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TextNews to Use Podcast Transcript: June 15, 2011
Good day, and welcome to the Fairfax County News to Use podcast for June
15, 2011.Coming up, learn about compost, upcoming classes for those with
chronic health conditions and how to follow Fairfax County on Facebook
and Twitter. Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can be found
online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.
If you’re a gardener, you’ve probably heard the term soil amendments,
which is organic compost that can be worked into the soil in flower and
vegetable gardens. Compost is organic matter that improves the chemical,
physical and biological content of soil. It is not an inorganic or
chemical fertilizer. It’s good food for plants and doesn’t harm the
environment.
To make compost, all you have to do is pile up your yard clippings and
kitchen scraps, occasionally turn them over, wait a year and you’ve got
all the nutrition needed for healthy flowers and vegetables without the
expense and potential environmental harm of chemical fertilizers.
Compost can be used as a natural pesticide, as a soil conditioner, for
erosion control and as protection against drought.
The nutrients from compost are released slowly, which prevents parasites
and groundwater contamination, helps your plants grow and holds water in
all types of soil. Less watering means less work for you.
You can buy compost from compost producers, landscape nurseries or
hardware stores, or make it yourself. Either way, your flowering plants
or vegetables will thrive, your water bill will likely go down, you won’t
be making trips to the store to purchase fertilizer … and you won’t harm
the environment.
For more information about composting, call the Fairfax County
Stormwater Management Team at 703-324-5500, or go online to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/NVSWCD/.
If you have a chronic health condition such as diabetes, COPD or heart failure, you may be interested in a six-session class to learn how to:
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Fight fatigue and frustration.
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Manage stress and depression.
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Set up action plans to develop an exercise and nutrition program.
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Set goals.
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Problem solve and more.
Class dates are Thursdays, June 16, 23 and 30, and July 7, 14 and 21,
from 1:30 - 4 p.m. at the Mason District Government Center, 6507 Columbia
Pike, Annandale. To register, call 202-872-7116.
Finally, join Fairfax County on Facebook and follow our updates at facebook.com/fairfaxcounty.
You can also follow Fairfax County on Twitter for key updates from across
county government at twitter.com/fairfaxcounty
or text the words and symbol “on @fairfaxcounty” to 40404 – that’s “on
@fairfaxcounty” to 40404. And for a comprehensive list of news headlines,
photos, videos, social media, email newsletters, events and more, visit
the Fairfax County NewsWire at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news.
That’s all for this News to Use podcast. Thanks for listening. For more information about the topics in this podcast and for continuous news updates, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news. You may also call 703-FAIRFAX, that’s 703-324-7329, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. News to Use is produced by the Fairfax County, Virginia, government.
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