Food Tip 10

Do you make your own compost? I mean, from your leftover vegetables and fruits?

We do, but not in the over-the-top way one might think. If I have a life mantra, it’s probably something about not being worth it if it takes too much time and effort. Hence, our simple composting method:

Back when we purchased the house six years ago I had the bright idea to stop throwing all our garbage to the garbage. I’d heard that organic materials could be used for compost. I like the idea of less waste, a better planet, and reusing instead of re-polluting. Lo and behold, someone was selling a compost bin in the Classifieds (online)!

I purchased and picked up the large, square, black container and we’ve randomly contributed to it since.

When I make dinner with potatoes or soup with celery, I collect the peels and plant pieces and carry them out to Mr. Bin. We also rinse out eggshells and add those, or sometimes dump in small branches from pruning. I’ve added compostable egg cartons before, too.

We’ve stirred and smashed, but mostly leave it (remember the “too much effort” mantra?). There’s a door at the bottom of the black container from which we can retrieve the broken-down bits of green and brown waste –compost.

It’s like magic, plus I feel like Supermom. The kids learn to put their banana peels out back and then love to pull the compost for their vegetable-planting in the spring.

 

©2019 Chelsea Owens