charmaine the tan: composting! part 1.

you know the tons of fruit / food scraps you get each time you prepare or finish your meals? every time I see the amount of fruit peelings left after preparing the husband's fruit lunch box, I feel a twinge of guilt as I throw it into the garbage. living in a city and apartment - you don't learn how to recycle your food cos' mostly it goes down the rubbish chute...

photo from http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/

Recycling paper, plastics and other stuff? in recent years, it's SOOO easy - recycle bins are all over the place and there is one literally a stone's throw away ( i have to throw the stone really hard...but yah. you know. very near).

Electronic waste? a bit harder...but a quick google and I found a bin in a nearby community centre!!! :) i rather the items be recycled than collecting dust in my drawers. No use to anyone languishing there...

but FOOD? ney. nothing. na-da. it always goes into the trash (except for the ground coffee beans...those go to my plants!). I read and even you-tubed about composting before but just couldn't get round to it cos'

1. the smell!

basically the idea of food decomposing/breaking down.... you probably know that smell when the rubbish collector whizz by in their machine or when you pass by a hawker centre's waste dispoasal area - WOAH! no thanks!

2. the bin.

WHERE to put it. indoors? YUCK. i rather not. outdoors? okay...i think i can put it somewhere outside.....if unobstructive (i live in a HDB aka pigeon hole in the sky. apartment living doesn't give you that outdoor space where you can safely put it so that the smell doesn't get to you...and the idea of something decomposing....)
AESTHETICS of the bin. Yes, call me shallow, but i realllllyyyy don't get motivated if something's really unmotiviationg to look at.
SIZE of the bin. can't be too big cos' space is limited!

3. the idea

well, you know. the idea of it in general. it's okay to mess it up, but the messing up literally will STINK! and I (or the husband) will have to clean the stinky mess up!

so when I learnt about the Urban Food Farm lessons organized by Edible Garden City, I dragged the poor husband along for 2-days morning lessons over the weekend for the class on composting! (hey! better than sleeping in over the weekend right and someone stuck to the tablet watching tv series?;) )

The lesson was held at Growell Pop up @ Rowell Road. Once you enter the quaint space, you are greeted by a amazing smell. shelves flanking both walls and rows and rows of microgreens! it just smells wonderful especially in the early morning. You kindda feel you stepped into a forest..that kinda scent.

you are greeted by shelves of greens and a wonderful aroma as you step in.

Lesson was about an hour, followed by Q&A and a quick look at a compost heap they had at the back of the shophouse. Much of the info can be learnt online...but you do get interesting info and tips along the way about composting and also gardening in general. the Q&As is also the time where you can bombard the speaker with questions. If you are shy, don't worry - the other gardening enthusiasts will do the asking for you!:) and good questions too as quite a few of them are quite involved in the green movement!

Day 2 was held at Minden Road - Edible Garden City is creating a edible garden complete with huge ass compost bins for a upcoming restaurant 'Community Food Farm'. It would be interesting to go back and see it when it's ready in May/ June! We were taught to make a compost bin using materials around us...and after just an hour in the sun, I was completely depleted...and dying to leave! I absolutely have no stamina....plus i don't enjoy taking instructions esp if it could be done faster and more efficently. As usual the hb had more patience than me and gamely took it as it came...and i was getting grouchy. Yah....i have an attitude at times.

All in all, it was an interesting course. Worth attending if you have the interest and time. Wait for part 2 when i get round to writing as i chanced upon a wayyyyy easier and faster way to compost!