My bandmate Glenn has been reading quite a few books these days on composting, so we've been hearing a lot about it on the road as a result. He's been wanting to try building a compost - but he doesn't have his own space to do it right now, so yesterday we decided to start one at my place instead!
There's a bit of a science to building a good compost, and Glenn has read it all, so I was in good hands. Basically, from what I gathered yesterday, a good compost requires just the right combination of carbon and nitrogen. After mowing the lawn, we collected a bunch of the grass clippings - an excellent source of nitrogen. 
We then pruned back some of the trees in my backyard, providing an excellent source of carbon. We then built a carbon/nitrogen layered pie, so-to-speak: layer of leaves/branches, then a layer of grass clippings, then a layer of leaves/branches, grass clippings, etc. It's looks pretty good - I'll keep you in the loop in the next number of weeks and we'll watch how it progresses... hence the experiment.
Of course, there's no better way to top off a morning of hard work outside than enjoying a nice cold (root)beer - and we did! We're drinking Fitz's Rootbeer - brewed and bottled in St. Louis. According to Glenn, the only rootbeer connoisseur I know, it's the second best rootbeer in the world. Check out the website and order yourself a case!
dooood....
that is disgusting, that shirt business. This is why I only play on your team whenever there are contact sports involved now. good times, those shirts and skins in the backyard. yikes.
Posted by: stephen thiessen | July 03, 2008 at 02:19 PM
Brad, I'm glad you got a kick out of that shirt. It's the only one of it's kind I've got left in my closet - it STILL makes a great gym/work in the yard shirt (although I'm sure Erin would prefer it got lost in my closet forever at this point)... Good times!
Posted by: Jeremy | June 26, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Nice shirt Jeremy.
I'd also take a good rootbeer over any other kind of beer ANY day.
Posted by: brad | June 24, 2008 at 09:16 AM
I can't wait to have my own house for which to make compost and in which to plant. Nice work!
Posted by: Carla | June 22, 2008 at 11:54 AM
We have a compost in our backyard. But we didn't build it ourselves. It's in a compost bin. It's starting to get pretty full now though. and rootbeer is one of my favorite drinks ever!!
Posted by: Kaitlyn | June 22, 2008 at 09:28 AM
I KNEW this would be the first question! :) His first choice is Henry Weinhard's root beer - normally a Northwestern beer company, they started making root beer during the Prohibition and it's stuck around. I'll admit - it's pretty good too. I guess I'd have to taste them one after the other to really pick a favorite...
Posted by: Jeremy | June 22, 2008 at 08:50 AM
I'm curious... what's Glen's pick for #1?
Posted by: Dani | June 21, 2008 at 02:52 PM