I now have two full compost stations. I have done the second turn over on them both, and I’m presently building a third, using garden weeds, cow parsnip, kitchen scraps, goat, horse, and chicken manure, soiled straw and hay, and fish bone meal.

I have a partially filled station down by the pen, in one of the lower compost stations. I’m going to put this older, but not yet fully broken down compost in five gallon buckets, and mix it with the material in the now partially full station.

The new development is going to be the addition of worms. Wow – in my lifetime—me, into vermiculture. I guess this will make me a vermiculturalist. Tonight, I’ll go over to Karen Hoppe’s place, and make a trade – manure for worms.

I’m planning on setting my worm containment system by the upper compost stations. I’ll put them in five gallon buckets partially filled with compost, on stands. The buckets will have holes in the bottom—this way, the water will drip into tubs at the base of the buckets. I will then put the run off into the compost. And I’ll add the castings to the compost before doing the sifting.

It’s been raining. As I write this, I’m keeping my eye on the kitchen addition roof. I’ll go outside and cover my one uncovered station, should it start to rain. It was a bit too damp, so I took the tarp off it.

I’m now also giving serious thought to a mushroom growing venture. Pete said that we might be able to build an area onto the new hay shed – this way, I can cultivate mushrooms in the winter. I’m going to call this the shroom room. I want to rig up a methane digester, and this way produce the heat that sterilizes the mushroom growing material.

Manure buckets delivered to Karen's

Karen's hot tub

Karen's hoop house made from old cable spools

I’m not sure why I enjoy dealing with manure–as opposed to planting or pulling weeds. Actually, I’m okay with pulling weeds if I know that they’re going into the compost. Go figure. I’m now very much looking forward to the day in which I attend my first garden show – I’ll be there with my buckets, labeled, and my display. I’ll also have tee-shirts made – they will say – Compost Happens – and have a photo of a horse pooping underneath. Yep, this is all something that I’m going to follow through on.

Next: 182. 06/8/12: Hrimmi – A Progress Report