#4 Start a compost pile

So, when you are in the kitchen, preparing something to eat, and you have left over vegetable peels, fruit rinds, melon innards, egg shells, or onion skins, what do you do with them?

Most of us will admit tossing them in the trash is sort of appealing.

That's right. You're in a hurry. You want to clean up (or seem like you did) and you need to get rid of it. So you toss it in the trash. With everything else. With the newspaper, with the plastic bag the cucumbers were in, with the casserole Aunt Louis left a month ago and you never got around to eating.... Sounds lovely. Job done.

We all do it.
Or we all want to do it.

If you are older than about 30 that's generally what you do. Unless (a.) you grew up with hippy freak parents, (b.) you grew up on a farm, or (c.) you actually have gotten hip to composting.

I'll confess here.

I don't fit into any of these, but I try to compost.

I mean to compost.

I really WANT to compost.

I have a garden ready for compost.

I have a compost receptacle that sits just outside my kitchen door in the garage (because Husband did not want it in the kitchen counter).

I am really good at filling it and taking out and putting it into the compost pile... until I am not.

And then I suck at it. I truly suck.

Yep. Coffee grinds go down the drain (do you know how much earthworms absolutely ADORE coffee grounds? I've seen earthworm sonnets to coffee grounds. Ok. I lied. But I still think that would be pretty cool, and honestly, I think earthworms writing sonnets would be sort of awesome, especially when they are hopped up on coffee grounds.)

And yep, sometimes perfectly wonderfully nutritious compost ends up in the trash. BUT that is such a waste!

Why?

1. the vegetable matter that ends up in the trash makes your trash really stink (funky old broccoli has a stench that could wilt the boys locker rooms in a high school without air-conditioning in Texas) Neighbors will talk about how bad your trash smells.

2. the stinky vegetable wastes then end up in land fills, after it gets hauled there. So fuel is burned getting it there, and then it creates all sorts of stinky greenhouse cases (methane) once it's there.

3. Those same stinky vegetables waste/fruit rinds/banana peels and coffee grinds are chock full of nutrients your garden craves. Yes. Seriously. Plants are sort of cannibalistic that way if you think about it. They love to eat the corpses of those who lived before them. And earthworms love coffee grinds. And when you mix the stinky waste with dirt the smell goes away. Yes. Really.

So get with it and start a compost pile!

It's not that hard, it's not that tedious, it will not smell bad if you do it right.

Composting isn't hard. It's just a matter of keeping up with it.

So, now that you are ready to start a compost pile there are some things you need to think about:
Where will you do it? What kind of compost pile will you have? How much effort will you put into tending it?

These are not too hard to figure out. If you life in an apartment, you will not be too likely to put a compost heap in your window. If you live in the suburbs, a compost inside some sort of container may work well. If you have more space, a compost heap may be all you need. But you can manage to compost in all those.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/vermicomposting.htm

For the apartment - vermi-composting may be your best bet. This uses earthworms in a box to compost for you. This is a very enthusiastic article on how to do this, and most of what you need to know to have a happy compost system set up. If you don't live in an apartment, this is also a great way to go, if space is limited and you don't get icked out by worms. (Don't! Worms love coffee and write sonnets about coffee grounds, they are hermaphroditic, and they have magic poop. Seriously, what is not to love?)

A general, middle american suburban compost can be made easily out of 4 balls of straw or hay (not pine straw) and a wooden pallet. Go ahead and get an extra bale of hay or straw to get started. Put it out at the edge of the yard, away from too much traffic, or and not next to water sources. The four bales can be put end to end to create a donut shape with a hole in it. Keep the bales bound by the twine. The shipping pallet rests of top to keep dogs and other pesky critters out of it, but let's rain in. Take the extra bale, undo the twine, and set it nearby. You'll want to pull off a couple of "flakes" and loosen them, and put them at the bottom of the donut hole. Then start putting kitchen compost in and cover it up with a handful of straw from your spare bale overtime you do it. Soon, you'll notice that the food waste is starting to break down and the straw of hay is too. Excellent! Now start mixing in the waste as you go, usually with a small shovel, and again topping it off with more straw. The idea here is that the compost will break down, the outer bales keep moisture and temperature comfortable, and it is usually good for 6 -12 months depending on where you live. Once the outer bales break down you'll have a strong compost pile going build another one right next to it, the same way.  You can let the first one rest for a while and turn it every few weeks. The dirt in that will be great to add to gardens and around trees for mulch and fertilizer. You can even add some worms if you like. There are a lot of variations on this method, but the nice thing is this is low maintenance and can have some lovely results. This article is about how to do it on a slightly larger scale.

You can also do it on smaller scale too in a plastic storage bin. http://organicgardening.about.com/od/compost/ht/storagecompost.htm But I'd want to add worms. Worms are awesome, write sonnets and love coffee. What's not to like. Did I mention they have magic nutrient rich poo? Yah-huh!! They sure do!

If you live on a lot of land, and don't have a compost already, you can build a bigger version of the straw bale depending on how much waste you generate. Bears, dogs, wild coyotes, foxes, armadillos, opossums and raccoons will enjoy the pile, so you might want it a ways from your house. and if you mix the waste in fast, it can reduce unwanted visitors.

A few things about compost piles to remember:

Plant waste good. Animal waste bad.
If it grows or has been green, it's okay. If it walked, moved, swam, or flew, no. And no, you don't want to put cat litter, dog, cat or human poo into compost. Just no. Cow, horse, rabbit, goat and deer poo is okay. Not pig. Essentially, animal poo is okay if they eat plants only. But otherwise, it introduces what you don't want into your compost.

Oh and egg shells are fine. The worms say they goes well with coffee grinds. Helps add calcium to magic worm poop. It's a total win win there.

We will talk about composting toilets another time, but for now, let's stick to waste from plants and worm poo. That makes the best compost for you!!

And by the way, once you have your compost composted - it makes for some EXCELLENT gardening dirt!! Seriously, some of the best stuff around.

More on that soon.

Now, I need to go empty my compost, and start peeling some vegetables.

HAPPY COMPOSTING!!

# 3 CRITICAL: GET FIT

When talking with folks about adapting to climate change, one question I frequently get is: What is the ONE thing that I can do right now to prepare myself for climate change?

My response: GET FIT!

This often surprises people. Which is okay.

Most people don't see the linkages between climate change and personal fitness, at least until they are climbing a latter, in a wind storm, while hauling a tarp to cover the massive hole in the roof that the neighbors tree gauged during a a storm and there are more storms coming in the next few hours. And doing this in the dark makes it even more challenging. 

Most people don't seem the link between climate change and needing to walk three miles to get food and water because the roads are not passable due to wash outs and flooding. And then trying to haul all that back 3 miles.

And I am guessing most people really don't think about the strain being out of shape puts on their family, friends, and neighbors who will be kind enough to help with a tarp or hauling food and water.

Getting fit does not have to mean going to the gym for hours on end day after day. It does not mean training for a marathon. It means being physically strong enough to haul your own body for a sustained period of time in difficult conditions. 

Think of it this way - you need to have a mix of strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance abilities (cardio-vascular and mental) to adjust to and adapt to rapidly changing situations around you.

Our ancestors 2,000- 3,000 years ago did not have gyms or cross fit. They had everyday life. Our paleo-hunter-gatherer ancestors didn't have much in the way of carbs. In the event of extreme climate events, and rapidly adapting to shifts in environmental conditions, our ancestors would kick our rotund, soft, squishy, couch encumbered butts. 

Getting fit is a journey you can start right now, today. Go for a walk, lift some weights, challenge yourself. Go visit DAREBE.COM for some quick great tips to get started, that focus on getting fit and staying alive longer. 

You'll be glad you did. 

And even if you don't have to haul a tarp up a ladder in a windstorm in the dark, at least you will still be more fit than you are right now. So get to it!

Know where our food comes from

All too often we forget to think about where our food comes from.

OKay, sure, it comes from the grocery store. Need food? Go to Kroger, Public, Aldi, whatever. Buy food. Now we know where it comes from. What's the big deal?

Nope.

Fine, go to McDonald's, Burger King, Barbaritoes, call Papa John's. Problem solved. Right?

Nope.

So what do we mean "Know where our food comes from?"

Well, before it was at Kroger, before it was at Papa John's, where did it originate?
(No, not the central distribution warehouse, ORIGINALLY)


Let's take what the average person in the US (me at this point) has for breakfast:
Oatmeal made with soy milk and topped with walnuts and syrup, orange juice, banana, coffee with cream and sugar.

Oatmeal likely is grown in the Minnesota, South Dakota, or Wisconsin. Soy milk, made from soy beans likely grown in Illinois or Iowa. Walnuts from California. Maple syrup from Canada. Orange juice from Florida, bananas from Costa Rica, cream from a dairy probably within the southeastern regional for my coffee from Tanzania (that's in east Africa).

The closest origin of my breakfast is the cream for my coffee. Nothing else is vaguely local. The most critical part of my breakfast (COFFEE) comes from the other side of the planet.

And that's just breakfast.

Adapting to climate change means adapting to shifts in local climates, it means adapting to shifts in climates EVERYWHERE. A drought or a hail storm in the midwest, a cat 5 hurricane in Florida, invasive species in costa rica, or God forbid any thing in Tanzania, and my breakfast changes.

I can substitute some items for others, but if these areas are impacted, likely others will be too. And probably not in a good way.

100 years ago breakfast would have been from much more local sources. If major shifts in climate happen quickly, it might have to again. Local eggs, fried sweet potatoes, chicory coffee... Not too bad.

Right now, I don't have to change, thank heaven's, but remembering where my food comes from, puts the specter of climate change in a different focus. I can change too. I can adapt.


But am I ready for that?
Probably, except for the coffee.

And that will be a serious crisis.


All information  on crop sources from:
US Dept. of Agriculture: http://www.usda.gov/nass/PUBS/TODAYRPT/cropan15.pdf

Adapting your yard - Fruit Trees

If you are thinking of adding something special to your yard, go with fruit!

Fruit trees can provide pollen for bees, increase available food sources for local wildlife, and provide you with fresh, accessible, delicious nutrients.

I have a friend in rural Azerbaijan. More than fifty years ago his father planted an acre of fruit trees of all varieties. Today this man's children, grandchildren and great grand children feast on fruits from this orchard almost year round. The fruits are so good, and you can taste the love and sunshine in each bite. It is a wonderful legacy to him, and a gift to his family.

Look for local species that are well suited for the climate and micro-climate of your yard. Ideally, you want something that is native to your area, will drive WITHOUT extra water, fertilizers, fungicides, and pesticides. A good fruit tree will provide shade, habitat, color, and lots of fresh fruit. Talk to your local county extension agent about the best variety for your yard and plant several trees if you can.

Be sure that it is a fruit you like, you will hopefully have a lot of it in for years to come!

Climate Change, the Zika Virus, and You

Climate change is expected to have some wide ranging impacts we don't think of immediately, but could have some very immediate and personal implications for each of us. 

Climate change is not only about severe storms, debilitating droughts, and other extreme weather events. It is a shifting of climates over the longer term, so that areas that were once prone to annual freezing have milder winters, or some areas that were once dry are more humid. Initially that does not sound bad at all, especially in the middle of winter storm season in the US. 

However, this can also mean that disease prevalence can shift as climatic conditions for critters that carry the diseases also shifts. This means that species of ticks and mosquitos that normally could not survive (or thrive) in some areas are now becoming more established in the US. This is know as "changes in vector ecology".

http://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), UN World Health Organization (WHO), and now many universities, research centers, and others are increasingly confident about the direct impacts these changes in climate will have on human populations. Being scientists, they often do not draw immediate cause and effect relationships because of many variables that can impact human health. However, the evidence that climate change shifts the vector ecology is becoming more convincing.

Most recently, the Zika virus has surfaced in Brazil and Latin America, spread mainly by mosquitoes, and is having tragic impacts on families. Thousands of babies born in Zika affected regions have the birth defect microcephaly. The exact link of microcephaly to the Zika virus is not 100% certain yet, but the impact of the potential linkage on health care workers, family members and pregnant women, the media and general public is growing daily. 

While the Zika virus has been around since 1947, the spread and the linkage to birth defects is growing rapidly. The symptoms of the virus are minimal. Any symptoms that occur can be easily mistaken or overlooked when someone is infected. According to recent news reports, roughly 500,000 - 1,500,000 cases of the Zika virus infectious outbreak have occurred in Brazil. And it is spreading very quickly. 

We know it exists. We know it is spread by mosquitoes. The current spread of the disease shows us that the infection, and impacts are increasingly serious. 

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pan American Health Organization

Credit: Alyson Hurt/NPR For a detailed report on the history of the spread of Zika please visit NPRs "Goats and Soda" 

With winter firmly upon us, most in the US are not too worried about mosquito borne viruses. Yet soon it will start to warm up, and mosquitoes will be our outdoor companions once again. And for those of us who are having milder winters today, we might have more close encounters with these little blood suckers, and their diseases, than we used to. Thanks to climate change.

So what can we do? How can we adapt?

To start with the US CDC has some great immediate recommendations at: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html, including these nifty informational posters:

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/fs-posters/index.html

While the particular species of mosquitoes that spread this virus are not prevalent across all of the US, the established populations are prone to spread as climate change continues to march forward.

And we have to adapt.

We also have to recognize that humans, as a species are also vectors for diseases and illnesses that we carry as we zoom around the planet. But more on that another day...