Space Kaplansky Love

Hi folks,

Here's my second stained glass piece. I just finished it today, the last day of class. I showed you my first piece back in February. Remember that? I love stained glass, don't you?

ciao!
-the compost maven





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Sustainable Inspiration for Waste Free Living

Hi folks,

As I get closer to a Waste Free Living website launch date I am inspired to share with you some of what has inspired me along the way in starting this company. As an entrepreneur I'm inspired by sustainable practices like zero waste, ethical manufacturing, and making meaningful, social-change-producing connections with vendors and producers. Of course, I'm a big proponent of businesses for social change and I'm looking forward to attending the annual BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) conference in Boston this June.

Check out this video of my friend (and world class nice guy and ultimate frisbee player!), Daron Byerly, of Seventh Generation talk about their approach to sustainability.




In good tilth,
-the compost maven

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Fedco Love

Hi folks,

I took a little trip to Fedco seeds in Waterville, Maine yesterday with my pregnant friend Ann-Elise. I picked up a bunch of seeds, a cherry tree, two grape vines, raspberry canes, a dawn redwood, and a rose. Very exciting! Ann-Elise got a plum tree and lots of other stuff, too. It was their annual tree sale and a very nice scene. Here's a photo essay from the trip...

...driving past the White Mountains of New Hampshire.


Ann-Elise on the grass at Fedco... for her, a dream come true.


...in the Fedco seed room.


...driving back past New Hampshire's Whites, and then home again to Vermont's Camel's Hump.

So now, it's time to get my hands in the soil and do some planting!

Stay tuned for more gardening news.
-the compost maven

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Pledging my allegience to the soil

Hi folks,

I was just reading one of my favorite poems and thought I would cap off this Earth Day with a quick poem post and a random photograph of a black radish.

For All
by Gary Snyder

Ah to be alive
on a mid-September morn
fording a stream
barefoot, pants rolled up,
holding boots, pack on,
sunshine, ice in the shallows,
northern rockies.

Rustle and shimmer of icy creek waters
stones turn underfoot, small and hard as toes
cold nose dripping
singing inside
creek music, heart music,
smell of sun on gravel.

I pledge allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the soil
of Turtle Island,
and to the beings who thereon dwell
one ecosystem
in diversity
under the sun
With joyful interpenetration for all.

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Happy Earth, Soil, and Compost Day!

Happy Earth Day, folks! A lot of people ask me, what does Earth Day mean to you? To me it's simple: Earth Day is about soil and compost. Why soil and compost? Because if we all always acted with the best interest of the soil in mind we would have a healthy planet. Period. For starters, soil organic matter is usually way too low and the soil food web is way to depleted. Luckily, we can easily fix that by adding compost! I personally think we need a national I LOVE COMPOST Day, and maybe someday we will, but until then I'm going to post an annual video about my compost pile on Earth Day. Here's my first installment...




Check out my girlfriend Alison's blog for more Earth Day video madness!

In good tilth!
-the compost maven

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Tip O' the Nib Award WINNER Announced!

Now, folks, I'm sure that by now you can tell I'm not the type to blow my own whistle, but today is different. Why, you might ask? Why is today different than all other days? Because I have finally realized a life-long aspiration by being named WINNER of the Tip O' the Nib Award in Episode 526 by THE Dyke To Watch Out For herself, Alison Bechdel.

Here's Alison drawing...


Here's me and Alison at the awards ceremony...


I'm totally thrilled. Thanks, Alison!

Until next time,
-the compost maven

P.S. Tip O' the Day: Anyone can be a winner if you make up your own contests. Try it, it's fun!

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Composting Regs, Bear Pond Books, Persepolis...and a name change?

Hi folks,

I guess I'm on a little roll with writing diary-like posts...

Yesterday I spent almost the entire beautiful spring day indoors with about 40 composters and regulators from around Vermont in the first of a series of meetings to rethink current composting regulations. I was happy with how the meeting went. I felt that a lot of the problematic rule ambiguities, inconsistencies, and redundancies were unearthed and identified. I personally felt good about being able to articulate what I want to see in terms of regulations. I want us to move towards goal-based regulations, where we regulate our activities as if we are a part of an ecosystem, rather than definition-based regulations that bog us done in irrelevant distinctions, that at best don't get us closer to our goals of environmental stewardship, and at worst are actually counterproductive--as in the case of the Intervale. I think we can get there but it's going to take vision and real leadership from the State, and that's always a crap shoot.

Afterwards I finally got it together to send my mother something I've been meaning to send for months, which she reminded me of in a non-subtle manner when I saw her this weekend. So that was a load off. Then I went to my favorite bookstore, Bear Pond Books, in Montpelier, right before I went to see Persepolis, finally, with Alison. I thought Persepolis was powerful. I cried the first time she left Iran... That's right, folks, I'm a weepy butch!


Bear Pond is so great. Imagine those old creaky wood floorboards like in old general stores, plus an amazing selection and an informed staff. Can I just say that Montpelier is completely awesome and worth a visit no matter what? Let me know if you're coming to Vermont and I'll tell you exactly where to go, okay?

Another shot from my recent trip to Ithaca...


Also, I woke up this morning with an idea for changing the name of this blog...

For the love of god, stay tuned!
-the compost maven

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