Green Resolution: Composting (with inspiration from Liza)

Composting is no longer just for farmers!!

We all have food scraps, no matter how much we lick the platter clean--banana peels, carrot tops, apple cores, egg shells, and the like.  Just think, 30% of our U.S. wastestream is made up of food we throw out. Then, there's the other waste we can compost like leaves and paper that normally go in the green or blue bin on pick up days. 

By composting you have the opportunity to:

*Free up ever decreasing landfill space.

*Recycle!

*Participate in the process of nature breaking down materials for reuse.

*Get a nutrient-rich salve for your soil.

That's the beauty of composting--it's good for the planet, good for the soil, and good for you.

There are a couple of routes you can go.  You can get a worm bin and have worms do the work of decomposing waste for you--that's called vermicomposting. Then, there's a traditional compost heap/bin in the backyard.  There are also more and more opportunities to compost indoors.  The Happy Farmer compost bin is small enough to fit under your kitchen sink, doesn't have odors, and delivers compost (with the help of bokashi) in just a couple of weeks.

Liza, All Shades of Green's owner, is composting in her own backyard in Israel.  Check out how she's reduced her waste stream by 50% with a worm bin and a compost pile, in addition to recycling glass, plastic, aluminum, and paper.

Liza's food collection in her sink and kitchen bucket:

Her worm bin:

Her backyard compost pile:

Thanks to Liza for showing us how it's done!

And please join us on Wednesday, February 4th, for a composting workshop 

with compost connoisseur, Deborah,

part of the ASOG Sustainability From the Inside Out 

winter/spring 2009 series:

Composting 101: Carrot Tops, Castings, and Creative REuse

Wednesday, February 4th

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

@ All Shades of Green

Deborah's also leading a series of organic gardening workshops in Eagle Rock that are sure to dig into composting as well. 

Please call (323) 665- 7454 or email creativegreen@hotmail.com for more information or to register.