Compost for Thought?

What do you do when you can’t play in the dirt outside? For me, cuddling up with a good book is a grand pastime. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with reading about compost and the food we eat.

I just finished Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World by Joel Salatin who owns Polyface Farm in Virginia. The book is filled with stories on what it’s like to own a small farm in America as well as its obstacles and rewards. Although the book covers many food system topics, I have chosen to focus on the topic of compost as a great resource. After all, this is a compost blog!

Love to My Public Library

As a POCK (person of compost knowledge), you already understand how compost is a superb soil amendment, but did you know it also makes people healthier? We’ve discussed those wonderful microorganisms that live in the soil that make us happy. Now it’s time to discuss those that make us healthy.

Mr. Salatin touches on the healthier, more nutritious food produced when grown the old fashioned way: no-till, fertilized with manure and compost. Think of untouched prairie lands where the soil regenerates through plant decay and natural processes of wildlife. There’s a reason small farmers are working to bring our soil back to ‘the good old days’. Want more information on why? The Scientific American has a great article: Dirt Poor: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious?

I salute you fellow POCK for your commitment to assisting Mother Nature in her quest to keep our Earth teaming with happy and healthy life, even the unseen and often misunderstood, microorganisms.

Interested in learning more? Our office will be part of the Food Symposium: Pathway To Sustainability, occurring April 4-5, 2019. Hope to see you there!

Compost and Wasted Food Prevention Specialist, Jenny Lohmann

Always happy and healthy when in nature