I hate husking corn. Every year my family would cut the corn from thousands of corn cobs to freeze for the winter. I was always astounded at the size of the “waste pile” we created to end up with 2-300 cups of corn. I would no longer be astounded. Since I took up composting I …
As a gardener and sustainability-minded individual, it brings me grief to receive garbage in the form of junk mail. For many, figuring out the most environmentally-friendly manner to dispose of it can be a headache. While certain junk mail is doomed for the landfill, others can save the trip and be composted right at home. …
Composting guides often passively mention that you should compost eggshells and talk about how this common kitchen leftover can benefit your garden in compost tea and pest control. But how do you do it? In fact, many people are left wondering and specific such as, “Can I compost cooked eggs or raw eggs along with …
Gardening lore says that pine needles are bad for compost and the garden has been around for a long time. But this doesn’t make it true. In fact, I wasn’t even aware of the concerns most people have with composting them when I started adding them to my pile. In my regular method of action, …
Mother nature has been composting deal animals for millions of years. Every time an animal has died, it has made it back to the soil through decomposition. Until humans go into the mix. Now, however, people are trying to keep the natural order of the world running as smoothly as possible, many are wondering about …
When I first got into composting I wanted to throw everything I could find into our tumbler…and I did. I kept our “compost” moist, turned it regularly, and even added a compost accelerator. It was about that time that I learned that just because something is “food-waste” and came out of my kitchen doesn’t mean …
Every time I stick something strange and new in my compost pile, I watch it like a hawk for the next week. If things seem slow, I’m always worried that I messed up the ratios, acidity, microbiota, etc. At least, that used to be me. The truth of the matter is, it’s pretty hard to …
Did you know that grass clippings make up nearly 20% of the solid waste that collected in communities? And that’s a year round average, not just the summer months. In fact, during summer months the grass clippings of some communities can make up a staggering 50% of collected waste! Now, grass is obviously far more …
Parchment paper is the go-to tool for home bakers and individuals who routinely cooks things in their oven. It turns any pan or dish into a functioning non-stick surface and saves you the pain of having to clean it, especially if your food is greasy or sticks! We all know the feeling of having to …
Watching fires makes you feel alive. If you’re crazy. The thing is, fire is actually a life-giving force for many forests and ecosystems throughout the world. Why is that? It seems common knowledge that some seeds (such as those for pine trees) need fire to open and become viable. But is that the only reason? …