Compost is a familiar topic for readers of this column and whether you are a current composter or not yet, this might be a good time to review local resources, to remind current composters of their important contribution for the environment, and to share the latest plans to expand composting on the parish campus.
Do you remember that yard waste and food scraps comprise about 30% of what we throw away each week? When that organic waste goes into the land fill, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas, which fires up atmospheric warming. If composted, these organics produce a nutritious substance (compost) that enriches the soil and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizer and for watering.
There are many options available for composting, such as home composting, home pick up subscriptions that then deliver the mature compost, and community composting. You can find reams of information about each type of composting online. For reliable information, try searching fairfaxcounty.gov and Virginia cooperative extension service. On the EPA site, you can find all the details you’ll need to set up home composting. (www.epa.gov/recycle/compost) All Fairfax County Farmers Markets locations collect food waste for compost through the fall, and year round at the main collection spots.
Local vendors that provide curbside pick-up services include Monster Organics, Compost Crew, and Veteran Compost. It might be fun to check out the list of acceptable materials on their sites – some things might surprise you! (e.g. hair, nail clippings, real cork wine corks and more…) The subscription services typically include a twice a year delivery of compost for your garden.
At the parish, Fr. Guest has been composting his kitchen scraps and Care for Creation Ministry volunteers compost at the Senior Luncheons as well as at the annual Parish Picnic. This work uses one of the collection services that pick up the scraps.
Our new venture will include St. Luke school cafeteria by engaging a collection service to collect scraps from daily lunches at the school. The Care for Creation Ministry looks forward to starting this project for the upcoming school year. We just love to see all that food and paper waste converted into nourishing compost for the earth, at the same time, our school children will be engaged and composting will be a normal part of their daily life.
Let us pray that the small act of composting will prompt us to a new way of thinking about our relationships with people, society, nature and God, and that we respect and engage with the circular nature of all creation in gratitude for God’s gifts.
Do you remember that yard waste and food scraps comprise about 30% of what we throw away each week? When that organic waste goes into the land fill, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas, which fires up atmospheric warming. If composted, these organics produce a nutritious substance (compost) that enriches the soil and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizer and for watering.
There are many options available for composting, such as home composting, home pick up subscriptions that then deliver the mature compost, and community composting. You can find reams of information about each type of composting online. For reliable information, try searching fairfaxcounty.gov and Virginia cooperative extension service. On the EPA site, you can find all the details you’ll need to set up home composting. (www.epa.gov/recycle/compost) All Fairfax County Farmers Markets locations collect food waste for compost through the fall, and year round at the main collection spots.
Local vendors that provide curbside pick-up services include Monster Organics, Compost Crew, and Veteran Compost. It might be fun to check out the list of acceptable materials on their sites – some things might surprise you! (e.g. hair, nail clippings, real cork wine corks and more…) The subscription services typically include a twice a year delivery of compost for your garden.
At the parish, Fr. Guest has been composting his kitchen scraps and Care for Creation Ministry volunteers compost at the Senior Luncheons as well as at the annual Parish Picnic. This work uses one of the collection services that pick up the scraps.
Our new venture will include St. Luke school cafeteria by engaging a collection service to collect scraps from daily lunches at the school. The Care for Creation Ministry looks forward to starting this project for the upcoming school year. We just love to see all that food and paper waste converted into nourishing compost for the earth, at the same time, our school children will be engaged and composting will be a normal part of their daily life.
Let us pray that the small act of composting will prompt us to a new way of thinking about our relationships with people, society, nature and God, and that we respect and engage with the circular nature of all creation in gratitude for God’s gifts.