Stinky business..
How to do compost
In Toronto there is a strike going on in the city. The city worker strike visually hits the hardest by the lack of garbage collection. You really see how much we depend on waste management when no one is picking up our garbage. Needless to say, people in Toronto are angry, and all kinds of allegations and rumors about composting and garbage are being reported.
For me I think this garbage strike reminds us how much waste each household produces. It reminds us to think more about limiting our waste. Before the strike, we started composting. (started in May). I have to say both friends and hubby were skeptical of our garden composting. One of the things they said was that it would attract mice, rats and raccoons. After two months of composting I am happy to report that none of the predictions have come true. No mice and no raccoons have been attacking our compost.
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Instead it has been a wonderful learning experience for us, especially when you have a curious four year old. By doing she learns about the principals of organic waste and that it is turn into soil. I have to admit that she still says, “yuk!”. But it is an important part of outdoor learning and science. She also learns about the different creatures that help to make waste into soil. Another things she learns is how to help take care of the environment. Not in an abstract way, but because Mother Earth needs it. By doing and seeing she is starting to see that everything connects to each other, and we need the nature as much as the nature need us to take action to conserve.
In our Garden compost we only compost garden waste, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and eggshells. We mix everything together and have a compost bin with a lid on. We turn it and usually cover it with a little bit of soil from the bottom of the compost bin to keep the odor under control.
I have just started composting, and we are enjoying it as part of our gardening, with both kids and adult helping out. Needless to say our organic waste is almost nothing and we will get new rich soil because of it. Give it a try, is not as stinky as you think it is!
