Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #984705 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Synopsis
What do you do with Doggy-Doo? Can I put corks in my compost bin? Do worms have lungs? Why is my compost full of thousands of tiny white flies? Vital questions such as these are the lot of a Compost Hotline Operator, as Spring Gillard knows only too well. That really is her job description, and she fields calls like this all day long. She also meets a cast of characters curiously crazed by the garden bug. Like Ellen who wears worm earrings and belts out the 'Compost Rap' to unsuspecting participants in her vermi-composting class. Or Laurel, worm bin mural artist, Wet Coast Wes the Scarecrow, Scissor-happy Sally, and Mike their fearless leader, prone to tai-chi fits...The Diary of a Compost Hotline Operator began in 1996 as a series of entries on the web site of City Farmer, Vancouver's non-profit urban agriculture group that has been thriving for 25 years. It is packed with barely credible real-life tales from the trenches of the urban horticulture avant-garde, dealing with all manner of gardening lore. It is also a mine of useful resources - perfect reading for garden fanatics, gift-givers, ag-academics and environmentalists, and all who like to laugh while they learn.

Customer Reviews

More than just compost
You could read this book just for the fun of it. Or you could read it to get a thorough grounding in all the current basic reduce, re-use, recycle wisdom.

The writer works to City Farmer, an organization in Vancouver, Canada that specializes in urban agriculture and in enhancing the sustainability of our cities. The writer may spend some time as operator of a compost hotline but she knows an awful lot about all the ecological issues facing people who live in cities. Similarly, while she lives in Vancouver, her writing is relevant to almost all cities.

In the eight chapters she deals lightly with compost, bugs, cob houses, yard waste, water conservation, dog (and cat) poop, and critter control. Nowhere does the reader felled preached to. There is no “You ought to....or else” There are just gentle, humorous stories and observations. If you discovered something new to you (Wow! Bags of dog poop can explode in the compactor of a garbage truck! Who knew?) then maybe you might act on that. There is also a chapter on urban agriculture initiatives in New York and in Havana, and the issues facing the people involved in those cities. Each chapter ends with a generous list of resources, mostly publications, web sites and organizations.

There is so much delicious jam enfolding the pill of learning that you don’t know you’re swallowing it. This bok was a delight when it might have been a bore. I enjoyed it tremendously.