Did you know that every Sunday, All Souls drinks up to 15 pots of coffee? That’s a good buzz not only for a prayerful gathering of God’s people but also for Making Every Day Earth Day. As many gardeners know, coffee grounds are an excellent addition to composting, being rich in nitrogen and providing bacteria the energy they need to turn organic matter into compost. An additional benefit of diverting coffee grounds from the landfill is that it helps cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Contrary to popular belief, coffee grounds are not acidic. After brewing, the grounds are close to pH neutral, between 6.5 and 6.8. The acid in the beans is mostly water-soluble, so it leaches into the coffee we drink. Recycling this valuable soil amendment and compost ingredient makes sense both economically and environmentally.
Thank you, David Fortney, who found an inexpensive source for unbleached (and therefore compostable) coffee filters and a compost bin that is well-hidden behind a bush outside the kitchen. David will work with the “Lawn Rangers” to add leaves and grass clippings to the compost. In three to six months, we will have wonderful nutrition-rich compost for our church’s landscape and if all goes as planned, we'll have such an abundance that we’ll be giving it away.
The Care of Creation Committee meets once a month and our next meeting will be on a Sunday in March (to be announced).
Interested in a field trip? We are planning Care of Creation Committee visits to La Capilla de Santa Maria (Hendersonville) to check out their "cob oven" and Holy Family (Mills River) to learn about their "Stream Keepers" efforts. Other topics in discussion include evaluation of a geothermal system for the church and educational/environmental movie nights beginning in March.
For more information, contact Dorrie Sieburg (dorriesieburg@gmail.com) or Vicki Hesse (vickihesse@yahoo.com). All are welcome to make every day Earth Day at All Souls!