Making a Complex Problem Simple as Dirt (Part 3)

So, here is where you have to decide what is right for you and your situation. (Keep in mind your answers to the Part 2 questions.) Indoor? Outdoor? Hot? Cold? Fancy? Cheap? Recycled? DIY? High maintenance? Low maintenance? The possibilities are pretty vast, and there is indeed something for everyone.

Let's look at some of those possibilities so your idea about compost can be composting nto something good.

Find the whole infographic on Treehugger.

Even more of the Why

Vermicomposting Basics Straight Outa Compton Nebraska (Worms!)

I've deliberately tried this one twice. So far, it has not gone well. Lots of little red wigglers gave their lives in my folly. I still love the idea, but I need to find a way to keep the little guygals at a temp more comfortable and stable than outdoors in Lubbock has to offer.

Super simple composting

Yucky But Useful!

I have actually tried this one, but not on purpose. Last year, I found black soldier fly larvae in one of my two compost boxes. I didn't know what they were until very recently. Who knew? Here I was worrying about the little invaders and had no idea that they were superstars of the composting world. I hope to step it up this year since they help to break down a lot of materials that are normally not acceptable in your compost.

While we do not have may opportunities for municipal composting (except for tree branches and Christmas trees) we do have access to something even better - the Heart of Lubbock Community Garden. Beth (Hi, Beth!) and the crew have a drop-off station at 21st Street and Avenue X here in Lubbock. For those of you who love the idea but don't want to keep up with it, this a great way to go.

Heart of Lubbock Community Garden

(From this rather cool local blog)

Cool Composting sidebar - mealworms eat (and digest) Styrofoam!

 

EPA: Composting at Home (Support the EPA!)

EPA: How to Create and Maintain an Indoor Worm Composting Bin

Little Green Goddess: Composting 101

(Great post for learning more)

Bokashi - brew your way to great compost

The high-tech Mesquite Hugger hot compost system

Happy tomatoes and peppers!

Happy gecko!

As for the Mesquite Hugger home, we do our composting in two shipping boxes turned compost 

boxes. (Have I mentioned that I am super cheap?) We've had great success with very little effort and very little thinking involved. As long as I stay mindful of the green to brown ratio, turn it once per week, and maintain the moisture levels, we get great compost which leads to happy geckos and tomatoes. And really, what more could a Mesquite Hugger want out of life? [Rhetorical answer: Maybe a job with Compost Pedalers where I could ride around on a cargo bike, return carbon to the ground, and keep Austin weird!]

Composter ideas on Instructables

Just in case I haven't thrown enough compost ideas into one post for you, check out all the compost ideas on Instructables. (I love Instructables.)

May something as basic and elemental as recycled refuse lead us all to a better place!

Making a Complex Problem Simple as Dirt (Part 2)

Twenty Ten Club: Pashon Murray

In our last exciting (com)post about compost, you got to meet Pashon Murray and learn of the surprisingly amazingly huge impact that something as simple as composting can have on shrinking your carbon footprint. Composting gives each and every one of us a chance to put released carbon back where it came from - the ground. Seriously cool stuff!

So, this is the follow-up where we look at getting our hands dirty - really, really dirty. [For those of you who really, really don't like the sound of dirty hands, we'll look at some options for you too, but it'll be in the third installment.]

But first, let's get to know you a little better.
So, do you come here often?
Do you eat food?
Do you live near any plants?
Do you breathe?
Do you live in an apartment, a home, or something exotic (like a hippie van or missile silo)?
Coffee, tea, water, or Dr.Pepper?
Paper or plastic?
How do you feel about earthworms? Mealworms? Black soldier flies and their offspring?

If you know the answers to these questions, you'll be better prepared to become a rocking composter.

Then there's two big things to know: what you can easily compost, and the ratio of green stuff to brown stuff.

What Goes In

As a general rule, unprocessed plant-based stuff composts, most animal stuff does not. There are exceptions on both sides, but that'll get you going. [One notable exception, the poop of herbivores (vegetarian animals) is very good for composting, but not everyone has a cow or horse in the backyard.] This graphic will help you with more detail:

Find the whole enchilada here

The Green and the Brown

Great info from Ecoizm: Composting 101

For those of you who want to keep it really simple - go 3:1. The recipe is 3 parts brown stuff to 1 part green stuff. This will help you create healthy and balanced compost. If you're balance is way off, you can end up with some really stinky slimy stuff or a pile of dry stuff that does not decompose into the good stuff. On the other hand, this is not rocket science. Do not be intimidated by composting. Even if you failed chemistry or biology in school. You can do it!

Well, you've made it through another episode of Mesquite Hugger! For our next exciting compost installment, we'll discuss the how and the where, and we'll talk about bugs! I can't wait - how 'bout you? And we'll work on a new hashtag! (#putitbackintheground)

May we be an army of simples fixing a mountain of complicateds!

Making a Complex Problem Simple as Dirt (Part 1)

Around here, we like exploring ways to have a big carbon-reduction impact on a tiny budget. If that appeals to you too, then stick around. We have some life saving to do.

Mesquite Hugger topics mostly focus on reducing the amount of carbon we release into the air (and sea). But this one is different. This post has to do with putting carbon back where it came from - the ground. And it's not some big, fancy, carbon-capture device created by a 16-year-old genius from Huggerville, Ohio. This is something people have been doing (on a very small scale) for a long time. To give you an intro, here is Pashon Murray: (She's so cool!)

The Soil Story with Pashon Murray

"Carbon is not our enemy."

"The problem, and the solution, are a simple matter of balance."

The Pashon Murray Sidebar

I first met (and developed a big-ol' eco-crush on) Pashon in a really brilliant Ford commercial that was an answer to a really obnoxious Cadillac commercial:

Cadillac ELR Commercial

Upside: Anything is Possible

Now wasn't that awesome?!! (It's probably her fault that I want a C-Max plug-in hybrid.)

If you want to learn more about her work, visit Detroit Dirt's website to learn more:

 Detroit Dirt Website

Back to Our Original Focus: (Cliffhanger alert!)

In our next exciting post, we'll talk about how you can get involved where you are in helping to level out the balance! Stay tuned...

Find it here.

May you be part of the solution without having to take out a second mortgage or nearly as much garbage!

World-Famous Scientist, LBK Experts, and a dork at the TTU Museum tomorrow!

One of these three people is speaking at the Texas Tech Museum tomorrow (10/16/2016) at 2pm: (And I am excited about it!)

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe and a couple of dorky guys

If you've never heard Dr. H speak, you could be in for a real treat tomorrow, but you have to get yourself over to the Texas Tech Museum (4th and Indiana). It's a bit ironic that Lubbock [where we work so desperately to convince ourselves that we have nothing to worry about or that there is nothing we can do about it] is home to one of the world's most respected and influential climate scientists.  

Dr. Hayhoe and her unsung colleagues at the Texas Tech Climate Sciences Center offer a clear voice of inspiration, wisdom, and hope in an area that offers lots of sound and fury but little else.

The whole event is in support of the Smithsonian/Chicago Museum of Science and Industry Green Revolution exhibit which is now on display at the museum.

All the info you need

Besides the speaker, the reason that I am excited about this event is that it is designed to offer encouragement and support to local people who want to lead greener lives. From 2:30-4 you can visit booths manned womaned peopled by local experts on a number of topics. You can meet the LP&L guy who is the Mother Teresa of LED lighting, you can meet the Tech Recycling people; you can meet our local authorities on xeriscaping, community gardening, water conservation, wind energy, solar power, and so much more. There's even going to be a dorky blogger there talking about electric vehicles and their ability to help us pollute vastly less while saving money and enjoying the ride! (He might also talk a lot about bicycles, give away a few {tiny} Teslas, and give away three self-promoting t-shirts.)

May the dorky blogger see you there and may we all find new ways to make our world a healthier place!

PS. Personal Carbon Reduction makes me so very happy!

Carbon Munching Garden Pics

Not a lot to say today, so I will let you see how the garden grows.

This is what arugula flowers look like. 

All of the arugula plants exploded this week with tall stalks and flowers.

I (literally) tried drowning my roly-poly sorrows in beer this week. Not one little crustacean was harmed in any way, but I did enjoy the rest of the beer and the roly polies have not shown themselves. Weirdness!

The food-is-free-planter exploded - mostly arugula.

One gecko has returned to the compost box. Stubby, it's always good to see a friend!

The big honking celebrity tomato stays green.

Three little sweet peppers!

The front-porch planter fit right in.

It's hard to beat a squash flower for a final pic!

Quick and unpictured:
The new pallet garden is struggling so far. Probably a poor compost to soil ration - I overdid it with the compost.
I am learning that ollas are my favorite approach to gardening. If you garden in a dry place - try it!
Hoping to build two more pallet-lumber raised beds for the front yard soon.
Planted black garbonzo and calabacita seeds this week. Hope!
The romaine and celery still show great growth daily.

May you know the joy of growing your own!

I'm Digging this VermiCompost Idea (Literally and Pun Intended)

I hate to admit it, but I am a miserable failure when it comes to vermicomposting. Mostly, it's been a lot of heat, a lot of drought, and whole lot of worm death - poor, brave, little guys gals dual-gender invertebrates!

But, I've been thinking about a plan to be successful without having the worm composter in the house. (Not everyone likes the idea of worms in the kitchen.)

I had something like this in mind

The plan is simple - a normal dual or triple bucket setup, but mostly buried in a shady place. That way, the worms get to live at a stable temperature with really great insulation. My garden will get the benefits of vermicomposting and I won't have to deal with all the senseless worm death at my hands. Definitely a win-win situation.

But you know me - the guy who writes much faster than he builds (and I'm a pretty slow writer.) So, I have not actually tackled the project.

But I do check my email. Today I received an email from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm. The email featured a new product that caught my eye. It's not the same idea as mine, but it's pretty darn close.

Uncle Jim's WormFeast!

 

Bury it, throw in your scraps, let your native worms do all of the composting work! All that for $29.90 and free shipping! It looks like the Mesquite Hugger may be trying Vermicomposting again soon. The WormFeast doesn't really allow you to harvest the compost or compost tea, but it does fertilize the immediate area around it while breaking all your scraps down into a much more earth-friendly substance. Place it in your garden and you have some good stuff happening down in the dirt!

 

Now, where did I put that over-used debit card and the posthole diggers this time?

 

May all your digging be worthwhile and may some wiggly invertebrates do the dirty work in your personal carbon reduction!

Earth Day Suggestions: #2 Get Down and Dirty

[Alternate title: Save the planet, save money, grow veggies, possibly have worms!]

This shirt helps me with my self-image issues.

Unlike yesterday's suggestion, this one is all about the dirt. But (and this is a big but) there are no car salesmen involved.

For me, Earth Day is about a few big things - tackling climate change, cleaning up the mess we've made, and finding ways not to make such a big mess for the future. Today's topic deals with all three and it's about making a little mess to drastically reduce some bigger messes.

It's all about COMPOST!

In the past, I did a little composting here and there, but last year I was blessed with a big wooden box that helped me kick up the composting in a fairly big way. (And I now have a Mediterranean gecko preserve in a box in the backyard too. Win-Win!)

The first thing you need to know about composting - it's cheap and easy! This may sound simplistic, but composting is just throwing a loosely balanced bunch of trash together, stirring it up occasionally, and ending up with a bunch of free fertilizer.

Why should you do it?

You can easily cut down your household garbage production by 1/3. You can cut down on greenhouse gas production in your local landfill and you can lessen the need for more landfills. You can save $ on fertilizer (or you can donate it to someone who will use it - like a neighborhood garden or grub farm). It could be your opportunity to finally have 1000's of worms as pets - if you decide to try vermicomposting.

Want to learn more?

Check out this infographic from a 2011 Treehugger article. (Good composting is timeless!) (Separated for easier viewing)

 

 

 

 

 

May we conquer our problems one food scrap at a time!

 

PS. For those of you who are all about the worms, Uncle Jim is having an Earth Day sale (for you big spenders).

 

When you gonna ______? (A live better sidestep)

Grizz and I discussed it over coffee yesterday morning. Most of us have that thing to get past. Some of us just skip from one to the next. What's yours right now?

Need some help? Just fill in the blanks.

Is your head swimming now? Mine does when I fill in those blanks. A lot of Mesquite Hugger motivation comes from chasing these statements. It goes something like this:

• I am going to start eating local after I grow some veggies.
• I am going to grow some veggies after I build a greenhouse.
• I am going to build a greenhouse after I trim the trees.
• I am going to trim the trees after I buy a saw.
• I am going to buy a saw after I sell some unused stuff.
• I am going sell some unused stuff after I clean the garage.
• Snagit - when am I going to clean the garage?!!!
• I guess eating local is going to have to wait.
• But wait, there is a five-gallon bucket and a little space on the porch - Honey, we're gonna grow tomatoes!

Mesquite Hugger blog posts often look like this.

Where do we go from here? Maybe it's time to figure out our I am going to statements so that we can figure out how to sidestep them. You don't have to be wealthy to live healthy, smart, or well.

So here's your challenge for this week. Identify one (or several) of your I am going to goals and get creative. Find a detour or a shortcut. If you get stuck, google it. Someone else has been there and may have good advice.

A few Mesquite Hugger suggestions to help with your planning: garden, transportation, energy conservation, compost, water conservation, recycling, xeriscaping, food production, food waste, homelessness, hunger, wildlife preservation, simple living, reducing meat consumption, minimalism, spreading the word, anger reduction. You can tackle the whole big world or a tiny piece of your little slice. Any improvement is a win for all of us.

If I can help, shoot me an email.

As always, thank you for reading! May our little sidesteps lead to huge improvements.

Lubbock Local Wildlife: tiny spring harbinger with sticky feet

It's a bleary morning. I thought to post about my unhappiness with Daylight Saving Time (again) or to discuss time management (again), but then I remembered the overall focus around here (hugging mesquites) and decided to post a very bright point from the weekend. The first lizard of spring.

Item in photo is much smaller in real life (unless you are viewing it on a small smartphone)!

 

This little sticky-footed reptile was in the compost box yesterday evening. I actually spotted it and a sibling in the box a few days ago, but I had no camera at the ready. As for details, the little fellow is barely over an inch and is a Mediterranean gecko. What is most exciting for me is that I watched its parent grow up in the compost box last year. In my estimation, if your gardening practices foster generations of geckos, you must be doing something right. Daylight Saving be damned!

 

A picture of the parent last September - about 5" long

 

May we (I) stop griping and focus on the things that are going well!