Together: We Compost

Maureen and Steve Demenna are neighbors.  They do not have a suitable area around their house for a composting bin.  We all live close to Hingham Harbor and our land is limited.  They have asked if they could share my composting bins.  They really wanted to participate in composting.

Some mornings when I’m eating breakfast, I see them sharing food scraps with my red wiggler worms.  Kind of neighborly.   I believe that when neighbors share in a common goal, we begin to realize the more we all have in common.

All winter they have been dropping off  their raw food.  Yesterday I harvested the compost in the bin that they were using.  The red wigglers made it through the winter and there were hundreds of them.  The worms are not suppose to survive the New England winter.  I would guess that the increase in the mass of scraps and with Maureen’s coffee grounds, they were able to stay healthy.

I believe that during this pandemic, nature is sending us a message.  Composting is one thing that will reduce chemicals and pesticides in our environment.  Healthy plants do not often get attacked by bugs.  From my experience, if they do, they will survive.

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Big Pharma

Time Magazine:

AMERICANS ARE TAKING 34 PERCENT MORE ANXIETY MEDS SINCE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC STARTED,

I certainly cannot put myself in the position of all Americans or especially for those in impoverished countries right now.  This pandemic is terrible.

I think many of us have to come to the realization that Nature is Angry.  From an environmental stand point, I think internationally we have a lot to be concerned about.

People are stressed and according to Time Magazine, pharmacies are getting richer.  I think many would agree, that if people get out, exercise a little and do something for the environment that some of the stress might go away.

Today there were some posts on A Sustainable Hingham.  Some members took a walk and picked up trash on trails.  My neighbor will sleep well tonight because he was planting trees.  The plantings look beautiful.  I spent some time making Mel’s mix, sifting compost and worm castings.

It is a difficult time for most.  I hope some can find options for stress relief in a holistic way.  For those nurses, doctors, attendants and people working for essential businesses right now; your are the best.  Be safe.

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Worm Composting

We do worm composting.  In the winter some red wiggler worms survive the winter in New England but not so many do well in freezing temperatures.  The part of our basement in the photo has a dirt floor.  Originally we were going to make it a wine cellar.  But the red wigglers are special and so we now have a winter worm cellar.

Red wiggler worms digest 50% of their body mass daily.  In those four bins there are thousands of worms.  Worm castings are very expensive to buy; more expensive than  an inexpensive wine.  A five gallon container of worm castings sells for $75.00.  Many farmers refer to compost as farmers’ gold.  Worm castings in the world of farming are considered to be farmers’ platinum.

Worm Casting are very dense and very heavy.  I mix the worm casting into Mel’s mix which is a blend of peat moss, vermiculite and five different types of compost.  The plants are so healthy and strong that there are no pesticides needed or used in our garden.