Okay, it’s confession time. I’m directionally challenged, but I’m getting out my maps of the world. Will you be my witness and travel companion? From Georgia to Gallup, Greece to Gibraltar, I’m determined to go to my grave without taking another wrong turn.
Yee-haw!
The kooky-cool city of Austin, Texas, has just spurred a city-wide composting program that’ll collect compostable kitchen waste from your curb …
(with the tip of a hat and a thank you, ma’am).
Austin Resource Recovery recently launched a one-year pilot program called Curbside Organics Collection, and so far, they’re bagging a bounty.
In the past month, 7,900 random households around the city started hauling weekly collections of organic waste—stuff like food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings—to their curbs. Pilot participants each received a 96-gallon cart to use for curbside compost collection as well as a food scrap container to help with the collection of leftovers in the kitchen.
What does the city do with the salvaged scraps?
“Organic materials collected at the curb are turned into nutrient-rich compost, mulch, and garden soils specifically designed for central Texas!” cheers the city’s website. “Collecting organic materials at the curb will keep greater amounts of valuable materials out of our landfills, reduce harmful greenhouse gases, and help Austin get closer to Zero Waste by 2040.”
Specifically, the sundry scraps are carted off to Organics by Gosh, where they are brewed into “black gold” (compost, of course) that will be sold for use in local lawns and gardens. The cycle from curbside waste to compost takes about a year.
Photo by Kessner Photography via Wikimedia Commons
“Austin Resource Recovery manager Richard McHale ultimately hopes to expand the curbside pick-up of organic waste city wide within the next three years,” reports Mother Nature Network.
A number of other cities across the United States are beginning to offer curbside compost collection service, so it’s worth a call to your city hall or waste management service to “get the scoop” for your neighborhood.
Winnie Nielsen says: I understand Austin is a pretty progressive place to live. This project could help many people trying their hand at some home vegetable growing!!
Dana says: I suppose they have rules about yard wastes. wouldn’t it ruin the compost if someone has applied chemical weed killer to their grass, and then adds it to the bin to be used as compost?
Here’s what we see from our office window that inspires us. Thank you for stopping by and for giving us this opportunity to share. Come again! What’s a sunset if you don’t have somone to share it with?
Wow, I breathe easier and feel happier just looking at this beautiful pic! Thanks for sharing!
Judy Jones-McCown #905 says: I love this picture! It seems to go on and on and ……
Thanks for sharing the view!
I would eat this. no question. Looking at this delicious photo I’m unsure if it is a pudding or is it a chillover dish? or maybe it is just gorgeous berries in a pool of lovely cream? Whatever it is. I’m in.
MaryJane says: It’s a shot of yogurt just before we served our B&B guests.
Winnie Nielsen says: Love these pillows!!
Matchmaking for farmers?
I don’t know about you,
But I’m picturing …
a fellow in his finest overalls,
a gal in gingham,
Cupid’s …
pitchfork?
Come what may …
(dare I say?)
A roll in the hay!
Okay, enough, enough!
As it turns out,
Matchmaking for farmers is all about land:
Who needs it?
Who has it?
And, can we create a connection?
The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) is determined to make it happen via their new website, Farm Lease Connection.
“When we started this program, we did sort of jokingly refer to it as ‘eFarmony,'” Marilyn Anthony, PASA’s eastern region director, told NPR.
Anthony is something like,
well …
Terry Steinmetz says: This sounds like a great thing for all interested parties. Way to go.
Winnie Nielsen says: It’s is going to be a very practical help to PA residents who are negotiating living on a farm or preserving land for the future. Every state needs such a go to place, in my opinion.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
Looks like the ice and snow are receding. Could it be that Spring is not so far off for you?
More snow today. Just back from a glorious winter walk.