On Composting

I love living with and around green things, and consider myself fortunate to be married to a man who can take care of houseplants, among other talents. Perhaps the dancing Shiva that he gave me for Christmas one year was a token of his acceptance that I am much more accomplished at change in the form of death and destruction. Enter composting, which is lowest common denominator gardening (for people who kill houseplants).

I have helped organize about thirty households around what and how to compost at our small community site. It’s been a beautiful experience to work together, “growing” our garbage from trash to usable soil. Over the past two years, our small program has probably diverted about 7 tons of organic matter from landfills.

My experience with our compost program represents a turning point in my life-—a point where my sense of place in the natural world grew beyond the mere consumption of locally grown CSA produce into the satisfaction of participating in the cycle of life, from birth to rebirth, through food. I may never live on a farm or even be able to cultivate houseplants, but I know that I can make a positive impact on the natural world in this way.