the magic of worm poop

composting
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

long beach offers a free workshop every month on composting, but the class fills up fast. we finally were able to attend one this weekend. a nice introduction to how to compost at home, it makes me wonder why more people don't do it.

the workshop covers what is required for composting, and at the end, you can select from four different bin options at discounted pricing through the city. three require a yard, so we went for the vermiposting bin, which is composting by worms. the bin can be stored inside and doesn't require outside insects or yard matter to help with the process. we still need to order our worms, but it sounds relatively easy to set up, and requires minimal maintenance once set up. the bin costs $45, and for $20 through mail order, you get a pound of red wiggler worms. with all of the trimmings from vegetables and fruits we have, it always seems like such a waste to throw in the trash, so doing this seems only natural.

i found out something interesting through the workshop as well--why long beach does not pick up green bins for composting. apparently, most cities (at least the ones around here) that pick up the green bins don't actually compost the materials they pick up. instead, these go onto the top layer of the landfill where the regular trash goes. unlike other cities, long beach incinerates its trash instead of adding to landfills. there is no composting facility in long beach, and trucking all the composting to a facility would add more to the carbon footprint, they do not pick up the green bins.

from what i gather, it shouldn't smell or attract any bugs if done properly, but i think we will start by keeping the bin on the front porch in the shade. apparently, the resulting fertilizer, a dark, moist soil-like concentrated additive, from the vermiposting is magical stuff for plants. i can hardly wait to get started. who knew worm poop would be so exciting?