Thanks to All Taking Master Gardeners (and Composting) Classes and Otherwise Sharing the Wisdom!

As we ready for 4th of July celebrations, a new way to appreciate that

"This land is your land, and this land is my land.

from California to the New York Islands..." is to indulge in

composting (indoors or out) and

sharing the knowledge as well as benefitting from the 'outputs'

of such a system which can be created

on small or much larger scales, for individuals, groups or commercial uses.

For starters let me share the websites

that I learned of at a free workshop sponsored by The Sharon Conservation Committee 

www.ctconservation.org/sharon-land-trust-inc.

About a dozen people attended many who I know have a longterm

interest and talent in gardening, but a few who were likely intrigued so 

were ready to 'start somewhere' whether with composting or gardening.

The event was held conveniently at the Sharon Town Hall which also has a nice art gallery in its first floor hallways.

Sites to check out include www.uconnladybug.wordpress.com and www.soiltest.uconn.edu.

The speaker gave a comprehensive set of points to keep in mind and had a slide show to help make things 

more comprehensible. After discussing composting organic matter (and steering clear of bones, dairy, meat and

grease which can attract bears or compost raiding animals and slow the process down) 

she covered the basics of Vermiculture (what a bonus) which is about having red

wriggler worms--which can be bought online or gotten from another verimculturist.

 Some people use other types of worms as well, and if you are in the country that likely means from your own yard.

Google for more pointers but in this overview the advice was to house the worms in a dark

plastic bin with holes in it (about a dozen on each side and the top for aeration) 

which are fed small food veggie scraps and basically that gets turned into worm scat (yes, poop) that looks like rich peat moss. 

There's all sorts of magic happening out in nature and we can learn to 

replicate it for our own purposes which may include our health and a cool way to have a hobby and make friends

(with others who share such interests and the friendly critters.)

I may add more details here but the overall idea is to have layers that are 2/3 Carbon-rich 'brown' material such as dried leaves

or grass clippings or even paper towels and some strips of paper.

That forms the largest 'input' into thecompost pile or bin. Either kind of pile or bin

should be secured from critters with fencing or good lids with a block on top.

 The other third of the compost 'input' would be Nitrogen-rich 'green' matter from food and vegetable scraps.

Like making a muffin mix, some stirring and balance of ingredients is needed. Instead of a wooden spoon however,

one likely will use a spade, pitchfork or rolling barrel to mix the compost matter in. 

That will help the wetter nitrogen material mix with the carbon matter and the micro organisms can break the

Carbon and Nitrogen down further. The compost should not be too wet, so if there is a dry spell 

water may be helpful, but the compost should not be too wet

 Happy Studying and Venturing into the Vorld of Vemiculture and Composting... check out the Turtle 

Garden Permaculture Game and Circle of Friends posts online (also on this blog) to think about Design Principles 

for small or larger projects also. Keep in mind not Everything green and natural should be composted-- such as the leaves, 

bark, wood and nuts of Walnut Trees which can contain toxic material (google for more info on toxic plants in general for flowers and 

others plants that seem tame but can be troublesome such as Bittersweet and Multiflora rose, mile-a-minute and kudzu if I am recalling correctly. 

Thanks for doing your part to share with a friend or make a start in that healthier care for yourself, others and the planet ideas and practices..

Practice makes more confident and more connections and progress. In other important news in our area, Saturday morning protestors meet at The White Hart Inn Green

at Route 44 and Rout 41 in the center of Salisbury CT to alert others to the concerns of taking immigrant children from their parents or adult caregivers at the border. There's much

 to learn even about the 'backwardness' that happens in our family courts.

Often children who are abused by their fathers end up being in their custody, against their protective mother's wishes.

See Resolution 72 and consider if the longterm injustice in our courts may have paved the way in part for the 2,000 plus youth to find themselves readly being separated  from their adult caregivers

by a court decree (yet out of  public oversight) More food for thought when turning the compost pile.

Maybe tune into alternative radio stations such as www.noliesradio.org to Consider the Possibiltiies of 

the past which are impacting our present..and of course, the future which is just around the corner at time flies.