Better Food For A Better Life

Back to Basics - Chef Vanda's always looking for ways to reduce her carbon footprint and be greener

Every week, I buy lots of organic fruits and vegetables, wash them carefully and then I prepare them for cooking. I pull off the ugly leaves, I remove the flesh from the rind, I cut off the ends, I remove the outer layers, etc. I use only the most tender and tastiest parts of the vegetables for my clients.

This leaves a large pile of organic kitchen scraps that is perfect for composting, I’ve been saying I need to compost, for a long time. This year, I’ve joined a CSA with Sang Lee Farms and I expect to get large quantities of fruits and vegetables that will create piles of kitchen scraps for composting. Well this year, I’ve taken another step to be greener by purchasing a composter and setting it up behind my shed.

What is composting?

Composting is the process of breaking down plants and animal materials and other organic materials largely through aerobic decomposition into a rich black soil that you return to your garden. The process of composting is simple and practiced by individuals in their homes and farmers on their lands.

You can create a compost pile in your backyard or indoors, depending on your available space. Backyard and indoor composting are most suitable for households to convert small quantities of organic materials, such as yard trimmings and food scraps, into compost that can be spread in garden beds, under shrubs, or use it as potting soil for outdoor plants.

Benefits of Composting

Seems like a lot of work for a pile of dirt but compost use can result in a variety of environmental benefits. The following are a few of the most important benefits:

• Reduce the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
• Enriches soil with beneficial nutrients.
• Reduces the amount of waste going to our landfills.
• Lush green growth.

Here’s short video of “How To Compost”

Happy Composting!