Want to Compost?

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Is anyone out there in need of compostables?

I realize this is an odd thing to offer, but I'm vegan and have a voluminous farm share so the bulk of my trash is compostable. I do not have a bin/pile and my liberal guilt over usable stuff going to waste is getting to me, so I thought it might be possible for somebody else to use it. Maybe arrange a pick-up/drop-off once a week or so? No orts, just the "clean" stuff generated during food prep.

When I volunteered at Kripalu a couple of years ago, they'd collect the peels, cores, and such from veggie prep to feed local livestock, so this sort of thing isn't unprecedented, anyway.

And to make this post more generally useful: For folks who don't know, the City of Somerville offers residents the Earth Machine composter for $25.

Comments

[cutieperson]

you're welcome to put the scraps on ours whenever you want :)

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Ooh, didn't know you had one! Though if I did know, I'd probably figure you had plenty to go in it. :)

[cutieperson]

we do, but that doesn't mean it can't support more. Ro drops stuff occasionally, as has another friend.

it's in the back, by the fence, in between the tree and what may appear to be another tree but is really a pole overgrown with ivy. of course, i can also point you at it if you come over.

[kissoflife.livejournal.com]

I'd be up for dropping my scraps in/on as well, if that'd be cool.

[cutieperson]

sure :)

shoot me an email (can be found on my info page) and i'll give you the address!

[ifotismeni]

oh awesome! i was wondering about a compost bin, thanks for this!

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

This won't apply to all your waste, but I put most of my vegetable scraps into a container I keep in the freezer (peelings, stuff not gone off, but that I don't really want to eat, cores, ends, etc.). When the container is full then I dump it all in the crock pot with some herb and make stock.

[gwodder.livejournal.com]

Calling it "Liberal Guilt" seems unnecessarily divisive to me and it suggests that not-wasting is somehow a 'liberal' attribute, why not call it earth-resident-guilt instead.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, in this country, environmental issues are political issues that do divide left and right.

But in this case, I was just trying to head off anyone who might be tempted to make fun of me for the request. :)

[la-ti-da.livejournal.com]

how does the bin work? does it take up a lot of space / smell bad / etc?

[denonymous.livejournal.com]

Not sure if it's an appealing idea to you, but dani_namaste gave us the idea to toss all the odds n' ends from cooking -- garlic and onion skins & ends, carrots, you name it -- into a large Ziploc freezer bag and keep it in the freezer. Once full, dump it into a big pot of water and make vegetable stock that's bound to be a little different every time. We do that, freeze them in quart containers, and use them to make risotto, brown rice, and (hopefully soon) various soups.

Of course, potatoes and lettuces aren't the greatest candidates for something like this. I imagine you'll still have a good amount of unusable waste, especially with a vegan diet.

[portlandrain.livejournal.com]

I had contacted the Somerville Community Garden about whether or not someone could pick up compost. She said they didn't have anything formally organized yet, but she was sure that someone could if I called them when the bin started getting full. Maybe if others write, they might be able to get a compost pick up day (like garbage pick up) organized?...

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Hey, if the Growing Center wants it, I could be convinced to collect and then drop off with them. Good thought.

(Although as the summer's progressed, I'm feeling more and more like I should get my own. But not the one they the city sells, something easier to deal with, I think.)