New Factsheet: #17 Understanding Compostable Plastics
July 12, 2017
#17 Understanding Compostable Plastics
Posted in Announcement, Blog, Composting, Fact Sheet, Waste DiversionCategory: Composting
Last Chance Green Cone!
May 17, 2017
Due to manufacturing price increases, our Green Cone Digester price will rise on June 1st to $180.00. We currently have 20 Green Cones in stock at our old price, $165.00, or for members, $148.50 so get ’em while you can!
Thank you so much for your continued to support of the CEC and for your understanding, please feel free to email us at office@compost.bc.ca, if you have any questions.
Posted in Announcement, Blog, Composting, News, Retail, Waste Diversion
Turning in the Cover Crop
April 21, 2017
It’sspringit’sspringit’sspring! FINALLY.
The cover crop of crimson clover and winter field pea that I sowed the veggie beds with last fall has also been enjoying the warmer weather in a big way. Before I knew it, it had put on 6 inches of new growth and it was time to shear, compost and turn in in preparation for planting season.
Generally, you want to get this done a few weeks before planting anything in the bed. This allows the roots of the cover crop to die, releasing their fixed nitrogen back into the soil, which can then be taken up by your transplants. A side benefit is that it turns pest cocoons and larvae up to the surface where they can be gobbled up by birds, other insects or killed off by the weather.
First, I shear the tops off the plants and toss them in my compost pile. There’s a lot of green material there, so I tend to make a big hot compost.
My shovel strategy:
Many use tillers to turn in cover crops, and this is necessary if you’ve used a more robust crop such as winter rye. Because I choose more tender crops, I use a shovel and chop two rows down the bed, then chop perpendicular to the rows to create a kind of grid over the bed. This allows you to lift chunks of the cover crop and flip them completely over. Once this is complete, I gently chop my way through the whole bed to cut the roots up and ensure the cover crop dies off in time for planting.
As you go, keep an eye out for the tell-tale root nodules that show you how hard your nitrogen-fixing cover crop (i.e. legumes such as crimson clover or winter field pea) has been working for you. As the plants die, this nitrogen is returned to the soil.
Want to know more about the benefits of cover cropping? Head over to our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and leave us a comment that says “Tell me more!”.
Posted in Blog, Composting, Featured, Organic Gardening
Brand new factsheets!
March 16, 2016
We are excited to share two new factsheets with you! We have been getting lots of inquiries about tumbler composters and bokashi and we decided to put together a factsheet for each one to help answer your questions and spark your interest. If the descriptions below spark your interest, check out the new additions on our factsheets page.
Bokashi is a Japanese term meaning “fermented organic matter”. Different from composting, which is aerobic, it is an anaerobic process that allows a person to deal with a wide variety of food waste on-site. Bokashi harnesses the power of effective microorganisms (EM) dehydrated onto a cereal base to carry out the fermentation process . It is best used as a partner to a compost pile, because you will need a place to compost the ‘spent’ material once it has finished going through the bokashi process. It is a great alternative to the green cone food digester as it breaks down the same types of materials but doesn’t need sunlight or to be buried down 2 feet in your garden work. You can make your own system or purchase a ready-to-use unit.
In general, tumbler composters are in the form of a barrel mounted on a stand so the unit can be turned or “tumbled” around a central axis. They can be mounted horizontally or vertically, both work well. Turning these units easily incorporates air into the material inside the tumbler, which can speed up the decomposition process. It is possible that you may get a finished product faster than with passive backyard composting due to the increased aeration that tumblers make possible. However, beware of manufacturers that say you will have finished compost in three weeks or less – anything that looks finished in this short amount of time will be unstable and need to sit for at least 6-8 weeks longer to cure.
When we built our new greenhouse wanted the plans for this project to be free and readily accessible. As such, this factsheet includes a budget and materials list for the greenhouse, a list of the lessons I learned, and some photos of the building process.
Posted in Blog, Composting, Fact Sheet, Featured, Organic Gardening, Waste Diversion
Presenting our new video!
July 22, 2015
Drum roll, please! Presenting our OFFICIAL VIDEO!
Huge thanks to Aldridge Street Print & Media for doing such an awesome job!
Converted Freezer Composter Workshop on May 30th
May 9, 2015
Join us for a demonstration on how to convert an old freezer into an efficient composter that is completely rodent and bear proof!
Continue reading “Converted Freezer Composter Workshop on May 30th” Posted in Adult Education, Announcement, Blog, Composting, Events, News, Organic GardeningEarth Machines back in stock — get them for $89.95 until May 9th
April 30, 2015
After a bit of a wait (so hard when it’s spring and everyone is thinking about compost!) we are pleased to have Earth Machine composters back in stock. We have been carrying these composters for 15 years now and we love their rodent resistance, the fact that they’re made in Canada from post-consumer recycled plastic and above all, the beautiful soil they produce.
While we plan to keep carrying our beloved Earth Machines, we unfortunately need to raise the price due to the increased cost of plastic and shipping rates. As of May 10th, the price will go up from $89.95 regular / $80.05 member to $99 regular / $89.10 member price. You’ve still got a week and a half to snag one at the old price, so please do stop by and get a deal!
We value accessibility and never like to raise the price on any of our products, however, we do need to ensure that we are not losing money on the items we sell. As always, the Compost Education Centre is a social enterprise and all profits from our products go to support our community education programs. We appreciate your support!
Posted in Announcement, Blog, Composting, Featured, News, RetailMulti-Family Residential Composting Options
January 7, 2015
Looking for information about what the CRD kitchen scraps strategy means for your multi-family dwelling? You’ve come to the right place!
Continue reading “Multi-Family Residential Composting Options” Posted in Announcement, Blog, Composting, Featured, News, Programs, Retail, Waste DiversionSubsidized Composters for Community Groups
October 30, 2014
Continue reading “Subsidized Composters for Community Groups”
Posted in Announcement, Blog, Civic Engagement, Composting, Featured, News, Organic Gardening, Retail, Waste DiversionLeave a Comment on Subsidized Composters for Community GroupsCompost Ed goes to Mayne Island
June 21, 2014
This past week the Compost Ed Centre took a little day trip to Mayne Island to teach the folks there all about some advanced composting methods. We gathered in the old Ag Hall and had a wondrous two hours of composting queries, information exchange, homemade lemon cake and strong cups of tea! Vicki of the Mayne Island Recycling Society showed me the Mayne Island community garden, and I thought we could all take a page or two from their book. Scroll on down to learn more (click on the pictures to enlarge)!
A huge thanks to Mayne Island for hosting and inspiring us, we look forward to more trips around the southern Gulf Islands, spreading the compost word!
Posted in Announcement, Blog, Civic Engagement, Composting, Featured, Organic GardeningLeave a Comment on Compost Ed goes to Mayne Island