Compost

It’s not going into the landfill, but it’s not becoming compost either. Dagnabit! I think I’m going to buy a plastic garbage can and make compost that way – the lazy way – to at least get started.

no compost container built. The fruit flies announced “Its time!” to toss the kitchen scraps over the fence. How can I look at this differently so I can be sure I build the container? What’s blocking me?

I washed the can, and I’m just getting used to it, but it’s happening! Yay! I still don’t have the compost container built yet, so I threw the weekend’s kitchen scraps over the fence again. It’s our land, so I’m not messing up anyone else’s. The critters eat it, so it doesn’t go to waste. I’ll try (again) to build the compost container this weekend.

and it shows the compost container I was thinking of making. It’s a portable one too. I’ll use it this weekend and build the container. I so want to be able to put this in the done list, because I’ll be really composting. Also, I’ll run my kitchen compost bucket through the dishwasher so it’s nice and clean to use.

My composting consists of throwing stuff over the back fence into the unused pasture behind the house. Again I’m taking off 2 days annual leave to work on my dissertation, and maybe I can also build that easy compost container, since I won’t be writing 24 hours a day.

and we have all the materials already. On my to-do list for the weekend, I’m putting down the “building” of the compost container – it’s nothing really, just some t-posts and fencing in a square, with a way to open up one side of the square to turn the compost with a pitchfork, plus we need to get a tarp to cover it I guess. Well, we can get it going anyway.

This will be the start. Over time, we’ll probably refine the container and process, but we just need to get started! So what if it’s not Smith & Hawkins perfect in appearance and function. That will come later. The important thing is that I want to quit throwing out compost materials into the garbage. Some stuff, like watermelon rinds, I’ve just been throwing over the fence into the mesquites in the back acreage, to feed the ants.

A bale of alfalfa was wet when we bought it, started to ferment and turn slimy. We had to tear it apart, and it’s in a big heap in front of the feed shed now. DBF and I decided to FINALLY start the compost pile with it, so this weekend we’ll rig something up and start with that old alfalfa. I want something very simple, so I’m getting on the internet to find some plans for the most simple composting in the universe.

I just don’t know how to set it up. Yesterday I tossed out some potato peelings, and thought how much chickens love potato peelings. I’ve got to figure out a way to compost that is easy to set up, easy to do. I know me: if it’s worth doing, it’s got to be easy. At least in some things, in composting anyway, just to get started.