Do the Rot Thing!
Catchy huh? Do the rot thing is referring to one of my favorite hobbies, composting. At first I thought it would be gross, smelly and attract bugs. But, I thought it was the right thing to do with my kitchen scraps. As it turns out, I really get a kick out of it and even with my minimal attention, it hasn't gone stinky yet!
My husband and I are trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. We have learned to be creative and have found many interesting recipes online, keeping vegetables exciting. The thing about it is, once you get done removing tops, coring and peeling, you find you have a lot of waste. We keep a three gallon bucket, with a tight fitting cover near the garbage. Most weeks we fill it once and sometimes twice. When it fills up it's time to dump.
We keep the compost bin around the side of the house near a water spout. Once I dump, I cover the new additions with shredded newspaper; fill my bucket with water, and then, water the compost. Since my yard doesn't have much in the way of big leafy trees; I don't have any dried leaves to add ,so I use newspaper in order to keep a good balance. Compost experts recommend equal parts "greens" and "browns". Basically that's all there is to it.
A few things I've learned.
You can use a bin made for composting, or just dig a good size hole.
Corn cobs, Pineapple tops, Peach pits and Pasticcio shells don't really break down.
Wine corks will, but it takes a long, long, long time. (Okay,I thought it was a clever idea, guess not)
Keep it moist.
Don't add any animal products.
It's a fun family science experiment. Kids will learn a lot and will certainly give new meaning to you are what you eat! They will marvel at how quickly things break down. Have they always wanted a pet but you thought they were still to young for the responsibility? Add red worms to your bin, you can get them at any bait store, and watch them multiply! Perfect pets for families on the go! What other pet can you pull in two and still live? Perhaps I'm stretching ...
The county of Alameda offers tons of information on composting and can supply you with bins at a major discount. They have books and videos for children and helpful tips for you. www.Stopwaste.org. The site will link you into other counties programs as well.
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