Where my mouth is

[JudyA]

;D Well, I have done it! I'm set up to do a program for the October meeting of the local Garden Club about worms and vermicomposting.

In two weeks, I may be doing soap making demonstrations at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Festival here. I did that last year, but am a member of the Chamber this year and may have duties elsewhere.

Demos are not a bad way of networking. About as difficult to track as other forms of promotion. They do apply your talents and skills.

[Jay Blair]

Sounds great.

[JudyA]

I am thinking about taking along samples of castings to give the attendees.

Would it be best to take them in brown paper lunch bags and not tight zip locks?

I will be getting a head count and be bailing out some castings this week to give the eggs time to hatch. Then, i will definitely have some with me. Maybe in a covered bucket and if they want some, then put it in a looser bag.

I talked my grocer out of a package of those bags we put produce in. (Cost me $5). I use them for bread, produce and packing stuff. They would work for giving them some if they wanted, but I wouldn't have to be bagging items that weren't going to be accepted.

[tt]

Once you explain to them what the casting can do they will empty your bucket for sure.

[betho]

Judy, are you a soaper? I've been soaping for 7 years, it's good to see someone else with similar interests aside from worming

[JudyA]

Betho! Soap?? Yes, indeed. It all started with a chocolate stain. My grandchildren all had their little bibbies scrubs with soap and we use it perpetually for showering.

Another mad scientist thing!!!

[betho]

oh how funny with me it started with awful teenage acne. Defnitely a mad scientist thing, my husband always jokes about getting me a sign for my soap room "mad scientist at play"

[JudyA]

I have an attraction to all things mad scientist! Soap, sourdough, cheese, worms, dyeing to name a few.

[Jay Blair]

The science angle is what first drew me toward self reliance and modern homesteading. I even learned to make my own lye for making my soap for one batch the second year I made my own soap.

Of course its easier to purchase the lye rather than leaching it out of wood ash and the product is more consistent.

I just thought it would bes cool learning how the folks of the past leached the potassium hydroxide from the hardwood ash and used an egg as a hydrometer to ensure suitable density for soap making.

While I haven't had time to make soap in the last two years I did use my learned knowledge to burn some wood trimmings here this summer and leach the lye to use as drain opener on my kitchen sink one day because I was just too busy with yard work to spare the hour to go to town but could monitor the oak fire in my barbecue pit all day.

That evening , I leached the ash and poured the lye water into my shower drain. Three hours later, a flush of hot water cleared the clog. Best part is that now with the use of PVC drainpipe, caustic lye is not damaging to the pipe.

[Jay Blair]

judyann said:

I am thinking about taking along samples of castings to give the attendees.

Would it be best to take them in brown paper lunch bags and not tight zip locks?

I will be getting a head count and be bailing out some castings this week to give the eggs time to hatch. Then, i will definitely have some with me. Maybe in a covered bucket and if they want some, then put it in a looser bag.

I talked my grocer out of a package of those bags we put produce in. (Cost me $5). I use them for bread, produce and packing stuff. They would work for giving them some if they wanted, but I wouldn't have to be bagging items that weren't going to be accepted.

JudyAnn,
when using plastic bags always aerate them with pinholes to prevent them from going anerobic and souring.

Another option is to use the "21st century tin can of bait worms" I have in the Skewered board here at The Worms Turn.

[theinfamousj]

Do tell how to leach lye. Making my own drain cleaner is a much needed thing. I have a slow draining sink.

Been trying to use baking soda but that isn't going well at all.