Iowa -- The Progressive State?

I am not a native Massasoit. I was born abroad, but raised in the Midwest, Iowa to be specific. This usually throws people for a loop. The typical image of an Iowan is one of a farm hick (BTW, it's corn, not potatoes). I will admit, in my youth small town life frustrated me as did my Iowa roots. As I hit adolescence my #1 goal was to leave my home state and explore the larger, more progressive world beyond the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

But I recently returned to Iowa for a visit and left feeling that perhaps I sold my home state short. The state is currently a leader in renewable energy, especially wind power, second only to Texas in production. As a self proclaimed "greenie" this makes me proud, if only by some small connection. President Obama noted this accomplishment by speaking in Newton, Iowa at a wind turbine plant on Earth Day.

The development of wind power has succeeded in Iowa for several reasons.

1. Iowa was the first state to develop portfolio standards for renewable energy. This required the state's investor-owned utilities to purchase electricity from renewable energy projects. Initially utility companies fought these requirements, but since have voluntarily gone above and beyond.
2. Wind farms work in conjunction with existing farms and make economic sense. A single wind turbine can bring in an additional $2000 -$5000 per year in income. Best of all, farmers can continue to farm around the turbines.
3. The production of wind turbines creates jobs within in the state. It's a win-win situation. The state gets clean renewable energy AND a job producing industry.
4. Iowans are, in a nutshell, pragmatic. They do what makes sense and they don't overthink the details. For some this might be viewed as a fault, but in this particular case, the results speak for themselves.

Visiting my childhood state was a bit humbling. We liberal, "progressive" New Englanders could learn a few things from these Midwestern "hicks".

Link to this video for more information on wind power in Iowa.

Lazy Composting

Last Fall my father built a large (perhaps too large) composting system in my backyard. It is composed of two 4x4x3 foot cubes made of chicken wire and left over 1x2s. I have a large yard and imagined that I could easily fill it with yard waste. What I didn't take into consideration was the difficulty my short 5'2'' body would have leaning over the bins to turn my compost pile. Nevertheless, I now have a system ready to make huge quantities of "black gold" (the gardening variety, not the Jed Clampett variety).

I have to admit up front that I am a lazy composter. I don't chop up the old, rotten vegetables I find in the recesses of my refrigerator, I don't spend a lot of time turning my compost piles and I don't sweat the ratio of carbon to nitrogen. My philosophy is let it rot and at some point I'll get some wonderful rich compost to add to my garden beds. Over the years I have raked leaves into piles at the edge of my property and without any additional effort, have found rich black soil at the bottom of the heap! Of course this was after two or three years of the leaves rotting, but the treat was still much appreciated.

This is not my first foray into the world of composting, so I have a few suggestions to offer my fellow composters:

1. Have a system. I have a three step system: 1) a small pot by the sink for vegetable trimmings, coffee grounds and stale bread; 2) once the kitchen pot is full I dump the contents in a small covered bucket on my back porch (with about 10 holes drilled into it); and 3) when that bucket is full I transport the contents to my mammoth sized compost bins in the back yard. This systems allows me to accumulate compostable materials for awhile and thus not use the excuse that the bins are too far away as a reason to throw things in the trash.


2. If you are concerned about appearances or don't want to make your own system, buy a compost bin and collector for your kitchen. You can purchase these items online (check out Clean Air Gardening and Planet Natural), from your town (if you're lucky), or your local garden center.


3. If want to be a bit more scientific or less lazy about composting, check out some websites on the issue. The Garden of Oz has a great article on composting. For the perfect compost recipe you want to work toward an ideal carbon to nitrogen ratio.


4. Don't compost meat or dairy. The last thing you want in your black gold is a hungry rodent or two.

With a little planning you'll be well on your way to making nutrient rich material for your garden and cutting down on your trash. Happy composting!

Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle

I have to admit -- I save stuff. I always have. Rarely do I throw out a gift bag, piece of ribbon, bubble wrap, or piece of furniture. I even save rubber bands and twist ties! For awhile I tried to break myself of this habit. I thought perhaps I was a hoarder -- and on several occasions have forced myself to throw things out.

We're in a different environment now. The troubled economy has us all thinking twice about what we purchase and, at the same time, what we throw away. Perhaps we will re-upholster the sofa rather than get a new one. Or maybe exhaust the local thrift shops and second-hand stores for clothes before buying new.

Reusing and repurposing items is eco-friendly. The Internet makes this easier than ever to do! We're no longer limited to yard sales, thrift stores and vintage clothing shops. We now have Craigslist, Ebay and FreeCycle. Some communities even have a "put and take" section at the dump. I know many treasures have been found at the transfer station in my town!

In housing we can take this even further. When taking on a renovation project think hard about what can be reused, recycled, repurposed and, finally, thrown out. In New England we have a perfect example of repurposing in the form of the beautiful stone walls that line the countryside. Anyone who has ever gardened in Massachusetts knows the raw material for these walls comes directly from the act of digging in the soil! If you're remodeling a kitchen why not post your old appliances and cabinets on Craigslist or Freecycle? You may not like your old white appliances, but for someone without a working stove, color is not as important. Finally, many of the materials removed in demolition, such as carpet and drywall, can be recycled.

So the next time you go to throw something out, think about it's potential for reuse. One man's trash is definitely another man's treasure!