here is a great idea for the kitchen. My Dad made this bag drier from a block of wood, some decorative dowels he found at the craft store, and a couple of shells glued on for decoration. You could make a simpler one with just a block of wood and dowels, but I think the wooden tulips actually help hold the bag open to dry faster. I reuse zip-loc bags as many times as possible, washing them out and hanging them to dry. I also save the reusable plastic bags that frozen fruit comes in, the produce or bulk bin bags from the grocery store, and any others I can possibly hang on to. I keep the produce bags and tote bags I use for groceries in a milk crate in the trunk of my car so I remember to bring them into the store. I also bring my own bags to the farmer's market -- the folks there really appreciate it because they have to save or collect bags for their customers.

Another kitchen item I wouldn't want to do without is my ceramic compost holder. It is attractive, doesn't take up too much counter space (it's about the size of a gallon jug), and saves me from having to take scraps to the compost bin every single day. It has holes in the cover and a carbon filter to eliminate odor. I got it from Gardener's Supply, but Amazon carries them as well. There are stainless steel versions, but I got a cobalt one to match the rest of my kitchen.

I don't have a lot of counter space, but these two items are in constant use, so they definitely deserve their permanent place in the kitchen. The things I use less frequently, such as the food processor, waffle iron, bread maker, and crock pot stay in the closet until I need them.