Hello and welcome to The Compost Bin. I'm Compostwoman and I live with my family in rural Herefordshire. We have nearly four acres of garden and woodland, all managed organically and to Permaculture principles, which we share with Chickens, Cats and assorted wildlife. We also grow a lot of our own food, run courses in all sorts of things and make a lot of compost!

I am a Master Composter and have spent more than a decade as a volunteer Community Compost adviser with Garden Organic and my local Council.
I'm a self employed Environmental Educator so I run workshops and events where I talk about compost, veg growing, chicken keeping, cooking, preserving and sustainable living. I also run crafts workshops and Forest School/outdoor play sessions in our wood.

We try to live a more self sufficient lifestyle here, as best we can, while still having a comfortable life and lots of fun.


To learn more about us click on the About Compostwoman tab and remember to click on the photos to make them full size!


Monday 27 August 2007

Skincare course at Newhouse Farm..........

I have just spent 3 days away from Compost Mansions......I have been on a "skin care and household cleaners" course at Newhouse Farm, home of the Strawbridge family from "Its not easy being green" TV programme.

I went down on the train ( a very restful affair, apart from making 5 changes)....I took my mp3 player and several good books and enjoyed the experience and the scenery.

The village is beautiful, the sea and beach were lovely and the beer ( and the B&B) in the pub was VERY good!!

The course was really interesting and very worthwhile...as ever Brigit was wonderful...The course was also led by the ever lovely Helen James, who owns Innocent oils...suppliers of wonderful Hemp oils for cosmetic uses.





I had a terrific time, met some friends again from the INEBG forum, some I had met before, some I met "in the flesh" as it were, for the very first time..

and then I came back on the Friday, by train...another restful journey!!(when you have a 6 yr old daughter, you REALLY appreciate the time to read a book!!)

so now I just have next week to "look forward" to....I am having my tonsils out on the 28th August (gulp) Yes that IS tomorrow....



Good vibes please people!! and wish me luck!!!

Monday 20 August 2007

Harvest



Well I have been very unhappy with the harvest this year...normally we grow enough spuds to be self sufficient until March the following year and this year we will be lucky to have spuds of our own until October ...which is not good.

BUT Goddess be thankful we have some harvest!

Sunday 12 August 2007

So what IS the Big Green idea, then???

This is what the founder of the BGI, Brigit Strawbridge, has to say!!

"What is The Big Green Idea?
Following the making of the BBC2 series It's Not Easy Being Green, my family and I received thousands of emails from people saying they would like to live more sustainable lifestyles but didn't think they could make many changes in their lives because they were on low incomes, lived in flats or rented accommodation, or didn't have access to land for growing their own vegetables.

I have learned over the last few years that there are many, many ways we can all make a difference whatever our circumstances, and I would like to pass this knowledge on to other people. All we need to live a greener life is the will to change some of our habits and a little bit of help to know how to do this without it costing us a fortune or making our lives more difficult than they already are! In fact, once you know how, you can actually save money at the same time as conserving the earth's resources by living a more sustainable lifestyle.

So, how can we help people make changes? There is of course the Internet, but it's sometimes a bit overwhelming to be bombarded with so much information and it can be difficult to sift through the information and work out which are the best options for you. To make matters worse, how do you know who you can trust or who is out to make a quick profit at your expense?

There are a lot of genuine people and organisations out there offering advice on all things ‘green’. There are some great courses, books and magazines, as well as people demonstrating wind turbines/solar panels/big sexy green gadgets, and there are also loads of wonderful people campaigning and lobbying government and local councils - but there seems to be a gap. There appear to be very few people offering help directly to individuals who would like to make changes but don't know where to begin because they can't afford to tap into, or have not been reached by, the current green media machine. This problem seems to be especially relevant to those who live in urban and suburban environments.

Having done a great many talks across the UK, I have come to see that one of the best ways to explain to people how they can make these changes is by allowing them to see, touch, smell, feel and play with energy-saving-devices, water-saving-gadgets, alternative household cleaners, natural skincare products, clothing made from sustainable crops or recycled textiles... Basically, almost all the everyday items we use and buy have greener alternatives which can help us to reduce our impact on the planet.

The aim of The Big Green Idea is to reach people who want to change, by bringing the message to them in an attractive, hands-on, inspirational way. What better way to start than with an eco-educational double-decker bus ?!"

Saturday 11 August 2007

The WONDERFUL Big Green Gathering

I have just spent the last 6 days at the Big Green Gathering, doing my "compostwoman " bit , spreading the compost message to people outside the Big Green Idea marquee......


I spent 5 days talking to people about compost...and I learnt SUCH a lot......
I was doing my compostwoman stuff in the "Big Green Idea " marquee...a new charity just launched by Brigit Strawbridge..of "It's not easy being green" TV fame..










I HAD SUCH a good time, mr and miss cw came for a day,,,and had such fun making music work by powering a bike operated generator....I THOUGHT I was quite deep green BUT it just goes to show you can ALWAYS learn something.............

and THAT is what the Big Green Idea is all about.....learning something new...we can ALL learn from it..............
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