Summer Produce And The Benefits Of Composting

Ah, summertime, with its blue skies, flowering trees and shrubs, and warm temperatures. We also get to enjoy the delicious fruit and vegetables at our local farm stands. Not only is their produce delicious and nutritious, it’s a great way to support our local farms and farmers.

The Orange Community Farmer’s Market is held at High Plains Community Center at 525 Orange Center Rd. every Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. from the last Thursday in June through the last Thursday in September. The market features a variety of Connecticut-grown products, including bakery items, eggs, flowers, milk, meats, soaps, plants and seasonal vegetables, as well as crafts and services. There are also new vendors every week and live music on certain evenings.

It’s also a great time of year to start home composting if you haven’t yet. There are lots of produce scraps after cutting or trimming, so summer is a great time of year to begin. If you prefer, collect your food scraps and take them to one of the four green compost bins at the Orange Transfer and Recycling Center, located at the top of the hill next to the textile collection bins.

Composting is a simple way to help the Earth and your garden thrive. It’s easy to do, budget-friendly, and packed with benefits for our yards, our wallets and the environment. Composting is a win all around.

Composting is a major player in reducing landfill waste, which is very costly to haul because of its weight. Instead of tossing out those fruit peels, coffee grounds and other food scraps, we can turn them into rich, earthy compost. That means fewer garbage bags heading to the curb or the transfer station and less organic material rotting in landfills where it produces harmful methane gas. In fact, composting helps cut back on greenhouse gas emissions and even captures carbon from the air, storing it safely in the soil.

The perks don’t stop there. Compost is nature’s best fertilizer. It feeds the soil with nutrients and beneficial microbes, boosting plant health and increasing garden yields – without the need for chemical fertilizers. It also improves the structure of soil, helping it hold onto water longer and reducing the need for frequent watering. That means healthier plants, better crops and a lower water bill.

Composting also helps fight plant diseases and pests naturally. By adding beneficial organisms to the soil, compost creates a more balanced ecosystem right in our backyards. It also supports biodiversity, helping our gardens become a safe haven for helpful bugs and microbes.

Getting started is easier than you might think. Choose a bin with good airflow; there are plenty available for purchase, or you can build your own with items like old wooden boxes, storage bins or chicken wire.

Ways to Compost

• To build a healthy compost pile, just layer “browns” (dry leaves, paper, cardboard) and “greens” (veggie scraps, grass clippings), keep the pile as moist as a damp sponge, and give it a good turn every so often to keep it aerated. Be sure to skip the meat, dairy, and oily leftovers – they can smell and attract pests.

• For those who have a home compost, all the meat, dairy, bones and shells – all those things you don’t throw in your composter – can go into one of the four green compost bins at the Orange Transfer and Recycling Center. For those without a compost system at home, all food scraps can go into the town’s green bins.

Removing residue from produce is important for removing pesticides and bacteria. Just make a solution of one teaspoon of baking soda with every two cups of cold water. Soak your fruits and vegetables for a minute, then rinse. For delicate fruits and berries, make the solution in a bowl and put the berries in a colander or strainer. Soak them for 10-15 minutes, then rinse the berries thoroughly.

Baking soda is a miracle ingredient in natural cleaning solutions. It’s not only safe but gets the job done. Studies have shown that baking soda removes 70 percent to 99 percent of pesticides.

Whether you’re growing a backyard veggie patch, sprucing up your flower beds, or simply looking to reduce your waste, composting is a smart, sustainable solution. So let’s grab a bin, start saving those scraps and let nature do the rest. It’s surprising how much good can grow from a little compost. Whether you shop at one of our local farmer’s market stands or in a neighborhood grocery store, bring your own bags from home, and wash those fruits and vegetables.