Anaerobic Compost

Compost is made most efficiently by either circulating air through the pile via vented pipes, or, more normally, turning the pile from spot A to spot B. The point is to provide fresh oxygen to the aerobic bacteria in the pile so they will keep working. There are anaerobic bacteria as well—bacteria that don't need oxygen to survive—and they will break down organic matter and turn it into compost as well, albeit at a slower rate.

I have used the aerobic method (frequent turning) with the compost I have made in the past. But I created an anaerobic pile over the last six months or so that didn't get turned a single time. A couple times I did use a corkscrew tool I have that bores down into the pile and opens air channels, but for the most part the pile just sat. Every 1-2 weeks I would bring a fresh five-gallon bucket of vegetable scraps from the kitchen and build a new layer on top of the existing pile: veggie scraps, with a bit of existing compost sprinkled on top to introduce bacteria into the fresh scraps, then sprinkled alfalfa meal on top of the dirt, then covered with a layer of straw and soaked with water. I've done that repeatedly over recent months just to see what would happen if I didn't turn the pile.

I had two round wire bins, each four feet tall.

The one on the left had about a foot of previously made compost which I removed into the wheelbarrow to use in my front veggie bed:

The bin on the right is where I've been "stacking" fresh ingredients a layer at a time the last six months. The straw all around the edges has not broken down because it didn't get incorporated into the pile as it normally does when the pile is turned regularly.

My mission today was to turn the anaerobic pile on the right into the now-empty bin on the left. I took the wire bin from around the pile on the right and this is what it looked like from the top. Three-plus feet of solid, dark compost surrounded by a doughnut of uncomposted straw around the edges. I was amazed. I could have dug that compost out of the middle of the pile and used it immediately. It was totally ready to use—no recognizable food scraps or straw anywhere in the middle section.

Instead, I turned everything—finished compost and straw from around the edge of the pile—into the new empty bin, sprinkling more alfalfa (nitrogen food source for bacteria) in as I went. Hopefully, the uncomposted straw will get broken down in short order and this whole bin will be ready to use later this spring:

My conclusion is that anaerobic composting works. It definitely takes longer, but it produces a nice product.

Manifesto

The guys that started the "lifestyle" company, holstee.com, wrote a manifesto instead of a business plan. I like it -- so I bought a copy and had it framed. I'm not much into "motivational" stuff, and could quibble about the worldview reflected by a lot of these offerings, but that's not the point. I understand where these guys are coming from and like the "spirit" of their manifesto.

They also created a video version of the Manifesto using the urban bike culture of NYC as a vehicle. There are a number of things I like about what these guys are doing with this young company so thought I'd give them a shout. (After you read the Manifesto and watch the video, ask me why I haven't done this already.)

Lance Armstrong Going Plant-based

I've wondered how long this would take—for someone as smart as Lance Armstrong to recognize that he should be eating a plant-based diet. He is now two-thirds of the way there.

Armstrong is friends with Rip Esselstyn, a former triathlete and founder of the Engine 2 (plant-based, vegan) diet—and son of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn whose plant-based approach to preventing and reversing heart disease is healing former president Bill Clinton's heart. As Armstrong has moved from his pro cycling career to triathlete competition he has begun training with (Rip) Esselstyn again and has adopted a plant-based diet for breakfast and lunch.

Effects: He says his energy level and mental sharpness are better than they have ever been. Read the whole story here.

The Spring in Spring

Made the monthly trip to the spring at Cold Spring Church for water today. What a gorgeous site was waiting for me:

On the way home I stopped to look at this beautiful house that I pass each time I go to the spring. When I first saw it, it was inhabited and in good shape, but the last year or so it seems to have been empty and unkempt. I asked a nice lady who lived across the road about it -- yes, it has changed hands, she said, about a year ago. The new owner is trying to restore it but is moving very slowly. Up close, there is lots of evidence of rehab work being done and a "No Trespassing" sign.

I especially love the "annex" built on the left of the property. It's odd that a house this old has no fireplace, but the annex does. The neighbor lady said the annex had been added on, which is obvious -- but it is a beautiful addition, especially the front windows -- and the chimney. What a great office/library/studio that would make!

Note the acorn finials -- and is that square "box" the end of a central beam?

The trees are massive:

And the grounds are punctuated with statuary and urns -- a little taste of Athens in the North Carolina countryside. Somebody had something definite in mind when they collected and added these. I wonder if the new owner will honor that theme?

New from Google: Gmail Tap

(Don't forget: This was released on April 1)