Dear Editor,
“It’s time to sort out our waste” by Kristin Strackerjan. For over 20+ years, our family resided in rural N.G. We had many gardens, including flower, shrub and, of course, vegetable. All year round, we put our fruit and vegetable scraps in the composter, stirred it up and, in summer, added the deadheaded flowers. The next spring, when we opened the bottom of the composter, out fell the “black gold”, organic matter, full of big, fat worms. It was wonderful. The drawback to home composters can be “wildlife” getting in; although the last composters we purchased on our property had locked lids which helped keep “critters” away. There are so many types of composters these days, it would be beneficial to shop around to find the best type for your property.
Living in an apartment now, I almost cry every time I dump my fruit and vegetable scraps into the regular garbage. Then, in the spring, I look at the displays of garden soil at the plant nurseries, grocery stores, department stores, and hardware stores, and the huge bags of “dirt” people are spending hard earned dollars on, when all that is needed is a backyard composter. Our daughter and family live in a small town north of Toronto, population of 11,046. I looked it up before I started this letter. It is connected to a larger town of 18,300. That area has a composting program. Our daughter has a little green bin sitting on her kitchen counter top where she and her family dump their food scraps. Once it is filled, it goes into a large green bin which is picked up every two weeks by the garbage contractor and dumped at a composting site, where it is stirred and maintained. Each spring people drive from miles around the area to fill their truck beds and utility trailers with FREE DIRT, full of healthy, fat worms. So simple, so practical, and so environmentally friendly. NO large black “plastic” bags of garden soil to be purchased and emptied into home gardens while the garden soil bag is placed in the garbage to be taken to the landfill.
I look forward to reading the results of the May 14 Council Meeting in next week’s NG Times. I truly hope the program will get approval and will proceed in this area. Some people comment on the extra cost of trucks, fuel, etc for the recycling trucks; but I feel, in the long run, we will all benefit from the reduction in the landfill. Not a plan for the “short sighted” individuals in the community, but an investment for the long term gain of the whole community.
Josephine Herman
