It's all Connected

Today I would like to share with you a project that my boyfriend, Mark, and I have been working on since the first of the year.  For New Year's I made a resolution that I would make an effort to live more 'off the grid'.  At the time our economy was showing its weaknesses and I wanted to try out some new ways to be more self-sufficient and live a more sustainable lifestyle.  So I asked for a compost bin, knowing very little about the process, but hoping that it was a good place to start.  What does composting have to do with this events blog?  Well, not much really, but the process has been very rewarding and it's something that I think almost any household can do.  And, like with any good event, some good planning and attention to detail can reap some great rewards!

If you're not too familiar with composting, it is just a way to use your leftover vegetable and garden waste blended with dirt, leaves, grass clippings to create a wonderful, nutrient-rich soil.  Since we already recylce, this means that we only put out a small bag of trash each week.  It was my aunt that had the task of finding the compost bin and she definitely did her research.  Along with the bin, I also got a book called "Let It Rot" that gives me ongoing advice about how to layer my compost, things to avoid, and what to do about common problems.  The book outlines several different compost options, like either a big fenced-in area, or a small contained unit like the one that I got since my yard is not very large.  I also got a tool that helps turn the pile, which is an essential part of the process to help breakdown the organic material.  The only other thing that we added was a bin to keep under the kitchen sink that holds vegetable scraps in between our trips to the compost.

So once the bin was assembled, Mark placed it in the yard in a spot that had good drainage and started filling it with all of the yard debris that we had cleaned up over the winter.  I also weeded out some stuff that had been growing in the garden and threw that into the bin as well.  It was a less-than-scientific procedure but I tried to layer and follow the book's advice as much as possible.  A couple of weeks later, we added in our vegetable scraps and turned the whole pile.   I know firsthand that if you put in your kitchen scraps and don't cover it up after, there will be a stench and bugs in your compost, but nothing that you can't just turn and get rid of (at least that's worked for me).  Other than that there has been no odor or bugs around the compost at all.  I did get brave after a rain and picked up some earthworms to throw into the pile.  That was when I knew that I really was getting into this stuff!

After a few months and some regular turning, the pile was really starting to breakdown into smaller bits and you could smell the rich humus and earth smell.  It made me feel good to know that this waste was turning into something valuable that I could use again and it motivated me to take the next step.  We cleared out some of the flowering items in the garden and made room to grow a few fruits and vegetables.

Let me state here and now that I do NOT have a green thumb.  I bought my house with a beautiful garden that I then let turn into an overgrown jungle and any plants that I have tried to grow inside have all ended in the same demise.  But that didn't stop me from grabbing up several items at the local nursery (all grown in Alabama - another step in being a little more socially responsible).  Well, it turns out that you need a lot of space to grow tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce, cantaloupe, and watermelon. Oops!  Well, we planted it all anyway, since I was sure that something would probably die soon after.

After everything was planted, I was more than excited to open up the small gate at the bottom of the compost bin and see what I had.  I shoveled out some of the blend and it was a good mix.  There were some bits of leaves that were still bigger than I had hoped but the overall consistency was still fine enough to scatter around the base of the plants.  I also threw down a little more garden soil and raked everything into a mix around the plants.  Then we waited, watered, and patiently watched as all of our little plants took hold in the soil.  Now, maybe two months later, we are seeing our first results!  We have lots of green tomatoes waiting to ripen, a cucumber that is really taking off, and the tallest lettuce you have ever seen (seriously, I have no idea what it is doing).  I have already eaten one of the cherry tomatoes and it tasted delicious - like sweet success :)  This summer I hope to share a bountiful supply of home-grown vegetables with my friends and family as well as the best soil that you CAN'T buy!