Saturday, March 3, 2012

The guilt trip is over...

I have been on a guilt trip all winter.  Why?  Well, it is a long story.  I got a compost tumbler the first year we were in the cabin.  I had to, the soil up here is solid clay and I needed all the help with amending it I could get.   Every fall it was the same routine.  I would empty the compost around my roses before I tucked them in for the winter.  Then I would move the composter from the garden to the deck.  All winter I would fill it.  It was easy just step out the door once a week and scraps are put to good use.  I grew up on a farm and scraps were never put in the trash, that was wasteful.  They went to the pigs, chickens, or even the wildlife. 

This year I got sidetracked, and the roses didn't get tucked in (another guilt trip in itself) and the composter didn't get emptied, and because it didn't get emptied it didn't get moved to the deck.  Thus, no composting this winter and that has led to a guilt trip.  Every time I put egg shells and such in the trash there was a pang of guilt.  As you can see in the photo, there is no getting to the composter in the winter if it isn't on the deck.  That is the handle you see. 
I needed to do something.  My sister had given me a worm composter.  Since she has pigs and chickens, she has many other options for composting.  Thanks Sis.  It has been in the garage for most of the summer.   I couldn't take it any longer.  I took the step and ordered worms from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm.  They came on Wed.  Poor guys looked a little worse for the wear after their journey.
I quickly got them settled into their new home.  I used dampened shredded paper and some old potting soil.  Then gave them a helping of lettuce and a banana.  They quickly became happy worms.


I check them daily.  They are getting plump and seem to like the new digs.  Today after breakfast I happily put my scraps aside, knowing that they will not go to waste.  I ran the paper through the shredder knowing it will go to good use.  I am not the queen of recycling by any means, but I don't like to toss stuff in a landfill when it could be used to improve the soil.  
 
Happy worms + Happy Bonnie = Happy Plants - Guilt Trip

18 comments:

  1. Please keep us posted on your worm composting! I find it very interesting.
    Beth

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  2. Bonnie,

    I feel you on this. looks like a really good system. Meg would be beside herself without having a compost bin. Just today she emptied Thursday's 5 gallon bucket and Friday's 2- 5 gallon buckets from the school into our compost. I opened one at the bottom and got two shovels of dirt and about 100 worms.

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  3. Well glad you have found your way back to composting sounds like it makes you happy . So no more guilt feeling then hey no ones perfect ! We dont compost much either most of our scraps go to the wild life in the back 40 ! They love it ! Have a good day !

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  4. I seriously hope your worms have a happier ending then mine did....I will see if I can get the water tank up here this spring!

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  5. It's always a good feeling to get rid of that guilt we pour on ourselves, isn't it? :-)

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  6. We need to get a better system for composting here this year. We have a compost bin, but it's not in a good spot at all. Your worms look very happy and I hope they give you lots of good castings for your plants.

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  7. I have projects I haven't gotten to for 2 years...that's a guilt trip! Love your happy little worms and can't wait to see your beautiful gardens because of them :-)

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  8. I was trying to compost, but my chickens got into the pile, and it is now thinly spread all over the place!! That worm compost looks really interesting though...they sure do look happy!

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  9. I think we have had the same guilt trip.

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  10. I started worm composting this winter as well, for the same reasons! I've only had worms for about a month but it seems to be going well so far. Good luck with yours!

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  11. It all gets done.I like the worms, i use a lot through the summer and should give it a whirl

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  12. What is that "new home" made from? I'm so intrigued by all this.

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  13. This is great! Those fat happy worms will make up for your " waste " all winter long! Now guilt necessary!!!

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  14. Ohhh, love the worm farm! I once had a worm farm when I was a teen...we did it so we could go fishing! I have a compost bin...and I haven't been putting anything in it lately either! I feel the guilt too!

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  15. Belo trabalho... Espectacular....
    Cumprimentos

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  16. Interesting I have always wanted to try this, My Hero not so much.:) B

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  17. Those do look like happy worms in that last shot!

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