A BIG Thank You To The Big Reuse
It’s been an unseasonably cool and rainy April/May but we made it – garden season is here! I’m behind but I’m working my way through the front and back garden. I’ve separated the Daylilies (which encourages more flowering) and took out Walker’s Low (which spreads so much). I gave the Walker’s Low and Irises to a friend who’s starting a garden for the first time. And with all the rain to encourage growth, the weeding seems endless.
4 cubic yards of beautiful compost made from NYC food scraps.
It’s been an unseasonably cool and rainy April/May but we made it – garden season is here! I’m behind but I’m working my way through the front and back garden. I’ve separated the Daylilies (which encourages more flowering) and took out Walker’s Low (which spreads so much). I gave the Walker’s Low and Irises to a friend who’s starting a garden for the first time. And with all the rain to encourage growth, the weeding seems endless.
In addition to getting my home garden in order, I’ve been doing work for the Beach 91st Street Community Garden (@beach91communitygarden). One of my responsibilities as garden manager is to procure compost every season. Since the pandemic, it’s been difficult to get a hold of. Last year we went without. I contacted my go-to source this year but got a late response. I took to Twitter for recommendations and a friend of mine suggested Big Rescue. I thought they were a thrift store selling reused furniture/appliances and home repair-type items. I went to their website and learned that they partner with the DSNY compost program! The site explains:
The NYC Compost Project Hosted by Big Reuse is part of a community-scale composting network that works to rebuild our soils by providing New Yorkers with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to produce and use compost locally. We compost food scraps locally at our processing site under the Queensboro Bridge in LIC, Queens, and at our Salt Lot facility located on the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. The compost produced is distributed locally to community organizations working to revitalize NYC’s soil. We work with over 70 Food Scrap Drop-Off Sites to collect food scraps from NYC residents. We help improve the soil in our neighborhood by distributing finished compost to community greening groups and through volunteer-powered stewardship events.
I emailed Big Reuse. I got a prompt response and scheduled our four cubic yard delivery. Lou and his partner arrived ready to go. We had trouble finagling the truck between the garden gate because there was a car parked across the street, making the angle difficult. Lou is a pro and took his time. He was mindful of my concerns about the gate and telephone wire that was low-hanging.
A big thank you to the Big Reuse for doing a fantastic job!
Me in my natural habitat.
