Why We Should Avoid Backyard Trash Burning | Eartheasy Blog.
Tag Archives: green
Here leaves, there leaves, nothing but leaves, leaves, leaves!
We made good work on Saturday getting in a bit of yard work before dark by blowing and mulching the leaves in the yard. I mowed part of the lawn and added the bagged cuttings to the garden coffin that has become the compost coffin until spring. I am hoping the leaves will help the composting process over the winter.
Nature's fertilizer.
Hubby got the blower and corralled another heaping pile that he ran over with the mower and added them to my flower beds. To think that last year I did not even consider the leaves as a garden commodity. We ran them over and left them to fertilize the grass, what a waste! This year I am putting my new-found knowledge to use by utilizing every last leave to help in the effort of amending the icky dirt we have in our yard.
- Gold to the gardener.
Putting the leaves to work in you garden is an easy project. You can just add them to your compost pile, whole or shredded. Shredding leaves helps them to break down faster. You can make leaf mold by packing the leaves in plastic bags and letting the leaves break down for 6 months to a year. The leaf mold mixed with the garden soil helps amend the soil and aids in water retention. Read more on how to use leaves in the garden here.
However you choose to use them they are an asset to your garden and a free one at that! Happy raking friends!
Don’t Poo Poo The Doo Doo
Imagine the concept of saving your own poo! ICK! Double ICK! There is a movement (heehee) going on in this department. But the jury is till out on the concept called humanure. You can read all about it here.
The Humanure Handbook – Center of the Humanure Universe 
Given that most of us have a hate relationship with our excretory system, I am pretty confident that this will be not become the norm. But for the truly self-sufficient soul it may be just another way to put the poo to good. From the earth back to the earth. There are a number of ways to utilize the poo, you can purchase a composting toilet.
Save the Earth!
Companies like Outdora sell self containing or full out composting systems for those interested in the humanure concept. There are more primitive solutions such as the old style outhouse that will also work. You can read some interesting history about outhouses @ The Outhouse’s of America Tour.
If you truly have a desire to compost your waste you must check out Joseph Jenkins blog and books on the subject. He appears to be a leading expert on poo uses. He is the author of the book the Humanure Handbook listed above
While this concept may seem foreign to many of us it seems to be the logical conclusion to the ”in the mouth out the pooper “process. And for those who practice it I am sure most adhere to an organic diet by being a vegetarian or a vegan. But it is still important to fully understand the process and not just dump human waste into your garden. We do have many harmful bacteria that can be deadly living in our digestive track. If you follow the rules and compost properly it believed that the good bacteria will kill the bad.
For more information on the process you can also read what Grandpappy Robert Wayne Atkins writes on the humanure movement. 
Happy Dirt!
Columbus Day
Today is a federal holiday to honor Christopher Columbus and the role he played in discovering the America’s. For those of us who need a bit of a history refresher you can check out Myths about Columbus’ Expeditions Dispelled.
Columbus definitely lead a simpler life and while I yearn for such, I am sure glad that I am able to enjoy many of the creature comforts progress has brought us. I do though curse many technologies and blame them for the current madness that has encumbered many fine folks. We have becoming glutinous with no regard to where the by-product of this gluttony goes. Into the trash, creating landfills the size of football fields to dumping all sorts of products down the drain, polluting our water sources. Maybe today is the day to begin taking baby steps to living a more sustainable life.
Click the link above to see what small steps you can take today. Every small effort helps the environment. My personal journey began 2+ years ago. Moving from a condo to a one acre plot has made me somewhat of an urban farmer wannabe. This one acre and several small changes have made me more conscious of every choice I make in my daily life. Today I have a garden that I am fighting with, two 300 gallon rainbarrels, two clotheslines, one homemade wood and one of those umbrella style that I bought at a yard sale. I have wanted to see how that style holds up.
The clotheslines.
A wood chipper to make my own wood chip mulch. The other day I had my 25-year-old, living at home son, out in the yard picking up sticks. After about 1/2 hour he asked “WHY”? All the dead limbs, branches and even pine cones make mulch for my garden beds.
Picked up sticks.
The other small changes I have made
- Big water saver for little $$$.
- Cantaloupe from garden.
So you can see that it is possible to make changes that are simple and fun!
