Jamestown, N.Y. – Janet Forbes, chair of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown’s Giving Garden Project, was excited to share with the congregation the news that, “The UUCJ Giving Garden two-bin compost system is up and growing!” Alan Brown provided much of the labor so it would be ready during International Compost Awareness Week in early May. Forbes noted that they added grass clippings, buckets of coffee grounds from RydersCup Coffee in Lakewood, and other organic yard trimmings to get the compost started. She provided a list of items that the congregation can add including kitchen scraps, shredded paper and newspaper, sawdust, wood chips, and fireplace ashes. She also explained what not to compost and why, such as dairy products and meat-related items that could attract pests, and yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides that could kill beneficial composting organisms. By contributing to the compost bins, located near the raised gardens behind the church, members will divert organic material from the landfill and create robust, healthy, organic soil for their garden. Linnea Carlson, a member of the congregation, is manager of the Jamestown Public Market and Mobile Market, under the umbrella of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Produce from the Giving Garden will be donated to the Mobile Market to help address the issue of food insecurity in Jamestown. The Giving Garden is a project of UUCJ’s Social Justice Committee. Additional participants include Bruce Anderson, Anne Watkins, and David Winner. According to Forbes, “Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to affirm and promote seven principles. The Giving Garden is our members’ living our seventh UU principle, ‘Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.’” The theme for the 2021 International Compost Awareness Week in the United States was “Grow, Eat…COMPOST…Repeat.” More information about composting and Compost Week can be found at CompostFoundation.org. To learn more about the Jamestown Public Market and Mobile Market, visit JtownPublicMarket.org and their Facebook page. Located at 1255 Prendergast Avenue, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving the southern tier of Western New York and Warren County, Pa. The UUCJ’s mission is to promote and provide a community where diverse people of all ages may explore the meaning of existence, give expression to liberal religious values, and work for a just, sustainable society. ### Comments are closed.
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