What do you do with your kitchen scraps?

**Dave'sGirl** · 12-21-2008, 08:57 AM

We're surrounded by God's wonderful creatures, so tossing the kitchen scraps on the pile in the winter is just feeding the critters. I'm really at a loss on what to do with our kitchen scraps during the winter. I just hate throwing them away, so I've just been tossing them into the woods for the deer, squirrels and rabbits (hopefully the bear is sound asleep at this point). It's just that I'd rather feed the garden than the furry beasts

so what do you suggest?

**ri*smom** · 12-21-2008, 09:07 AM

The veg/eggshells/coffee grounds always go in the compost pile; the meat scraps go to our sweet old hound; and the really good veg scraps can go to our lady rabbit (who so kindly turns them into pellets that REALLY enrich the compost).

**The Muse** · 12-21-2008, 09:13 AM

I feed them to my worms (I have a vermicomposter).

**ri*smom** · 12-21-2008, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by The Muse

I feed them to my worms (I have a vermicomposter).

Ohhhh, I have always wanted to get some worms and make the liquid gold!! Is it hard to maintain? Did you buy one of the pre-made worm composters or did you make your own?

**The Muse** · 12-21-2008, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by ri*smom

Ohhhh, I have always wanted to get some worms and make the liquid gold!! Is it hard to maintain? Did you buy one of the pre-made worm composters or did you make your own?

I have the can o worms set-up. I could've made one much cheaper, but we're going to keep it on the deck in the warmer months and DH wanted something somewhat attractive so we splurged.

There was a learning curve with it, but now it's very easy to maintain. The hardest part is coming up with enough scraps to feed them. We have very little food waste, so I often bring home the spent coffee grounds from work.

**madhen** · 12-21-2008, 10:24 AM

I have chickens, so I toss most of my scraps out to them. I also vermicompost, so some go to my worms.

If you don't have chickens, tossing out well away from the house to feed the wildlife sounds like a wonderful gesture.

**homesteadmamma** · 12-21-2008, 10:34 AM

Our scraps go into our composter. We empty it out in the fall and by the time winter is over, it's full again.

**Dave'sGirl** · 12-21-2008, 10:43 AM

ri*smom, I'd love to have a bunny or two for just that reason, their pellets, probably when I retire and have the time to snuggle with them as well, I'll get one or two.

I'd also love to vermicompost. Thanks for the link, I'll look into that.

Chickens...I'd LOVE to have a few laying hens or a couple ducks even, but Dave isn't too keen on the idea of poultry p**p all over, and I don't like the stink of a coop, so we'll have to do some more thinking on that. Also coyotes in the area, so I'm not sure I'd like to get into that either.

Thanks all, for the input!

**TheRootedNomad** · 12-21-2008, 11:58 AM

I would love to compost but we had an issue with rats in the neighborhood a couple of years back. They would nest under the compost heaps. I have no desire to bring them back by supplying a food source. I feed my dogs what doesn't go into soup. Then the odd ball stuff llike eggshells go in a can fo rmy sister;s garden.

**Grayce** · 12-21-2008, 01:03 PM

We compost whatever we can. The composter was emptied and spread on the garden last fall. Over the winter we add to it and it gets pretty full. We have not had a problem with rodents but we do have a cat and he is constantly hunting so he would keep any rodent population down.
We also have green bin composting offered through our city garbage pickup. Anything that cannot be put in our compost heap goes into the green bin for picjup. We put things like meat scraps and oil in it.

**brook** · 01-02-2009, 04:51 PM

dogs, chickens, worms, compost.

**missyali** · 01-02-2009, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by The Muse

I feed them to my worms (I have a vermicomposter).

Me, too. Although, the compost bin is taking the worms' overflow.

**duckduckgoose007** · 01-02-2009, 10:27 PM

Jim has a Crow Call...he calls and in a very few minutes the crows come and eat it up. It is fun to watch them.

**MRAHoffman** · 01-03-2009, 11:30 AM

I live in Michigan...do any of you compost in the snow and ice areas? Take care and God bless.

**thefrug** · 01-03-2009, 11:44 AM

all meat scraps go to the dogs and the cats. all raw vegie scraps goes to the rabbit and then what he doesn't eat goes into the compost pile. egg shells and coffee grounds go into the garden area and on some of my flowers. there are no cooked vegie scraps because we eat them all or I make a fritatta or soup with them. theres rarely any waste here.