It's Photo Friday Again!

  For this Photo Friday we’re doing a little feature on a DIY project we’re trying in the office. We recently re-pinned a tutorial on Pinterest that teaches you how to take old 2-liter bottles and turn them into self-watering, seed starter pots. It’s a great way to use up some of that old plastic and it works really well! For ours, instead of starting out little vegetables, we planted a small Blue Moneywort. It is a cute little crawling plant that does great along the bottom of flowerbeds as well as hanging baskets. Its small blue-violet flowers are really lovely to look at. We planted this little guy with some soil, and of course compost, about a week ago and so far it has been thriving. Thanks to Skruben.blogspot.com for the great tutorial! Here is the link to their tutorial: http://skruben.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-to-self-watering-seed-starter-pots.html

Photo Friday

We decided that this Friday, we would share a picture of one of our GreenRU trucks, hard at work out at our Eddyville site earlier this week. It was a sunny and beautiful day out there!

International Compost Awareness Week Kickoff Day

As many of you may be aware, this week is International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW). Later this week we will be at the Iowa State Capitol Building to have a proclamation signed by the Governor recognizing ICAW and Chamness Technology for being a forerunner in the state! However, there are ways that you can celebrate ICAW at home as well! Here are just a few.

Plant some Tomatoes
This year the U.S. Composting Council announced their 1 Million Tomato campaign, so planting one of the million yourself is a great way to celebrate ICAW. Tomatoes do especially well in a soil/compost mixture that can result in bigger, brighter, and juicier tomatoes!

Start Composting At Home
It may seem difficult, but starting to compost at home is actually pretty easy. You can't do all of the organic products that we can handle at the professional level, but eggshells, coffee grounds, and old salad are some great first steps in your own composting journey!

Get your Workplace Composting
A lot of companies are beginning to put corporate sustainability policies in place, so why not make it a very sustainable place to work? Many companies don't even think about compostings, or realize there's a company in Iowa that can help you do it! Contact GreenRU if you're interested in getting your work composting at sales@greenru.org or 855-RU-VERDE

Find A Local Composter and Buy Some Compost For Your Garden
Compost can help everyone have a more beautiful and bountiful garden, no matter what the size. Keeping the compost local reduces the environmental footprint and can work wonders in all kinds of soil! We sell compost at our Eddyville and Ames facilities, so make sure to stop by if you need some locally sourced compost!

Photo Friday

Hello! It's Friday again, which means time for another photo! Today's photo comes from last weekend's Yard and Tree Waste Free Day in Ames! Did you see us there? We were very impressed with these two bikers from Cycles Recycling who brought in yard and tree waste in the greenest way!

Featured Article: Scientific Proof that Trees Make Us Happier

We can't say we're surprised by this, but it's definitely good news. According to today's featured article there is now scientific proof that trees make us happier!
The study also found that being around trees and green spaces ranks at the same levels of big things like marriage in your overall happiness. How crazy is that?!
With more articles like this emerging seemingly all the time, it's great to go out and plan your own green space, complete with trees, today!

Read the article here.

Green Pest Control for Your Garden

Good news- it's nice enough to garden outside, and your plants have been getting plenty of rain.
Bad news? That also means that common garden pests will soon be out full force. If your garden contains edibles it is understandable to be hesitant towards chemical pest repellants, because you'll be eating what you're spraying them on later. So, today's blog features some great ways to deal with pests without the insecticide.

Increasing Garden Diversity
While it may seem simple, increased diversity in gardens can help deter many pests and minimize the threat of others.

Adding Compost To Your Garden
Adding compost to your garden is a great way to protect your plants from many pests, while still drawing in beneficial organisms. Before they get thrown in the compost egg shells, nut shells, and coffee grounds sprinkled around your plants will also greatly deter creepers and crawlers from entering your garden. Similarly, Banana peels deter aphids from your plants, so the finished compost overall will have a great effect on the garden and your pest problem.

Attract Natural Pest Predators 
Bird baths and feeders are a great way to lower your pest problem because to local birds these pest provide a tasty treat! Just making your garden bird friendly will lower your pest problem immensely.

Natural Made Pest Control
Mixing a small amount of soap with water does a great job at driving away a lot of pests. One great recipe we've found is:

• 1 Table Spoon Canola Oil
• A Few Drops of Ivory Soap
• 1 Quart of Water
• Shake well, poor into spray bottle.
• Spray plant from above down, and from below up to get the undersides of the leaves.

The Oil will smother the pests in their tacks.

Have any other pest problems? Let us know in the comments and we'll do our best to get you an answer!

Photo Friday

Happy friday everyone! This weekend is our Free Day at the Yard & Tree Waste Site in Ames. We figured a wood related picture would be best! This is from a wood grinding job we did last year.

Featured Article: 5 Reasons You're Killing Your Indoor Plants

With all the rainy weather we've been getting lately, we thought that a shift to indoor plant life might be better. Indoor plants often times seem much harder to keep going. Today's article goes over the most common mistakes people make with their indoor plants, and how to remedy them.

What do you think are the most common reasons for house plants dying? What are your remedies? Share in the comments!

Read the article here.

Featured Article: Turning waste into compost

We admit, we're a bit biased in our thinking that today's article is pretty great. This story features one of the customers of GreenRU, who's material is all dropped off at our Eddyville facility. As today is Earth Day, it is important to remember the real impact that a company can make by choosing to compost their organics, and just how much of the waste stream this can alter. 

GreenRU is doing some great work across Iowa to divert organics for both large and small scale customers. If you want to learn more about GreenRU and their services or Chamness Technology and ours, feel free to contact us at our respective number: 855-RU-VERDE and 855-4U2-GROW.

Read the article here.

Photo Friday

Happy Friday, everyone. Today's photo was taken earlier this week, early in the morning. What do you think?

Make sure to share your favorite shots from this week in the comments!

Featured Article: Why Bother Composting?

As a company that offers commercial composting solutions, we're a little biased when it comes to composting. However, the Huffington Post's article from yesterday summerizes our feelings on the subject particularly well.

While composting may not be glamorous or first nature for many people, the positive outcomes can't be overlooked. With less organics going to the landfill there will be less methan gas being released in the atmosphere, and it reduces the rate at which landfills are rapidly filling.

We could make our own arguments, but why not read them from an outside source. Be sure to contact us if your business is interested in diverting it's organics as well!

Read the article here

New Items to Try In Your Garden in 2013

Well, Spring has officially been here for almost a month (even if nobody told the weather)! It's about time to start finalizing projects large and small that you are planning for your garden. We love adding new items to give our gardens some personal flair. All of these items are new ideas (at leaste to us) that we love for this year's garden additions. 

Mailbox turned Tool Organizer

 Have an old mailbox laying around that you're not using? We love this idea to reuse it as a Tool Organizer for your garden.  It's a great way to keep everything at hand when you need it!

Concrete Planter

 These concrete planters are very cute! These could be great path liners in a garden or on a patio, or a centerpiece for an outdoor table.

Found Object Outdoor Art

 This Owl is made from a variety of lids and looks great on a fence or hanging from a tree. He's a quirky and fun way to add a little personality to any outdoor space!

Cedar Storage Side Table

It seems like Cedar is the unofficial wood of outdoor furniture. That works for us, especially on lovely pieces like this one, which is stylish and will keep your outdoor cushions dry!

Have another great idea that you don't see above? Be sure to share it in the comments! We'd love to see it! 

Photo Friday

Well, it's Friday again, and we will definitely take rain over snow! The snowfall we had yesterday thankfully melted quickly and it's been all rain since!

Did you get any great snap shots this week? Be sure to share them in the comments!

Featured Article: Create a Butterfly Garden

With all this rain we've been moved to indoor garden planning once more(although we're loving the rain). This beautiful DIY gives you tips and tricks to creating your own Butterfly Garden! Butterflies make a lovely addition to any garden, so we're eager to try this garden plan out.

Will you try this in your garden? What do you think are the pros and cons? We love that it's pretty easy to understand and follow! Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Read the full article here

Featured Article: Tips for Growing Food in a Small Space

Wow! Can you believe the weather today? Here's to hoping it sticks around!

Weather like this makes us even more excited to plant both flowers and gardens! Are you feeling left out by your small spaces? Fear not! Today's featured article is all about growing food in small spaces. We love how much you can actually grow in pots! We've even seen pins for fruit trees in pots! What a great idea!

This article is chalk full of ideas to best utilize your small space for your own garden, so check it out! What is your favorite tip to try?
Read the article here.

Photo Friday

Wow! How about this weather? We're happy to let it stay, and we don't even mind the April showers forecasted for the weekend. It's definitely a good Friday today!

Our Wood Waste Site in Ames opened up this week! We're excited to get to work with our neighbors to take all of their yard and tree waste. In honor of that today's photo is another shot of our Grinder! Check it out!

Look at that closeup! Make sure you share your photos from this week in the comments!

Featured Article: Advice for Getting Summer Bulbs in the Ground

With above freezing temperatures during the day for about a week, we're really getting ready for Spring. Stores are agreeing with us and starting to stock their garden centers for all of the eager gardeners. If you've ever wondered how people get their summer bulbs in the ground, today's featured article is sure to help.

HGTV Gardens goes into great details about how to get your summer bulbs going. Now is the time, so don't delay! Read the article today and then run out to get yourself some bulbs to plant!

Read the article here

Tips for Growing Tomatoes

In the spirit of the U.S. Composting Council's Million Tomato Compost Campaign, we thought we'd give you some tips on growing your own tomatoes this year. We've collected a few of our favorite tips and tricks to growing big and beautiful tomatoes! Be sure to share any additional tips you might have in the comments.

Location, Location, Location!

Tomatoes love sunshine, so make sure you place them where they can get about 8-10 hours of sunshine a day! However, wind can be detrimental to them if it is too strong, so make sure that it's also an area where they won't get blow away.

Timing

You want to make sure you plant after the risk of frost has abated. Freezing can cause a whole slew of problems for your tomatoes, so it's better to be safe and wait until the risk has gone.

Chose your Type of Tomato Carefully

Certain types of tomatoes flourish, while other wither in specific climates. Find out what kind of tomatoes do best where you are! One way to test it out is to try a couple different kinds of tomatoes your first year planting. There are also many other resources for finding out which ones do best where you live, such as searching online or inquiring at local greenhouses.

Start your soil off right

One great way to ensure your tomatoes flourish as much as possible is to mix in compost with your natural soil prior to planing. This will help fight off diseases, pests, and encourage your tomatoes to grow better (and larger).

Photo Friday

Happy Friday everyone! The high here is forecast at 65 degrees! What a turn around from last week! Next week our Wood Waste site is opening in Ames, IA, so we thought we would show you a picture of our wood grinder!

Be sure to share your favorite photos from the week in the comments!

Featured Article: 5 Easy Garden DIYs with Pallets

Usually we try to keep our features to once a week, but this was too great to skip! This article has 2 very important things, Gardens and Pallets.

This Apartment Therapy article has 5 DIY pallet recreations for any garden lover! Weather you use your garden to entertain guest or just your children, there is something here for you! While we love all of these DIYs, we especially love the sweet playhouse for under $10! Considering the price of a playhouse, that's quite the bargain! Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.

Read the article here

Featured Article: Secret to ordering healthier food is seeing how far you have to walk to burn it off

Many restaraunts have already started to show health information next to your ordering options, but do you think your impression of the information would change if you realized how much you had to walk to burn it off? That's the theory explored in this article.

We're all for people eating healthier, but we're also wondering what impact this could have on food waste. Would it leave more people wasting their food, or saving it for another time? That's our hope, but we can't decide if it'd actually happen. Either way, these statistics are very interesting, and 3 miles for a 20 oz. soda definitely puts it into a very relatable unit. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Read the article here.

Photo Friday

Well, we made it through another chilly week in Iowa, which means it's friday once again! The first day of Spring was this week. What do you think, does it look like Spring outside?

We don't think it does! Here's to hoping the second week of Spring is a little more like a lamb and a little less like a lion! 

Backyard inspiration

We're really ready for this winter weather to cut it out, especially since today is the first official day of spring! However, since the weather doesn't take our advice, we decided to share some inspiring backyard ideas to help you plan your backyard transformation for once the weather finally returns to spring temperatures.

A fun and unique garden bench

How whimsical and fun is this bench? The article features many unusual bench ideas to add an original twist to any garden.

Stacked Planters

 Stacked planters like these are pretty, easy to make, and easy to personalize. We love how open this tutorial is because it leave open the opportunity to decorate in any way you want!

DIY Garden Stones

We love how chic and current these garden stones look, and yet they're completely easy to DIY! They definitely tie in with any garden theme!

Outdoor Bowling Alley

 This easy to make outdoor bowling alley is a great entertainment piece for garden parties and bbqs. Your backyard will be the most popular place on the block!

Wood Cut Garden Path

This beautiful garden path is also easy to DIY, and the instructions come from a couple who tried it, retried it, and know how to improve it, so that your wood cuts don't start to look the same color and the ground around them!

These are our favorites for this spring planning season, but what are yours? Share the links in the comments!

Featured Article: Beware! How 10 Dangerous Materials Are Recycled

While we're happy to help you with your organic waste streams, there are some dangerous materials that are much harder to recycle, but also very dangerous in a landfill. When we found this article we knew we had to share it with you!

This article has 10 dangerous materials and how to recycle them. The article links to many different resources for recycling these materials, ranging from unused explosives to asbestos. We think it's a pretty comprehensive list!

Do you have another dangerous material that you recycle? Let us know what and how in the comments!

Read the article here.

Photo Friday

Happy friday everyone! Our forecast includes some warmer weather this weekend so far- so we're excited for that! Today's photo includes our dredging work!

Our Favorite Mason Jar DIYs

It seems like you can't avoid Mason Jar DIYs these days, but we're not upset about it! It's a great chance to reuse old mason jars and give them a new life and a new place in your home! So, today we've rounded up a few of our favorites to share with you!

"Redneck" Wine Glass

 These fun wine glasses will have your guest laughing and impressed! Plus- it's great for drinking in a carpeted area, as it has a lid!

Bathroom organizer

 When looking at this chic bathroom organizer, it's hard to believe how easy it is to make yourself! A fun and easy way to keep your bathroom necessities in order!

Candle Holder

These candleholders look like you could have picked them up at the pottery barn, but cleaning out your old mason jars is much cheaper! These could definitely make a nice centerpiece or mantel piece!

Terrarium

 A great rainy day project for your inner gardner, or perhaps for the little gardner you know, these terrariums are sure to give you a necessary dose of green, especially during the winter months.

Stylish Decorated Jars

 While the tutorial calls them votive jars, we can't see why you couldn't do this for any size mason jar and use them for a variety of things, from candle holders to pencil holders!

Solar Panel Light

 These solar jars are especially popular, and you can buy them from many different stores. However, these DIY ones cost $6, and the pre-made ones cost much more! Great addition for your deck or patio parties!

Simple Chandelier

 This fun chandelier can add original flair to any room. Wouldn't this look great over a bar/island in the kitchen?

Indoor Wall Planter

 This planter is great. We would love to use it as an herb garden and put it in the kitchen, so fresh herbs are literally a few steps away.

Succulent Planter

Succulents are rather easy to care for, and now it's easy to find your new succulent's new home! Just take an old mason jar you aren't using, layer rocks or polished stones, and then put your succulent on top!

Oil Lamp

These are great for outdoor parties. If you added a few of the right oils, these could also be an insect repellant! You could dress up the jars with food colors or some heavy thread patterns tied around the jar. The possibilities are endless!

These are just a few of our favorites- what are yours? Share them in the comments!