Composting: Freedom from the Ground Up
Grow your own freedom!
In the warming months of Spring, every gardener and farmer moves at a faster clip of activity; busy turning soil, transplanting seedlings, and hoeing rows of earth which will, with time and care, provide nourishment, beauty, and personal gratification. American culture is currently experiencing a revival of small scale farming and backyard Victory gardening thanks to the new-wave Depression and high unemployment rates. Over processed foods, plastic packaging, the elevation of diabetes, obesity, cancer, microwave dinners, “made in China” and the swift erasure of small scale farmers in America by a handful of huge corporations have raised enough red flags in our society. As a result, citizens are more aware of the importance in playing an active, conscious role when it comes to the food they eat and becoming personally involved with growing and buying organically.
Like all things worthwhile, growing plants takes time and care. While buying bags of pre-fabricated compost, fertilizers, and mulch at your local hardware chain may seem like a good way to jump-start your garden – there is a better way. Creating or obtaining free compost for your garden will save you tons of money and you will have the satisfaction of knowing exactly what your plants are drawing their nutrients from. Compost is organic matter which has decomposed and is full of friendly microorganisms, nutrients, and minerals. You can obtain free or cheap compost from farmers or by searching your city's website, as often park leaves, grass clippings and Christmas trees are recycled into compost or mulch.
There are many ways to create your own compost and therefore, many types of compost to choose from if you are buying or obtaining from a third party provider. Here is a list, starting with composting methods that are more ideal for home gardening and finishing with methods more suited for full-scale farming, where space and resources are not an impediment.
Vermiculture: Create a worm bin with damp, shredded newspaper and dump all kitchen and yard scraps into it daily. You can keep a small one under your kitchen sink and a larger one outside (in the shade) for your yard. Use any plastic bin and make sure there are air holes for ventilation around the top of the bin, with a secure lid, in a cool shady place. The worm castings, or worm poop, is the stuff garden dreams are made of. Empty the bin of it's “black gold” by tempting all the worms to one side with banana peels and wait 24 hours before emptying the compost into your garden. Refill with damp shredded (non-glossy) newspapers and continue. Only plant (veggie, fruit, yard) matter should be fed to the worms. As a rule, never put any meat, bones, or animal flesh into your compost because it attracts the wrong kind of bacteria and pests, ruining the rest of your stash.
Pre-fabricated compost bins: The are a wide variety of plastic compost bins available to buy which takes the think work out composting. There are models of all sizes and persuasions, which allow you to dump your vegetal matter in, rotate, and presto! You've got compost!
Building your own compost bin: With a little wood or wire, it is easy to construct vessels to compost your fall leaves, grass clippings, weeds, coffee grounds, tea leaves, and kitchen scraps. If you have large areas of dead leaves, use chicken wire or similar wire fencing to create a barrel. Rake and stores the leaves or grass clippings inside this wire barrel and periodically turn to keep aerated. Place a piece of cardboard, newspapers, or a carpet scrap on top of the pile for faster composting and to ensure that rainfall doesn't suffocate friendly bacteria or wash away the nutrients. Building a three compartment composting bin is as easy as 1,2,3! Try sourcing out some recycled plywood and 2 x 4's before heading to the lumber yard. Chances are, you'll be able to come up with some materials that you can turn into a 3 part compost bin without having to spring for new wood. Basically all of your new scraps go into the first bin and once full, you flip it over into the second bin. Again, once the first bin is full, flip the second bin over into the third bin which is the receptacle for finished compost. Composting requires air, warmth, water, and good materials. Compost should always be damp, not wet, with plenty of air and drainage. Keeping a carpet scrap, black tarp, or other cover over your compost piles will “cook” it faster and keep unwanted rain out. Too much water will drown the enzymes and bacteria required for decomposition. Adding fresh kitchen scraps to the center of your compost pile in the first bin is good policy to keep animals away. The center of any compost pile is always the hottest, reaching temperatures of up to 120 degrees, which is why rotation is required to incorporate and breakdown the cooler, outsides of the pile.
Manure composting: Composted animal manure is extremely good for your garden, it is odorless and broken down into a crumbly dream come true for your plants. If you have horses, cows, alpacas, chickens, goats, or any kind of animal – collecting the manure into a pile and throwing a black tarp over it will yield impressive results in a shorter amount of time. Left alone, manure breaks down within 1-2 years. Placing raw manure into your garden is not really a good idea, you need to make sure it is broken down into compost first, otherwise you may risk burning your plants. Adding vegetable matter, and wood ash to a manure pile will also speed up the process. If you don't have farm animals but, would like to obtain manure, ask your local ranchers, farmers, and zookeepers or do a search for free manure. Often they are more than happy to part with it for free but, a small token of thanks is always good manners.
Biodynamic composting: A method developed by Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf schools, which involves inoculating the compost pile with a homeopathic dose of specially prepared teas. It may be a little far out to some people but, biodynamic composting and farming is organic and holistic – addressing not only the physical aspects of the plants and the soil but, also their energetic properties. If you are interested in learning more about biodymanic composting, I'd recommend reading Steiner's book, Agriculture, and attending a workshop – as it is somewhat complex. Many wineries and organic farmers are turning to biodymanic methods. While there is a learning curve, the superior results and labor requirement make biodynamic farming very attractive in the long run.
Happy gardening and have fun being creative! Get involved with your food and avoid purchasing materials through chain stores, there are plenty of free or low-cost local resources for you to make your garden great this year! If you find that you have a surplus of produce this summer, start trading for your coffee, meat, milk, eggs, fish or other items your household requires. Trade with friends and establish relationships with local farmers, ranchers, craftsmen, and vendors at your local farmer's market. Trading your produce or your compost on a regular basis will save money, strengthen your community ties, improve the quality of life, and encourage real communication between you and the rest of your community about the things that matter.
Ultimately, by making your own compost, growing your own food, and trading with others for their goods - is a nod to freedom. The further we can all get away from working to buy things from other people and rely on the system, the freer we become. The citizens of America have become the farm animals of a capitalist fueled goverment - who feeds us, sickens us, slays us, trades us, watches us (microchips us) and ultimately profits from us - whether we live or die. Revolt by being healthy, by being independent, by talking to your neighbors and to the members of your community and as much as possible, do-it-yourself = empower yourself. Start from the ground up and trade with the people in your community. Garden and grow your own freedom.
