A few years back, Audra Boarman joined The Baer Minimalist team. When she’s not organizing, she runs Indy Go Green and Club Compost, which are incredible organizations that everyone should know about.

Over the course of more months than I’d care to admit, she slowly nudged me to give composting a go. In January of this year, we finally bit the bullet. The composting bucket sat our counter while I put off reading what could and couldn’t be composted. And then finally one evening I decided “why not start tomorrow?”

And I’m so glad we did. It has been so fun to get the kids involved, to learn more about the full cycle of growing and composting food, and working to eliminate food waste going into the trash can.

I wanted her to share a bit about her minimalist philosophy and why composting is a big piece of it. So here’s Audra, taking over the blog for the day.

Intentionality is the bedrock of minimalism. By definition, a minimalist lifestyle means intentionally promoting the things we value most in our lives and removing everything that distracts us from it. It is a lifestyle that enforces an intentional mindset. I experience minimalism as one of those joys in life where once you understand its power, you know it must be shared. An avenue straight to everyday fulfillment. Composting is a level up.

Excessive consumerism enters every aspect of our lives, including our pantries and refrigerators. (What’s worse is the endless confusion (and waste!) created by widely differing best by and sell by dates but we won’t get into that today.) Food waste is absolutely rampant.

Food in the U.S. is cheaper and more plentiful, compared to many parts of the world, and this often contributes to an underappreciation around the value of our food and where it comes from. We often make impulsive food purchases and/or obtain twice as much as needed. Habits can be challenging, but as minimalism proves, they can be interrupted and that can be rewarding!

I consider composting an example of sustainable minimalism. It’s not the kind of minimalist practice that lights your fire in the beginning but drains your battery with the upkeep (especially when curbside pick-up is an option). Composting is the act of diverting one’s food scraps, and other organic waste, and converting it into a nutrient dense soil amendment. And this practice is as old as dirt itself.

Spreading plant waste and manure on fields to improve soil fertility, a form of composting, was practiced by many early civilizations. Composting, as we now know it, layered brown (carbon) and green (nitrogen) materials turned and moistened regularly, has been around since the late 1800s where it became a basis for organic gardening and farming. It’s not a trend but a timeless practice.

It’s been said that some composters waste more than others as the result of an “Oh well, it will get composted” attitude. I can testify to this as my family has lived this truth. But this is not minimalism.

Minimalism is turning your broccoli stalks into fine julienned pieces, tossing them with some rice vinegar and cilantro and pairing it with tasty fish tacos. Minimalism is turning those soft, pathetic looking apples with a couple bruises into homemade applesauce with a dash of cinnamon, if that’s how you like it, and then composting the scraps. Minimalism is composting your banana peels OR soaking them for some plant potassium water and THEN composting them. Minimalism is knowing what you have and using it first, because it’s not waste, until it’s wasted.

As the late and brilliant Wayne Dyer says, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Indy Go Green was born as a response to Indiana’s recycling goals. Composting is the act of recycling rotting food into a soil amendment which closes the loop of our food production. Indy Go Green collaborates with individuals and businesses in an effort to create a healthier and more respected environment for all central Indiana residents. We work to educate on the personal and collective responsibility of all to create a more innovative and equitable society. 

The Baer Minimalist helps busy families create ORGANIZED + STYLIZED spaces throughout Indianapolis. In January, we started composting in our house and now can’t imagine tossing our food scraps in the trash. It’s amazing what a little nudge of encouragement from a friend like Indy Go Green can do.

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