Also known as brown manure, compost is essentially decomposed organic matter that is used regularly in the landscaping, horticulture and agriculture industries as a soil conditioner and fertilizer. It is also commonly used as a growth medium providing the necessary nutrients for plants and vegetation. As the global recycling awareness is increasing, so is the interest in composting as a means of Eco-friendly waste disposal.

Compost is not hard to make at all, though it does require a delicate balance in order to produce more compost in a shorter amount of time. It is said that making a balanced compost heap requires nothing more than equal amounts of “greens” and “browns” by volume. Providing your compost heap with the right amount of organic matter and inorganic additives will ensure that your end product is satisfactory. Here are some items found in a common compost heap:

Compostable Materials

• Biodegradable waste
• Coffee grounds
• Cocoa shells
• Green waste (grass, flower and hedge trimmings)
• Humanure (human waste)
• Leaf mold (shrub and tree leaves)
• Manure
• Spent mushroom compost (see here for info)
• Tree bark (stems and roots of woody plants)
• Egg shells
• Brown waste (dry paper, leaves and wood products)
• Fruit
• Vegetables

Inorganic Additives

• Loam (soil made of sand, silt and clay)
• Grit
• Urea (waste product retracted from urine)
• Vermiculite (natural clay-like mineral)
• Perlite (amorphous volcanic glass)

There are two primary types of compost heaps and we will be discussing the steps required below:

The Cool Heap Method

1. If you are able, start off your heap with a layer of compostable materials roughly 30 cm in height i.e. cardboard, nail trimmings, weeds from the garden and grass cuttings from the lawn. Items like crushed cereal boxes encourage air spaces within the heap, as well as placing some twigs and stems from woody plants on the bottom of the heap to promote air circulation – believe it or not, a healthy compost heap needs to breathe right!
2. Continue to add waste as necessary and remember, you want to have an equal balance of green and brown products – so if your waste is primarily kitchen waste (food, fruits, vegetable trimmings) be sure to throw in an equal amount of toilet roll centers and other paper/cardboard household products to keep your heap nice and balanced.
3. When your bin becomes full you have two options – you can either stop adding waste and let it mature, or you can take the composted amounts at the bottom to use for your gardening, mix up the rest and let it sit. If your heap seems dry then add some water, if it seems too moist, add some dry ingredients to absorb the moisture. Remember, it’s all about balance.

The Hot Heap Method

1. Get together a sufficient amount of material to fill your compost heap in one shot. Whether it be slightly rotted material from your cool heap, make sure you have an equal mixture of soft and tough waste to start things off.
2. Chop and separate tough items with shears.
3. Be sure to mix everything together as much as possible prior to putting it in your designated container – watering while you go to moisten dry items such as paper and cardboard.
4. Within a couple of days your heap should be hot to the touch. When it begins to cool down after a week or so – turn it by removing the material from the container and mixing it up. Add water if dry, and dry material if too wet. Put everything back in the bin.
5. There’s a good chance that your heap will heat up again as the aerobic microbes react to the new supply of air you mixed in. Repeat the previous step as often as you like – once a day, once a week.. the more you mix it, the quicker your compost heap will be ready and the better your end result will be. Once your heap stops heating up leave your heap undisturbed to finish composting.

When the ingredients you have put in your container have turned into a dark brown, earthy smelling material, the composting process is complete. It is then best left for a month or two to ‘mature’ before it is used. Don’t worry if your compost is not fine and crumbly. Even if it is lumpy, sticky or stringy, with bits of twig and eggshell still obvious, it is quite usable. It can be sieved before using if you prefer. Any large bits can be added back into your new compost heap.

Resource: GardenOrganic.org.uk

If you’ve ever seen a solar oven your first impression would be that it is powered by solar energy, right? Well not necessarily. Solar powered ovens are not those which would be used to replace your in-home oven, and they are no more complex than using a traditional oven – they are simply designed differently. Solar ovens, also known as a solar cooker, can be used for various outdoor cooking requirements without the need for electricity, wood or fossil fuel – which increases the overall efficiency compared to a more traditional propane grill. A popular solar cooker is the CooKit, which utilizes a piece of cardboard that is lined in foil and works as a reflector to generate enough heat to cook the food.

Believe it or not, most solar ovens can take the sunlight and generate hundreds of watts of electricity by changing the light into heat, which in turn cooks the food. Not only is this method safe for cooking your food outdoors, but it also teaches you to eliminate fuels and the need for electricity – which will make your transition into the off grid lifestyle that much more seamless.

Solar ovens and cookers come in many different shapes and sizes, ranging from a very basic box shaped unit to more complex ovens which can hold multiple large sized pots. Regardless of the variation, they all function the same. Can you think of a more natural way of cooking your food? Once you’ve had the chance to experience using the sun’s solar energy to cook a meal you will realize how simple it is, and feel almost stupid for using gas or electricity all these years. Another benefit to solar ovens is that most food can be left safely for reasonably long periods of time without the food burning or getting too hot.

Most standard solar cookers reach a maximum heat of 302 degrees F which is ideal for reheating, and cooking foods which don’t require water to be sterilized or boiling because this heat is not reached immediately or fast enough.

Why You Should Be Solar Cooking

It’s a lot of fun!

This may be a surprise, but solar cooking and using solar ovens is really a ton of fun! Why spend time cooped up in a hot kitchen when you can be outside on a beautiful sun-filled day cooking for your friends and family using the power of the sun? Cause zero harm to the environment while using the free, renewable energy of the sun to power an equally capable oven to prepare your favorite meals. This is really a no-brainer.

Change in climate.

Every single time you prepare a meal using a stove that requires electricity, natural gas, propane or wood you are releasing extremely harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. So if the general consensus is that we are experiencing global warming, and our planet is slowly increasing in temperature which is causing climate disruption – wouldn’t you want to avoid any actions that promote this? Scientists link our climate change to the constant release of CO2 into our atmosphere by fossil fuel and biomass burning. Solar cooking produces zero CO2 or any other greenhouse gases. Talk about a sustainable way of cooking.

Peak Oil

Among the circle of petroleum geologists, there is a common factor in which they all agree on – the reserve of natural oil and gas are finite. What does this mean to us? Well it means that we will eventually reach a point of peak production, which will be proceeded by a decline in the availability and how much is produced. It’s becoming apparent that oil production has reached it’s peak, and our global economy is witnessing the beginning of the decline period – the same being relevant for the natural gas production throughout North America. Solar cooking again proves to be sustainable under these impending circumstances – no fossil fuels required.

Health Benefits

Asked any experienced solar chef and they will profess that solar cooking your food is healthier, tastier and better overall compared to traditional cooking mediums. You never need to worry about your food burning or loosing it’s nutrients. There is no smoke, therefor there’s no need to stress about inhaling fumes – like when you cook with a barbecue, for example. Lastly, your food doesn’t dry out liken when frying or baking, which leaves you with scrumptious, delicious, moist food every time!

The Deforestation Threat

Our beautiful, lush forests around the globe are in constant threat, and solar cooking methods have assisted in converting people in the developing parts of the world to reduce the amount of wood used for their normal cooking procedures. By using solar cooking mediums in developing regions we can prevent deforestation, and help people realize that fire wood is not needed to provide nourishment for their villages. The use of firewood cannot continue if we as a global population have any concern for the environment and sustaining our population.

It’s very clear that solar cooking can present several benefits to not only help you, but our planet as a whole. The cost of a standard solar cooker can be met within the first three years of using it, just from your energy bill savings. After that, you are cooking for free! Not a bad investment if you ask me. The sun doesn’t send you a monthly bill for use, so why not thank it by using it’s amazing free energy as a renewable source for cooking?