Learn alternative composting methods in our cold climate. This workshop will cover composting basics and introduce participants to vermiculture and bokashi composting, two alternative forms of composting that are ideal for winter.
Vermiculture is a way of composting using worms to speed up the process and is easily accomplished inside the home in a bin. Worms will eat yard and kitchen waste and discard their “castings” that can be used to feed indoor and outdoor plants.
Bokashi fermentation of food waste is a revolutionary, urban-friendly alternative to traditional composting. Beneficial micro-organisms are added to food waste to ferment scraps that can then be buried in the soil. Unlike regular composting, bokashi can be used with all food wastes, including meat, dairy, fish and fats and has a pleasant, pickled smell.
In this workshop, students will learn how to set up a home vermicomposting system, harvest castings and make worm tea fertilizer. They will also make a pound of bokashi bran that they will be able to take home at the end of the class. Information on local resources and products will be provided.
Workshop Instructors:
Tracey Zignego, owner of Mountain Vista Farm, has been raising worms for several years and uses their nutrient rich castings in garden products she sells locally. She is a certified Master Gardener, has assisted in Eagle Mount’s Horticultural Therapy program, and is passionate about permaculture and growing organically for a healthy life and sustainable environment.
Kathleen Rauch, owner of Bokashi Lotus, spent the years of her daughters' early childhood dedicating herself to the art of homesteading and learned to raise all manner of plants and animals along with techniques for food preservation and herbal medicine-making. Her years of hobby farming inspired an on-going fascination with techniques for building soil health and vitality.
Kareen Erbe is the owner of Broken Ground, has a Master Composter certification and has been a dedicated composter for over a decade. To learn more about her, click here.
Upcoming workshops:
Please register in advance. Directions and details will be sent upon registration. Cost: $45.
Vermiculture is a way of composting using worms to speed up the process and is easily accomplished inside the home in a bin. Worms will eat yard and kitchen waste and discard their “castings” that can be used to feed indoor and outdoor plants.
Bokashi fermentation of food waste is a revolutionary, urban-friendly alternative to traditional composting. Beneficial micro-organisms are added to food waste to ferment scraps that can then be buried in the soil. Unlike regular composting, bokashi can be used with all food wastes, including meat, dairy, fish and fats and has a pleasant, pickled smell.
In this workshop, students will learn how to set up a home vermicomposting system, harvest castings and make worm tea fertilizer. They will also make a pound of bokashi bran that they will be able to take home at the end of the class. Information on local resources and products will be provided.
Workshop Instructors:
Tracey Zignego, owner of Mountain Vista Farm, has been raising worms for several years and uses their nutrient rich castings in garden products she sells locally. She is a certified Master Gardener, has assisted in Eagle Mount’s Horticultural Therapy program, and is passionate about permaculture and growing organically for a healthy life and sustainable environment.
Kathleen Rauch, owner of Bokashi Lotus, spent the years of her daughters' early childhood dedicating herself to the art of homesteading and learned to raise all manner of plants and animals along with techniques for food preservation and herbal medicine-making. Her years of hobby farming inspired an on-going fascination with techniques for building soil health and vitality.
Kareen Erbe is the owner of Broken Ground, has a Master Composter certification and has been a dedicated composter for over a decade. To learn more about her, click here.
Upcoming workshops:
Please register in advance. Directions and details will be sent upon registration. Cost: $45.
- Saturday, February 28, 9am - 12pm