Become Self Sustainable: The Eggshell

 Become Self Sustainable: 

The Eggshell

By Jordan Marie

Up until last year, my egg shells went in the compost and were picked up every week (every two weeks in the winter months), and I would sit back, feeling pleased with myself to think that my small actions were contributing to the greater good of our environment. Well, then I started to learn more about soil health, its impact on our environment and from there I decided it was time to start actively becoming self sustainable. I started to have conversations with individuals who knew about how to start with a sustainable living, sustainable gardening,  food and cooking….making use of all we have, the best way that we can. Then I watched the documentary “Kiss the Ground”, and I was enthralled…..hook, line and sinker.

From personal research, and conversations I have had with people, the simplicity and diversity of what I could do with just a mere egg shell, blew my mind wide open to so many possibilities….and that is just the shell….we aren’t even talking about egg storage, cooking, producing etc yet!

The eggshell….so delicate but mighty. It is a home for a chick, or an egg that we eat, it is a pot for seedlings, mulch around our plants or a great contributor of calcium and carbon to the soil that will be our garden.

So, how can this be done with this delicate item you say? Here, I will break it down for you and give you step by step guidance on how to do it. 

Becoming  Self  Sustainable: The egg shell

    Once I have used my eggs for cooking (my bestie always comes through with the best fresh farm eggs), and I have no further cooking use for what is left (the shell), I take the eggshells and clean them under hot water and leave them to dry. Make sure that you let them dry well, or this next part won't be as smooth for you. After I have a decent amount of eggshells, I crush the eggshells with my hands into my old coffee grinder and mill the eggs until they are a fine powder. Do not forget to leave the lid on for a minute after grinding the eggshells down, otherwise a fine cloud of eggshell dust will invade your space right away. I do not recommend this experience…inhaling fine eggshell dust smells funky to say the least. Once the dust has settled and I have created the fine powder I am looking for, I transfer the egg meal into a clean jar for safe keeping until it is needed. 

So what do I do with this beautiful fine powder? I use it in my garden of course! Oh yeah, and I use the egg shell powder in my pots and baskets too. 

I have found that my seedlings take to the garden transfer way easier if I place a teaspoon of egg shell powder into the hole that I am planting a seedling in. The calcium enriches the soil, and entices the roots to take to their new home. I typically also add in my old coffee grinds as well, to give the soil a good kick of nitrogen to boot.

Now, depending on the time of year, and which season we are in, will gently dictate what and how I choose to use my egg shells. So, with that being said, in the early spring and autumn months, the way that I use my egg shells is different than how I use it through late spring and into summer.  In Autumn, I crush the egg shells up into a good crumble and spread it throughout my garden to help beef up my mulch. while still providing a slow release dose of carbon and calcium into the soil. Now if we rewind to spring, when I am planning out my garden, I take any of the evenly cracked shells and use them as seed-starters as well. No need to waste your cash on store bought seed-starters….you have them already in your home and it looks cute too and the best part, when you are done with it and your seedlings have outgrown their first home, you take those egg shells, clean them out, let the dry and then grind them up into a fine powder for when planting time arrives!

Here is a recap on one small step in becoming self sustainable:

The eggshell edition 

1. clean and dry egg shells after using the eggs in your cooking

2. In springtime, take eggshell halves and use them as pots for your seedlings

3. Clean and dry egg shells

   

4. Grind the egg shells into a fine powder....I used a coffee grinder

5. 
   Allow the dust to settle before removing the lid

6. 
   Transfer the egg shell powder into a jar for safe keeping

7. 
   Use the egg shell powder when transplanting your seedlings

8. Use the egg shell powder by sprinkling it throughout your garden once a week

9. Use  coarsely crushed up eggshells in your garden for a slow release option of calcium and carbon into your soil and as extra bulk in your garden mulch.