Posts Tagged ‘composting’
Top Three Reasons to Become a Master Composter
Blog Post by Master Composter Graduate, Tammy Churchill. When I registered for the Master Composter Course in early 2020, I did not have much experience composting, as my neglected passive pile would gladly attest. Composting was something I was interested in: I’d moved into a new house with plenty of room for growing vegetables, and…
Read MoreClimate Solutions: Save Water This Summer With Compost!
In Southern California, it is critical that we conserve water. A great way to tackle the water challenge is to incorporate compost into your summer garden and landscape. In addition to providing valuable nutrients, compost has been proven to increase soil’s water retention capacity. Here are a couple of ways to incorporate compost into your garden…
Read MoreClimate Solutions: How to Manage Weeds Without Toxic Chemicals
What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. — Ralph Waldo Emerson Before discussing how to eliminate weeds, there are some common weeds that are both edible and nutritious. Harvesting free greens from our gardens is one way to approach the plants we did not intend to have in our…
Read MoreComposting Key to Regenerative Agriculture
There’s a lot of buzz about regenerative agriculture, particularly its ability to capture carbon in soil and in aboveground biomass, as well as its many benefits for farmers, consumers, and local environments. According to regenerative agriculture, the answer lies beneath our feet. Soil loss is a global problem and growing worse around the world, at…
Read MoreClimate Solutions: Can I convert a garbage can into a compost bin?
Yes, it is a great solution when a compost pile is just not feasible because of small yards or sensitive neighbors. Here’s a cheap and easy way to convert one of your garbage cans into a compost bin. Materials: – 30+ gallon plastic garbage can, with locking lid (optional: bungee cords to hold the lid…
Read MoreClimate Solutions: Aerators? What are those for?
Too lazy to turn your compost bin? Is it not easy to turn, or smells bad? If you answered yes to any of these questions, an aerator could be the right tool for you! Aeration (or the addition of air) is a very important ingredient in your compost pile. The microbes breaking down all the…
Read MoreCase Study: Food Cycle Community Compost Program
At the end of 2023, Solana Center made the difficult decision to end the Food Cycle Community Compost program. With the rollout of curbside green recycling bins, we had seen a steady participation decline, and continuing the program was no longer sustainable for our organization. We are so grateful for all of the residents and…
Read MoreBuild Healthy Soils with Free Assistance to Secure up to $100,000 Grant Funding!
Join Solana Center for Environmental Innovation (Solana Center) for a free technical assistance webinar for farmers and ranchers to learn more about applying for up to $100,000 in state grant funding. Assistance is provided by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program (HSP) for farmers to implement conservation management practices that…
Read MoreThe Benefits of Diverting Organic Waste from Landfills
Written by volunteer: Kate Sheppard Diverting waste from landfill can sometimes feel like a chore, but the benefits far outweigh the temporary annoyance of getting your hands dirty. This is especially true of organic waste. Yes, it may occasionally be sticky or smelly, but it’s not hard to properly sort and divert these compostable materials…
Read MoreNew Resource Guide: 4 Most Common Healthy Soil Farming Practices
Did you know the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program (HSP) provides financial assistance to California farmers, growers, and ranchers for implementation of one or more HSP agricultural management practices to improve soil health, including compost & mulch application, cover cropping, no-till methods, conservation planting, and more? During the last solicitation period, CDFA allocated $67.5 million worth of HSP awards,…
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