Composting Co-Op Basic Info

Mark your calendars, folks, the day has come!

I'll be distributing buckets and instruction sheets on Monday, JANUARY 9, 2012!

I've been brainstorming Fourth World Composting Co-Op for a long time, and now it's coming to fruition. I'm currently soliciting members. If you live in Douglas you should join! Here's my solicitation postcard--feel free to pass it on!

Hello Neighbor!

This is a message from Forth World Composting, a new FREE composting service in North Douglas. I distribute buckets to neighbors, they fill them up with food scraps, then I collect the buckets and compost the material! Easy for you, good for the landfill, and garden compost for me! If you are interested in joining please contact me and I will add you to my rounds. Remember, this service is FREE--you just need to sign up!  Help a neighbor grow a garden and reduce your trash at the same time!

I hope to hear from you soon,

Lisa Daugherty                

Contact: 789-1283 or lisamaybehere@yahoo.com
Fourth World Farm

Here is all you need to know about the program:

I will collect your bucket every Monday and leave an empty one in its place. Leave it at your front door or at the end of the driveway.--wherever I will see it is fine! If you find you have more scraps than a bucketful let me know so I can give you two buckets a week.  If you have leaves or grass clippings from your pesticide-free yard bag ‘em up and leave them with your bucket.

Simple Dos and Dont’s

What to put in:
Moldy food
Egg shells
Fruits and vegetables
Breads and grains
(raw or cooked, it all goes in)
Coffee grounds & filters, tea bags
House plant leaves
Garden waste
Small pieces of paper (not glossy)
Finger nail clippings & hair
Used tissue
Dust pan sweepings (plastic free)    

What NOT to put in:
Meat scraps/bones

cooking oil (trace amounts ok)
Fruit/vegetable stickers (trust me, they don't break down)
Plastic
Metal
Glass
Anything that’s toxic

The list looks long, but it's really straightforward and simple!

Call 789-1283 or email lisamaybehere@yahoo.com with questions or concerns.    

Thanks for reducing your landfill usage!

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I'm doing this as my Master Gardener's Volunteer Project. Actually, I was going to do this before I took the class, so the MGVP is just my excuse.  To give you an idea of where I'm trying to go with this, here's a copy of my project proposal:

Project Name: Fourth World Composting Co-op

Intended Recipients: Residents of North Douglas at first, then the whole community. The members who sign up for my composting  co-op will benefit by having their garbage reduced and turned into fertilizer. The community will benefit by saving landfill space for things that are actually garbage. Once my co-op is running smoothly I will put together a written (and perhaps video) guide for other people to set up their own composting co-ops.

Purpose of Project: To reduce the waste of Juneau and get luscious compost in return!

Intended Outcomes: I hope that this project will get people thinking about their waste and ways to reduce or eliminate it. I also hope that people who have the space for it will use my model to start their own co-ops. It would be wonderful if they city got on board and  made a commercial facility. Lastly, I hope I’ll have lots of great compost so I can expand my garden into a co-op in itself!

Participating Master Gardeners: Lisa Daugherty

Time Frame: 
Start Date: I’m going to start soliciting members right now. The actual composting will start January 9, 2012.

Interval and time of Service:  I’ll pick buckets up once a week

Completion Date: Hopefully there isn’t one! If it works, it works! I’ll put the outreach guide together after a full year (all the seasons!) of running the co-op.

The Process:

Pre-planning:
Put together Directions Sheet for members
    Participant Parameters: Food scraps only. No meat or bones. Can also offer leaf and grass clipping collection from pesticide-free yards if bagged or toted up.
Put together postcards to solicit members
Make a database of members including name, email, phone number, address
Acquire buckets @ Costco and print basic instructions on lids
Distribute buckets and Directions Sheet.

Ongoing:
Collect buckets on Mondays (N Douglas trash day), compost material, clean buckets, and return

Collect cover materials (seaweed, leaves, rotted bark--in addition to manure/straw from my barn.) as needed
Build new compost bins as needed

Concluding:
Put together a written guide on setting up and running a composting co-op.  Possibly a Power Point or you-tube video. Have my co-op available as a model for others to visit. 

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There it is! If you want to join, email me your name, address, and phone #. If you know someone on Douglas who might be interested, by all means, pass this on!

Custom Skirt Examples

Here are some of my skirt designs! Check them out to get an idea of my style and what I can do. I can make a custom skirt for you! You can be as involved (or not) as you want.

I love to reconstruct shirts and sweaters into one-of-a-kind skirts. I use wool, cotton, and cotton/poly t-shirts. All skirts except for wraps have an elastic waistband. Trim is a nice option for many skirts --I especially love to add cotton eyelet lace. I can add handmade applique patchwork, pockets, snaps, and velcro. If you have shirts you don't wear anymore, consider having them made into a shnazzy upcycled skirt!

The Side Panel

  The Patchwork Mini -paneled for a nice drape and swing. Great for twirling.Circle bottom, 

or random pixie flares.

The A-Line

 

 The Hoodie-Skirt - swoop-down, up-cut, or smooth across.....

 The T-Skirt - patchwork, side-pannel, A-Line, fleece back...

 

The Sweater Skirt 

The Tiered - patchwork, prairie cotton

The Fleece Wrap

  

Peace Pants - Peaceful thoughts from the Dalai Lama written with fabric markers on khaki skirts and pants.

Ready to rock one? 

E-mail me at lisamaybehere@yahoo.com  or 

check out my etsy page! 

Thanks for looking!

I Survived My First Craft Fair!

I had no idea what to expect.....but it went well! I had a lot of positive responses and met a lot of interesting people. I can't wait to see people sporting my stuff around town. The skirts were a big hit, so I'm definitely going to focus on those for the next fair, which is the first weekend in December. Here are pictures of some of the skirts that sold. It was so hard for me to see them go! There was a Pendleton plaid I made from one of Atlin's shirts that was so sweet, but I didn't get a picture of it. It was grey, blue and black plaid wool with lace trim along the bottom. I was so jealous of the buyer!

 

I also sold produce bags, snack bags, magnets, purses, and earrings. Other random things made appearances, such as scarves, push-pins, legwarmers, wallets. It was a lot of work, but it was amazing to see people's enthusiasm for my work. I think I also got quite a few people thinking about plastic bags!

 

I think it's notable that I did not give out one plastic or paper bag! Only one person even asked for a bag,  and she didn't seem to mind when I said "sorry, no bags!" Stuff usually automatically gets bagged up, so people don't really think about whether it's a choice, or whether they actually NEED the bag, especially outside the grocery store. But the amazing thing is that when they don't automatically get a bag, they are adaptable! No bag, okay! Maybe it's really up to vendors to phase out bags.....

In any case. I think a lot of people were stoked on my stuff, and I'm stoked on that! Time to go sew some more!

Serving it Up

Fourth World Living has been brewing on Douglas Island for quite some time. Here it is poured.

At the Fourth World Farm I have (and am continually building) a forest permaculture garden. I also sell eggs laid by our lovely chickens. The summer 2012 should welcome in the addition of a small veggie stand.

Fourth World Composting Co-op is a co-op I am setting up as part of an effort to reduce people's waste and educate them on composting. Pick-up will commence with the ringing in of the new year!

Fourth World Goods is a storefront I have for selling the wares I make. It's up on Etsy, and hopefully it will be seen around town soon.