Berendo Nature

Berendo Gourmet Caffe’s co-owners, Lyse and Nathalie, are true outdoor enthusiasts. They have a passion for protecting the environment and their day-to-day activities reflect this. To cite one example, they currently recycle all their coffee compost through a local school of horticulture.  In the spring, they also like to share with neighbours and friends for their gardens.

Environment

The safeguarding of the environment has been a world stake for several years. In fact, scientists like our  Canadian David Suzuki and diverse international organizations such as Green Peace have made it their crusade for over 30 years.

Each and everyone of us has an immediate responsibility towards our children and future generations.

Our natural resources are not unlimited.  Our over-consumption of  energy and water and the pollution of our rivers; the non-recycling of recyclable products makes it an immediate priority to ensure that we do protect our natural resources

Composting

Composting is a natural process through which organic material is converted into a soil-like product called compost or humus (pronounced “hue-mous”).  The process works with the help of micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi combined with air and moisture.   Composting is an important way to recycle and can be done at home.  It is an easy way to reduce the amount of household garbage by about one third.  As well, it produces a valuable soil supplement for use in gardening and landscaping.

Berendo Gourmet Caffe uses the compost coming from their commercial Saeco machines. In the spring, the coffee compost is used by neighbours for their gardens and the balance is recycled with a local school for horticulture.

Waste to Use

From the kitchen:

• Coffee grounds
• Fruit scraps
• Vegetable trimmings
• Egg shells (crushed)
• Shredded paper
• Shredded cardboard
• Tea bags

From the garden:

• Dead leaves
• Grass (not we)
• Plants and weeds (without ripe seeds)
• Old potting soil
• Soft plant stems

Do not include

• Meat
• Fish
• Bones
• Fats and oils
• Dairy products
• Cheese
• Pet waste
• Cat litter
• Rhubarb leaves and walnut leaves
• Vacuum waste

Composting: Questions & Answers

How long does it take to compost ?

The composting process can take from 2 months to 2 years, depending on the materials used and the effort involved. To accelerate the process, the pile must be a balance between wet and dry material, turn it frequently and make sure the waste is shredded or in small pieces. 
Compost is ready to be used when it is dark in colour, crumbly and has an “earthy” smell. You can sift the compost to eliminate material which has not yet finished composting. Return this back to the pile to complete its transformation into humus.

Can I compost in the winter?

Yes, you can compost year-round. As the temperature falls, microbial activity decreases but it starts up again as soon as the weather warms up. To make room for your winter organics, empty the finished compost from your unit in the fall. You may also want to move the unit to a more accessible location for the winter. Also, organics can be collected in a covered container stored just outside the back door. In the spring, the collected organics can be added to your composter. Kitchen wastes are high in nitrogen so you need to add lots of leaves or something rich in carbon to be sure that you have the right carbon-to-nitrogen ratio needed for the microorganisms to be most effective.

Is composting good for the soil?

Composting improves plant and root growth

Composting increases the soil’s organic matter content

Composting reduces rate of nutrient release

Composting improves soil porosity

Composting (coffee grounds) attracts and nourishes earthworms.

Composting improves water-holding capacity

Composting improves resistance to wind and water erosion

Composting helps plant disease suppression

Composting enhances plant and flower growth and helps plants develop a sound root structure

Recycling

Recycling is an essential element to the preservation of our natural resources.  Recycling reduces the need to incinerate waste.  It is our duty to be conscious of environmental problems and act accordingly and limit the use of natural resources and primary products.

Here are a few examples of the length of time waste stays in our environment.

Here are a few examples of the length of time waste stay in our environment

Plastic cups and bags: 100 to 1000 years

Polystyrene, calling cards: 1000 years

Glass: 4000 years