On Composting

Wow, it looks as though we're actually going to have school today. We're starting late, but hey, at least we'll be there. I had considered titling this post "Fair Weather," but considering the temperature is -6, that's too much irony even for me.

Although it's so cold that it's hard to imagine anything thawing enough to actually rot to make compost, I've decided to focus on it briefly. Since I've been dieting, I've been eating a lot more produce, which means I have a lot of vegetable scraps. I try to compost these scraps. It's the ultimate in recycling. We give back the nutrients we've taken from the earth. I use two composting systems. The first one is comprised of two homemade composting barrels that I alternate between seasons. It's really easy to make a compost barrel. It simply requires a rubber garbage can (like those made by Rubbermaid) with lid (preferably one that locks on), a hole drill bit and a regular drill bit. You can find information on how to compost just about anywhere on the Internet.

My other compost system is my dog, Buddy. Buddy is my cooking buddy. I don't think I could find my way around the kitchen anymore if I didn't have him between me and the counter. Buddy is one of my composting systems because he loves my vegetable scraps. He's especially fond of carrot ends, cabbage hearts, and kohlrabi and rutabaga peels. I think he mostly just likes the texture of "eating" the cabbage. He leaves a mess of chewed up mush for me to clean up. He does, however, truly eat the rest of the stuff. Before anyone has a fit and tells me that I can't use dog poo to compost gardens. I know. It's just a joke, but Buddy really does eat the vegetables, and he's very healthy. We should take a hint from him.

I like to think of myself as a gardener, and I have made some beautiful compost, but my gardening attempts over the last couple of years, have pretty much flopped. But this year, I'm determined. I'm going to make some raised garden beds. My dad used to have a raised garden bed, and it is so much easier to garden with one. You have to contend with less weeds, which is one of my issues, and it's easier to bend down to cultivate when they are raised. I'll include pictures of these beds, once I get them made, and if the snow ever melts.