Spring into Sustainability
by Amanda Molumby
The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, the grass is greener…what’s not to love about spring? If you are ready to put winter behind us and focus on the beauty of new life all around, I encourage you to join us on May 19 from 6:30-7:30pm for a Backyard Composting workshop. Perhaps you’ve discovered the Ames Seed Library and are ready to start turning waste into food for your new plants. Carissa Thoma from Down to Earth Living will share her years of experience composting! The compost process, compost bin options, acceptable materials, and troubleshooting will all be part of the conversation. Everyone who joins for the program will take home their own sample of premium compost.
Composting is a wonderful project to dig into (ha!), and has been shown to prevent soil erosion, promote healthier plant growth, reduce waste, improve soil health by adding nutrients and even help to conserve water! Considering it is still Earth month, it’s not too late to take a first step in helping to create a healthier planet by turning something that might have ended up in a landfill into something that can be beneficial for our own backyards and gardens! I know I myself have always wanted to try composting but felt a little intimidated at the prospect of getting started and understanding the process enough to do so successfully. If you feel the same, please come to Ames Public Library and see how it’s something that anyone can do with the right set of tools and knowledge!
I should also mention, if you enjoy composting with Carissa, you can learn how to brew kombucha with her on June 16, 6:30-7:30 pm. Now, perhaps you know already, but kombucha is a fermented, sweetened black tea drink. It is made with tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. While it may seem somewhat new to the U.S., it has actually been around for more than 2,000 years! I won’t spoil the show by telling you everything about it now, but suffice to say that it will be an educational, interesting, and tasty experience. Carissa herself will cover the complete process of making kombucha including ingredients, flavoring, health benefits, and more! Samples will be provided, and a few lucky winners will take a starter culture home with them.
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