22 April: Earth day

Lately our entire lives are in the Cloud, not just our heads, so we often forget about our feet on the ground.  On earth day it is a good opportunity to come back to earth and appreciate how nature works.

Circulation is a law of nature, and all species are to obey this rule to survive. We can learn from some of the most modest creatures and processes that are making our lives possible.  And there are few examples of a more modest creature than the earthworm.  And what about chickens?  Chickens are funny creatures, because despite their low rank in the food chain, they always seem to feel very proud of themselves.  Earthworms and chickens are recycling heroes, taking food scraps, peels, or any waste product that typically rots, in other words organic waste, and turning it into beautiful rich compost.

Now, humans still have a lot to learn in terms of playing by the rules here on earth.  One way in which we often get things wrong is how we handle organic waste.  Organic, or food waste, in a dustbin is closed in a black plastic bag, and rots without oxygen.  When organic material rots in the presence of oxygen, carbon dioxide is formed.  When it rots without oxygen, it forms methane, a greenhouse gas that is up to 84 times more potent that carbon dioxide.  So, you can fight climate change by managing your waste differently.  Besides, methane smells bad, making your garbage and your dustbin stink.  But that’s not all, this organic waste could have been converted to food if it was available to the earthworms; it’s a lost opportunity.

So, never put any organic waste into your dustbin, rather have a compost heap, an earthworm box, or chickens.  Personally, I’ve had all three and I find chickens to be the best.  My four hens clear all our food waste in a record time.  I live in the city so I only have hens, because they are less noisy and they lay eggs.  By the way, some people think you need both hens and roosters to get eggs, but you only need a hen.  If you want chicks, then you need fertile eggs and therefore also a rooster.  Chickens are the best pets and the kids love taking out eggs every day.  My kids hug the chickens to thank them for the food.  Our dustbin is never smelly, fills really slowly and doesn’t attract flies.  In fact, my garbage is so clean and dry that I also don’t use plastic refuse bags in my dustbin, so even less plastic waste for the planet. To me, the most valuable thing of all is the lovely soil that I get from the chicken coop to put into my vegetable garden.  Earthworm boxes are more practical in a small garden, and you get the same lovely compost plus a rich organic tea for the garden.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a fancy earthworm box, you can build your own from cheap material.  If you mow the lawn, don’t pile up the grass but spread it out or mix it with twigs.  Otherwise, there will be too little oxygen at the bottom of the pile, again causing methane production.

So, get your head out of the Cloud and pay attention to the earth around you.  You will soon find out how easy it is and how good it can feel to become a healthy, happy, organic hero.