The 8 best compost bins for kitchens, apartments, and gardens - Curbed

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• The 8 best compost bins for kitchens, apartments, and gardens - Curbed
• Winter supplements curb weight loss in geldings [Ask the Horse Doctor] - Reading Eagle
• Should you walk your dog on the left or the right? - Lewiston Morning Tribune
• Meeting the global health challenge of worms that cause disease - McGill Reporter

The 8 best compost bins for kitchens, apartments, and gardens - Curbed Posted: 21 Jan 2020 09:30 AM PST You've ditched plastic straws for metal ones, stocked up on reusable food containers, and swapped out your old cleaning products for organic alternatives. The next logical step in your eco-warrior journey is taking on composting. According to Rebecca Louie, founder of the Compostess website and author of Compost City, "composting is the human version of re-creating what mother nature does out in the wild: taking a controlled space and mixing together various organic materials in magical cocktails or recipes appropriate to the system." The result, compost, is a soil additive so rich in plant nutrients that it's nicknamed "black gold." The "recipes" Louie mentions are combinations of carbon-based "browns" (cardboard, paper, sawdust, or wood chips), nitrogen-rich "greens" (food scraps like apple cores or banana peels), water, and air. Over time, bacteria breaks down the scraps to create compost and you end up with about 50 percent less trash. There are systems you can use to make this process happen at home, but if you prefer, you can just collect your food scraps and drop them off at a location listed at GrowNYC. For the best ways to compost at home, we spoke to Louie; Marisa DeDominicis, co-founder and executive director of environmental nonprofit Earth Matter NY; George Pisegna, Deputy Director and Chief of Horticulture at the New York Horticultural Society; Diane Miessler, Author of Grow Your Soil; Sandy Nurse, founder and co-director of BK Rot, a service that collects businesses' food waste for composting; and Jeffrey Yorzyk, Associate Director of Sustainability at the meal kit company, HelloFresh. Our panel of experts recommended a variety of composting strategies for all levels of commitment. If you want to do the bare minimum The easiest way to start is to collect your food scraps in a composting bin. You don't even have to compost them yourself: You can take them to a drop-off site. This bin comes recommended by Pisegna, who says it will minimize odor and keep fruit flies and other critters away. Most countertop compost bins come with a lid that contains a charcoal filter to reduce odors. These can be restocked online or at most local hardware stores. If you're willing to put in the extra effort (and have the freezer space), freezing your scraps before adding to a bin can also kill off any pest eggs that may be lurking. For collecting food scraps to bring to a drop-off site, Nurse recommended doing so in compostable bags made from organic materials, like these from Florida-based company BioBag. "They're great for using in a bin, and you can tie it up and bring it to a site, eliminating plastic bags," she said. If you're okay with worms as roommates If you don't have a ton of space and want an indoor composting option, all of our experts recommend worm composters, a series of stacked trays that are, yes, filled with hundreds of worms. Feed your food scraps to those worms, Louie says, and the worms poop out your compost. "Once one tray gets full, you can add another as the worms climb vertically," she says. "It's really fun, especially if you have kids who love to play with the worms." Yorzyk recommends the Hot Frog Living Composter for beginners because it's made of recycled plastic and has a liquid capture level at the bottom, should you want to use the resulting moisture, also known as worm tea, as added fertilizer for your plants. Just dilute it with water and add to the soil. Plus, with its maple hardwood legs and lime-green rounded top, this composter could almost pass as of a piece of mid-century-modern décor. If you're looking for a less expensive worm composter, Miessler recommends the Vermihut five-tray bin, which she says gets consistently good reviews and is at the low end of the price range. Although she warns that "worm bins require some simple maintenance to keep them thriving and odorless," Miessler points out that it truly is simple maintenance: "adding shredded newspapers and kitchen waste." Plus, she says, the final product — rich compost writhing with red worms - brings joy to most gardeners." Worm composting bins rarely come with worms, so you're also going to need to get yourself some of those. Louie and Pisegna recommend stocking up on red wigglers, which you can buy from her preferred supplier, Uncle Jim's Worm Farm. Pisegna suggests ordering them online but cautions that most retailers won't ship during very cold parts of the year to avoid freezing the worms. If you run into that problem he says you can also use night crawlers from a local bait shop. If you're not okay with worms as roommates If you're not down with the worm thing, you can still compost indoors with a fermenting Bokashi system. This specific bin comes recommended by both DeDominicis and Pisegna. Unlike other forms of composting, DeDominicis says, "Bokashi only works in the absence of air," and involves mixing microorganism-saturated oat bran, included in this kit, with your food waste in an airtight container. One advantage of Bokashi, Louie says, is that you can add "the crazy Frankenstein stuff in the back of your fridge — like condiments or oily things — that wouldn't go in a normal compost system." The fermented materials get buried in the ground to further decompose and nourish the soil. If you have some outdoor space All of our experts agree that the key to compost success lies in regular turning to increase aeration. That turning can happen in a number of ways, but if you're looking for a low-maintenance outdoor compost solution that can be used in both urban and rural areas, a small enclosed bin that sits low to the ground is your best best. This option, which is easy to use and should keep out rodents, is sized for a patio or rooftop and can be rotated by hand to mix food waste and browns together and encourage decomposition. Similar to the bin above, a tumbler like this one "spins around in various ways, rolling or churning your browns and greens in there and speeding things up in terms of decomposition," Louie says. This double chamber tumbler is ideal according to DeDominicis, who recommends keeping two separate piles going at all times. One side for your fresh waste and another for the stuff that's further along in the composting process. Because it sits up on legs, a tumbler takes up more space. If that's a problem because you're an apartment dweller, our experts said that some building residents have been known to share a rooftop tumbler (with their landlords' permission). That might be worth looking into if you have other eco-conscious neighbors. This larger traditional compost bin is best for those with lawns or gardens who plan on using the compost for their own plants. The bin collects water and air from its surroundings, and, when combined with the scraps you put inside, "compost happens," DeDominicis says. Finished compost can be removed from a hatch at the bottom while the upper layers continue to decompose. If we could name a status compost bin it would be the Aerobin 400. The fully sealed tower comes recommended by Pisegna, who calls it "the newest hottest thing in composting, completely airtight with zero odor." What separates it from other bins is its insulated design and internal aeration core both of which accelerate the decomposition process without any turning. Simply add your lawn clippings, food scraps, old newspapers, and plain cardboard at the top and let it do the rest. You should start seeing rich usable compost in as little as a few months. The Aerobin also features a liquid reservoir at its base and a spigot so you can collect and use the concentrated leachate or compost tea as additional fertilizer — just remember to dilute it first. And though it's more than twice the cost of any of the other bins on this list, Pisegna confirms that it's worth the price, calling it "the Boeing 747 of compost bins." If you want to know more You don't need to be an expert to start composting at home. But if you're interested in learning more about the process as well as the pros and cons of different composting methods, there are a ton of books dedicated to the subject. This one came enthusiastically recommended by Yorzyk and Pisegna, who agree that it's a classic for adults that gives a good overview. For the next generation, Pisegna recommends this cleverly illustrated children's book. The pages are filled with collaged images made from newspaper, tea bags, and other recycled materials which mirror the book's message of sustainability. Sign up for the Curbed Daily Newsletter A daily dose of design and real estate news, intel, and eye candy

Winter supplements curb weight loss in geldings [Ask the Horse Doctor] - Reading Eagle Posted: 22 Jan 2020 02:00 AM PST Dear Dr. Vittoria: I have always had my horses on pasture year-round. They typically do well, but this year one of my older geldings seems thinner. Winter weather hasn't even gotten bad. I supplement with hay and grain starting in the fall. I am concerned that I need to do something differently. – Skinny Minny Dear Skinny Minny: It is good that you noticed it now and not in February. It's easiest to get weight back on your gelding before he loses too much. Some horses change from being easy keepers to harder ones as they age. Some horses develop different nutritional requirements as they age. If you aren't giving him a vitamin and mineral balancer during the spring/summer, you should be. This geographical area is deficient in selenium and he can't get all of his vitamins from pasture alone. Balancers are available that don't add a lot of calories, so they work well for easy keepers who seem to exist on grass/hay alone. You will want to look into this for next summer. As for the winter supplementation, you mentioned grain but not what type. Not all grains are created equal. You may be tempted by the inexpensive sweet feeds that you may have used in the past, but as horses get older, they may need a senior feed. Senior feeds work well for older horses since they are easily digested. The feeds are researched by nutritional vets who specialize in studying which feeds can make our older horses do better during the winter. You could also add a straight fat supplement to the grain you already have, if he isn't quite a senior horse. This increases the calories in the feed and makes it easier for him to gain weight. I know that when we humans eat potato chips or French fries, we gain weight fast! Offering more hay during the winter also helps. If you find that they are cleaning up all the hay, you may want to add an additional flake or two per horse. Not all hays are nutritionally the same. Grass hay is the least nutritious for calories, timothy is right in the middle and alfalfa is the hot potato of calories. Some people feed a blend of these in the wintertime to help increase caloric intake. Keep in mind that there are a few medical things that can cause weight loss. Your vet can check him for Cushing's disease. Also, they can check his teeth and float (file) them to ensure he is getting the most bang for his buck with every mouthful of hay. Have the manure checked for worms, too. I have had some people say they looked at the poop themselves and didn't see any worms. My response is usually to explain the difference between intestinal worms (who live in the intestines), and earthworms (who live in the earth). You will not see worms in the manure until he has a severe infection.

Should you walk your dog on the left or the right? - Lewiston Morning Tribune Posted: 21 Jan 2020 12:00 AM PST Dear Joan: My dog, Wanda, is taking chemo for lymphoma and fortunately, she's doing great. I'm trying to get her on nice trail walks several times a week, and this raises a question. My habit is to walk on the left side of the trail, with Wanda on leash to my left. This way I'm between Wanda and other oncoming dogs and their people as we pass. Wanda loves everyone and wants to jump up on them and this helps me control her. I thought it was customary to walk on the left side, but more often than not, oncoming walkers and joggers position themselves to pass on Wanda's side. Is there trail etiquette of which I'm unaware? Dear Sue: The general rule for walking on trails is to stay to the right and pass on the left. As to which side the dog goes on, show and hunting dogs are trained to stay on their human's left side, but for most dogs, it doesn't matter. Experts, however, suggest you pick a side — left or right — and keep to it so that the dog doesn't accidentally trip you going back and forth. My dog seems to prefer the left, but maybe that's just his politics. When encountering another dog, especially one you and your dog don't know, it is wiser to put yourself between your dog and the passing one. Whether you do that or not, it's important to pull your dog into your side and keep it on a short leash. There are five basic rules of etiquette when it comes to walking your dog. Don't go onto a neighbor's yard, lawn, garden or property unless invited; scoop the poop and take it with you; don't assume everyone likes your dog as much as you do — some people don't like dogs and some are terrified of them; don't assume the dog or person you are passing is interested in being friends; and keep your dog on a leash. How you choose to pass other dogs and people is not a choice Miss Manners would comment on or criticize. Being safe is the most important thing. I hope Wanda continues to do well with the chemo. Dear Joan: I put in a very nice winter garden of broccoli, red cabbage, cauliflower, spinach and lettuce. To my distress, some critter has been eating the plants mercilessly. The leaves are often eaten down to the stub. I tried to put several bottles of Sriracha sauce around the edges of the garden, but that did not seem to work as a repellent. Do you have any idea who could be the villain? Is there anything I can do to fight back? — Saul Wasserman Dear Saul: To best combat your garden moocher, you need to determine what creature it is. Brassicas — your cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli — can be plagued by cabbage worms that can do some serious damage. Rats also are a common problem, but birds can also eat the plants. Look for the caterpillars on and in the plants, and be diligent in picking them off. If you notice the damage occurring overnight, then you've likely got rats. Look for a product that has hot peppers in it along with a wax base that will adhere to the plant in damp weather and discourage the rodents. Covering your plants with row cloth can help protect from birds and insects. Morris writes a pet and wildlife column for the San Jose Mercury News. Her email address is jmorris@bayareanewsgroup.com. You can follow her on Twitter @AskJoanMorris.

Meeting the global health challenge of worms that cause disease - McGill Reporter Posted: 15 Jan 2020 07:46 PM PST Canadians may bring parasitic intestinal worms back as unwanted souvenirs from travels abroad. But for more than one billion people in Asia, Africa and Latin America, they are more constant companions. Helminth parasitic worms, such as roundworms and hookworms, spread through fecal contamination of the soil in areas lacking effective sanitation and waste management. Chronic infection is associated with anemia, diarrhea, malnutrition, stunted growth and impaired cognitive development. Dr. Theresa Gyorkos, Senior Scientist in the Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), has dedicated her career to understanding and reducing the harms caused by parasitic worm infection. "The key," she explains, "is to eliminate fecal contamination by a combination of treatment and improved household sanitation and hygiene," a goal the World Health Organization (WHO) hopes to achieve by 2030. Until that happens, Gyorkos, who is Director of McGill's Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Parasite Epidemiology and Control, is focused on getting treatment to people living in the 100 countries where infection in endemic. Global deworming program In the late 1990s, Dr. Gyorkos began working with WHO towards establishing new guidelines for periodic deworming. A resolution adopted in 2001 by the World Health Assembly recommended preventive treatment for high risk groups, particularly school-age children. A WHO-coordinated global program was put in place with technical guidance and support provided to endemic countries. "It's amazing to see hundreds of kids in a schoolyard lining up for deworming tablets," says Gyorkos, "especially when you consider all the layers of government that need to work together to get deworming treatment to 600 million schoolchildren." Most endemic countries have established deworming programs for children in schools, which provide a ready-made infrastructure for distributing treatment and promoting prevention. The supply of deworming treatment for the WHO-led program comes entirely from donations from two drug companies, in the form of single-dose tablets; one company has even developed a chewable tablet for young children. Within each country, governments and program managers organize distribution and undertake periodic monitoring to check that the program is working to reduce worm burdens. A more recent focus is now on treating women of reproductive age to prevent anemia in mothers and low birthweight in babies. Impact of climate change and spread of parasites Gyorkos's research efforts began in Canada, with studies of South-East Asian refugees arriving in the late 1970s and 80s. "The government was considering the need to screen people for worm infections, but we found the infections were self-limited and, because of our effective waste management systems, local transmission would not occur." Another major accomplishment was a complete review of human parasites occurring in Canada, finding that some are shared with other circumpolar regions. Dr. Theresa Gyorkos "We're now looking at the impact of climate change on these parasites and their transmission," says Gyorkos, who is also a Professor in McGill's Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health. Her research abroad, notably in the Amazon region of Peru, documents the impact of worm infections, the safety of treatments and the best ways to reach people. In a study published in 2018, Gyorkos and colleagues found that chronic worm infections at a young age affect cognitive and verbal abilities as well as physical development. In 2019, she published a systematic review of risks associated with deworming treatment in pregnancy, finding no increased risk, even during the first trimester. The WHO program, however, remains cautious about treating for worm infections in early pregnancy, preferring to rule out women in early pregnancy and instead, offering them deworming treatment at a later time. Gyorkos's most recent study, which will appear shortly in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, evaluated how this ruling out can be done as efficiently as possible. "As a research community," Gyorkos emphasizes, "we contribute the evidence on which WHO can base their guidelines." When we spoke, Dr. Gyorkos was reviewing drafts of the WHO strategic plan to 2030, pleased that the McGill Collaborating Centre had been renewed for a second four-year term. The Centre testifies to the Canadian research community's responsiveness to global priorities, and Gyorkos's own commitment to mentorship and support for global health researchers worldwide. The hallmark of success? "I'm generating all kinds of interest in worms!"

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