is easier than you think

Tramper Truck composting on the move! The breakdown process begins immediately, and it will be easily transferred once home.

By BethAnne Brink-Cox House and Home Feature Writer

When was the first time you heard the word ‘compost’ and what was your reaction? Did you think you wanted to know more, and wanted to try it? Or did it just seem too flower child/commune kind of thing? Well, it’s not.

According to the Compost Foundation, most early civilizations practiced some form of composting by spreading manure and plant waste on fields to improve fertility. The literal definition of composting is “a controlled, aerobic (oxygen-required) process that converts organic materials into a nutrient-rich soil amendment or mulch through natural decomposition.”

Compost isn’t just tossing every little bit of waste into a bucket or a hole in the ground, though. There are certain things you should never add, such as meat and dairy or fatty things. They decompose slowly, smell and attract rodents. Eggshells are all right, but whole eggs are not, for the same reason.

Annette Webb, co-owner of R.A.W. Sustainable Living Worm Castings, knows all about this. She’s so committed to it that while in Texas, on a ‘tramper tour’ with husband Bob for the Austin Marathon, after having decided she’d just throw things away on the road trip she couldn’t stand it.

“I went out and bought a tote and I’m now packing and carrying all the compostable items from our daily diet. We eat lots of fruits and veggies and I just couldn’t stand throwing all that material in the trash. Yep, I’m gonna bring it home and compost it!” When asked if you could add things to the compost year round, she said, “I do, because I don’t want it to go to landfill. It all works out, it freezes in the winter, but it eventually breaks down. Some things are slower than others. We take turns carrying things out when the snow is deep!”

Asked about preparing things for composting, Webb agreed with the way things are done around here (it’s always good to know you’re doing it right).

“Definitely, you can buzz things in the blender, cut them down into smaller pieces, like melon rinds, and crumble the eggshells. Break down anything you can so the compost will break down faster. Help it do its work!” Webb said compost can be used for anything that grows in soil, from houseplants and container gardening to any other size or design of garden.

And while you shouldn’t use dog or cat feces in your compost–this is not the place to empty the litter box–rabbit or chicken manure is just fine. So, too, is worm dirt.

Wondering what that is? Webb will be happy to tell you.

“I worked as a dental hygienist for someone who gardened, and I was asking what the heck, how do you do that, tried what was recommended and then I was all, what the heck–again–did you see how much better my garden is growing? I got to know the owner who was selling the business, and I said, “You can’t sell! I love your worm poop!” “I know, that’s why I’m calling you. Wanna buy the business?”

That business, formerly My Garden’s Best Friend, was renamed R.A.W Sustainable Living. When asked why, Webb said, “I came up with R.A.W because it’s the first letters of our names Robert and Annette. Plus I wanted our customers to know our product was ‘raw’, meaning exclusively just worm castings, no fillers or added ingredients, pure worm castings only.” Worm castings don’t need to be mixed into your compost, though. Webb said they help the plants retain water and grow stronger, and they become more disease resistant. Just a few tablespoons are needed per plant, twice a year on annuals and three times a year on perennials.

Webb said stripping out the garden in the fall isn’t as smart as you might think. “It’s like standing outside naked in the winter! DON’T do it in the fall. Everything is exhausted from the fall feeding frenzy, and they need rest. They’ll go into dormancy as happy little campers, and in the spring, come out well-rested and ready to go. You just cut down things as harvesting is done, but you don’t leave the ground bare. Everything left behind after the harvest will return to the soil, ready for next year’s use.”

Obviously, composting and gardening go hand in hand, and Bob and Annette are passionate about something called a keyhole garden. “Picture the old skeleton keys? The middle is empty, with the plants all around the circle. Except it isn’t empty. That’s where the compost goes, and it’s covered with iron mesh to keep pests away and let in maximum air flow. This way the compost breaks down and returns immediately and continually to the plants all around it. We made one of these for my mom and in the first year she got enough green beans to can 43 pints!” A pint is about the same size as a standard size can you’d buy at the store. Picture a shelf full of home grown and canned green beans in place of 43 cans, and the jars are reused over and over. This is an example of multi-purpose recycling at its very best, not to mention how much better those beans are going to taste. Spring is here–get your gardens ready, and see what you think of composting and worm castings! n