Energetic Kris Holstrom is the first Sustainability Coordinator for Telluride and a smart Colorado county. The action plan she developed encompasses energy efficiency and renewables, green building, food and water security, economy, and recycling/resource recovery. She enlightens us about green codes, incentives and rebates, a household energy audit program, public education speakers and conferences, even farm tours for schoolkids. For Kris, what’s at the heart of sustainability is building relationships within the community and with the land, wherever we live. Episode 120. The New Community Coalition.
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After “meeting” Kris via the previous geodesic greenhouse show, I knew immediately that she would be ideal in this (or any) role. Her notably pleasant inviting energy would inspire anyone to want to be a part of such a community action plan! Further, her energy and positivity seem limitless even as I appreciate that this is an inclusive effort – not a single-person one. So many ideas, such an expansive approach. Telluride and its partner-communities are blessed to have a community member desirous of taking such initiative with regard to local resilience.
And Stuart – your partner anecdotes are the “best.” Further…’guerilla’ fertilizing?? Fabulous!
Guerrilla fertilizing! Yes, I thought of that. I think I will take it to an herb garden that a group of friends is cultivating and spread it there. The instructions that came with the machine warned that two week old compost may look finished, but is still “too strong” to come directly into contact with sensitive plant roots and stems. Best is to spread it on the soil surface like mulch and let the composting process continue, and eventually the compost will get worked into the soil the next time tilling is done.
I am feeling a bit smug these days. I have cut my weekly garbage in half. Thanks to my avoiding car use as much as possible by walking/biking, I haven’t had to buy any gasoline since June 11 and there is still plenty left in the tank. I think I will shoot for September 11 as my next visit to the gas pump (oops, bad day).
I love your compost story. An gardenless urban viewer wrote me recently with an idea that might apply to your compost:
“Oh, by the way, I have started doing ‘guerilla’ fertilizing. Since the meager space on my balcony allows very limited agriculture, I have started sneaking out under the cover of darkness and spreading my excess castings to outdoor plants around my neighborhood. I think it would be funny if a police officer ever stopped me and asked what I was doing. Would he believe me when I said “I am fertilizing plants” at 11:oo pm at night?”
I love it: Urban Guerilla Garden Fertilizing by the Midnight Manure Man! That is too good!!! I hope it catches on everywhere! Or find someone nearby with a garden with whom you can swap — a little compost for a few vegies or flowers.
Another wonderful interview with a true visionary and inspiration, Kris Holstrom. I remember my ski weekend in Telluride back in 1980 when I was still in college. It was a beautiful town that was wrestling with over-development and poor air quality due to so many wood fires. The townspeople are very lucky to have a coordinator thinking about the many necessary things to do to prepare for an uncertain future.
I am glad to hear about the emphasis on composting. I have started composting with a new machine and noticed a dramatic reduction in my garbage, now that the food scraps all go into the composter. I was startled to see about two weeks of food scraps go into the machine and be turned into just about one gallon of rich, dark compost. The water content of food scraps is very high and this condenses into a small water tray or evaporates away during the composting process, leaving a relatively small amount of compost. That compost looked so good, I almost wanted to eat it! Just kidding, I am very sad that I don’t have a vegetable garden to use it in. I spread it on the surface of some potted wild flowers my wife is cultivating. I hope they don’t die from “compost burn.” She’ll have another story to add to the one from early in our relationship when I killed some of her wild flowers playing basketball. I remember frantically trying to prop up all those kinked flower stems, but they just wouldn’t stand up!