clockwise from left: Organic homegrown tomato; Black gold; Craig’s compost © Alexis McAllister
Craig M. Schaefer
Compost Confessional Craig Comes Clean
P s s s t… . wa n t t o k n o w a s e c r e t ? A l i t t l e i n s i d e i n f o r m at i o n f r o m a n av e r a g e g u y l i v i n g t h e A m e r i c a n D r e a m . . . w i f e , k i d, h o u s e a n d d o g ? M y s e c r e t i s n e i t h e r i l l e g a l n o r i m m o r a l . I t m i g h t b e a l i t t l e o d d, b u t I l o v e i t. M y c o n f e s s i o n i s t h at I a m a c o m p u l s i v e c o m p o s t e r . Okay. I know that it is not the most electrifying confession; my
of vermin overrunning our yard, so the next thing I knew I was sent
obsession is an enjoyable one nonetheless. I make coffee on the
to the public library. Still in the grips of newly married bliss, I obeyed
weekends just so I can add the grounds to my mix. When my wife eats a
without question. My wife needed proof that compost wouldn’t be
banana, I can scarcely contain my eagerness to grab the peel and race
stinky or attractive to mice. She made me review books, videos, and
to the backyard.
even a report authored by the State of Washington speaking to the
My compulsion started about ten years ago when my wife and I lived in Blaine, Washington. We had just been married and bought our very first house in quite a rural setting. Our lot contained over a dozen towering evergreen and deciduous trees. Garbage was picked up only twice a month, so there really was not a simple option to get rid of the leaves. When I was a kid my grandparents had a compost pile, so I thought we
benefits of composting. While I still snicker about the amount of research I did, it truly came to be very helpful. I found that compost is basically the result of billions of microbes breaking down materials into fertile garden soil. There are four major components: container, food, water, and air, and like any good recipe, the right proportions are key.
should consider it for our situation. I spoke to my wife. She had visions
b l vd s l v. c o m
issue 12
green
B LV D S
L a s Ve g a s
59