Organic farming always is when you know how to use nature as it is.

As our knowledge of the harmful effects of agricultural chemicals grows, more and more farmers and consumers are rediscovering their organic history, returning to the methods of old, such as plucking insect pests and weeds by hand and hoe, and amending soil with natural fertilizers—compost. The joy in growing your own food is the joy in savoring its delicious flavor and in providing good food for others to enjoy. Discover how to rebuild your garden with an organic foundation and produce the vegetables, fruits and herbs that will nourish your family and the families of those who purchase your produce.
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From kitchen waste to rich compost

More than half of what we carelessly throw into the trash is organic matter, which if composted, can produce rich top soil for our plants. Unfortunately most of us do not segregate our dry waste from wet waste, which makes composting impossible. The precious wet waste, what can potentially become black gold remains unusable junk inside our landfills. Food waste is a growing area of concern with many costs to our community in terms of waste collection, disposal and greenhouse gases.

 kitchen waste

When your rotting food ends up in landfill it turns into methane, a greenhouse gas that is particularly damaging to the environment. Food waste costs you money and also wastes the valuable water and energy resources used to produce the food. Composting your kitchen food waste is easy and requires little time, effort or space, depending on which system you use. The compost is invaluable for the soil in your garden or potted plants: It's a complete and natural food for the soil, helping to improve its structure, water-retaining abilities and overall health.

Landfills are not the ideal environment to create compost, since food waste is made toxic by the plastic and metal waste. Further waste gets piled up everyday like a mountain and the layers below are cut off from oxygen. Kitchen waste is high in moisture and has very little structure once it has decomposed. Add a supply of dry material, such as cardboard, scrunched-up paper, coarse twigs and stems to stop the compost heap collapsing in on itself and becoming slimy. Wine corks, party hats and streamers can also be added to the compost heap, as can tissue paper, which biodegrades quickly. 

 landfill waste

Cardboard packaging from food and gifts can also be composted. In most cases we wish to be able to just store away, take away and throw away the waste. Like in all kitchens you will see wastepaper baskets, bins and bags to sort and store all that stuff that always seems to magically appear. Composting food scraps at home is one of the most important aspects of home composting. Food scrap items such as vegetable and fruit waste, meal leftovers, coffee grounds, tea bags, stale bread, grains, and general refrigerator spoilage are an everyday occurrence in most households.

Not all food waste is created equal. You should know this or else you may have problems popping up in your compost bin or pile. Do not compost meat or meat waste, such as bones, fat, gristle, skin, fish or fish waste, dairy products, such as cheese, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, grease and oils of any kind. Composting is great for your garden, but unless you have a compost bin on your counter it can attract flies and stink up your kitchen. Compost pails come in all different sizes, styles and prices, so it is easy to find one that matches your home decor while still being functional.

 kitchen waste composting

With a compost pail on your countertop, you don’t have to worry about emptying your scraps into your outdoor compost bin or pile after every meal. You can let the scraps build up during the week without worrying about attracting flies, pests and bad smells into your home. It wouldn’t really be stretching the truth to say all you need are a shovel and a patch of dirt for kitchen waste composting. Dig the scraps at least 8 inches down and cover them with dirt so animals aren’t tempted to feast on them. Chop up the scraps with a shovel or spade. Smaller pieces have open surfaces for anaerobic bacteria to attack. This makes composting a faster process.

Composting requires warm temperatures at least 160 deg F (71 deg C), moderate moisture, and space to turn the pile. You can really make kitchen waste composting as simple or as complex as you want. The end results are finer with multiple bins or a rotating tumbler, whereas piles on the ground or mixing into garden beds yields more robust and chunkier compost. Kitchen composting can also be accomplished in a worm bin where the little guys eat their way through your debris and deposit moist worm castings for fertilizer and soil amendment.

 indoor worm composting

Yes, do consider using worms to turn our kitchen waste into garden fertilizer by using indoor worm bins. You don't ever have to take your garbage outside; you don't need to horde bags of leaves; and the castings produced by the specialized redworms in these bins are superior to even the best yard waste compost. You buy the worms, build or buy the bin, fill it with bedding and then add your garbage to a certain section. When that area is done, you push it to the side, harvest the finished castings, put in fresh bedding and keep on keeping on. There are many styles and sizes of bins out there and they don't smell!

Pacu Jaya

Pacu Jaya

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