Columbia City Apartment Case Study, Part 2: Indoor Interventions

Part 1 discussed outdoor permaculture interventions for apartment dwellers. In part 2 of our case study of Dave Boehnlein and Yuko Miki’s apartment dweller friendly permaculture strategies, we look at putting permaculture principles into practice indoors. Indoor permaculture is often overlooked, but is essential part of a permaculture lifestyle.

Vermicomposting with a Worm Bin

A worm bin, built from inexpensive materials, is an effective solution for apartment dwellers wanting to compost in a clean, efficient manner. The materials are simple. All you need are two Roughneck-style storage totes with a few modifications to increase habitability for the worms. The top tote contains the worms and compost, and it has drain holes drilled in its bottom. The worm castings (worm poop) and liquid (compost tea) drain into the bottom tote, which acts as a reservoir for this valuable fertilizer.

Worms need air to breathe, so Miki drilled 1″ holes in the side of the top tote and 2″ holes in the lid to let fresh air in. She installed soffit vents into the vent holes to keep insects out and keep worms in.

Shredded junk mail constitutes the bedding layer on top. This is arguably a better way to handle paper waste than throwing it into the recycle bin. You can throw fresh kitchen scraps directly under this layer. Red wiggler worms (Eisenia fetida) thrive in rotting vegetation, compost, and manure. They are inexpensive and available online, or from anyone in the rapidly-growing vermicomposting community.

Food Storage and Resiliency

Their apartment storage and laundry room had a broken dryer vent, so their landlord just vented the dryer out the open window. Because of this, they considered complaining, but they then realized that the open window in the wintertime created beneficial, cool conditions for a root cellar. This is a great example of a permaculture principle: turn a problem into a solution. This cool environment is perfect for worms and for food storage.

A cool, dark storage environment creates conditions ideal for a root cellar. Root cellars are tried and true traditional means of storing root vegetables throughout the year. A root cellar can also be used as pantry space. Rather than hoarding food for emergencies without eating it, a resilient permaculturist can continually eat and replenish food in storage.

With a Biolite CampStove, twigs, wood, and dry organic matter become part of your energy portfolio. This energy source cooks food and provides electrical power through a USB port.

Preserving Produce: Dehydrating, Pickling, Fermenting

Moving indoors, Yuko demonstrated several techniques for preserving garden produce. Dehydrating herbs, fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms is a useful way of storing food through the seasons. A home dehydrator allows one to dehydrate large quantities of food at a time.

In addition to dehydrating, creating a vinegar infusion is another method of preserving fruit. With this method, one simply pours white vinegar over fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.) into a mason jar, filling the jar. Then, put a lid on the jar and store it in the fridge. After a few days, the fruit will infuse the vinegar. This method pickles the fruit, but the infused vinegar is equally valuable. This infused vinegar is an essential ingredient in a delicious drink known as a shrub. A shrub is simply infused vinegar mixed with a sweetener such as agave nectar and soda water.

Fermentation is another ancient food preservation technique. Kimchi is one example of a delicious, healthy way to store cabbage and other vegetables. Sauerkraut is another.

Houseplants: Bringing Nature’s Benefits Indoors

Houseplants have many benefits. Studies have shown that exposure to nature can result in health improvements of numerous kinds. Humans naturally seem to do better when surrounded by life. There’s a name for this phenomenon: the biophilia effect.

Scientific studies have shown that in addition to improving air quality, indoor houseplants reduce stress levels by calming the sympathetic nervous system, and they improve people’s mood. Researcher Roger S Ulrich found that a view of nature from their hospital bed improved patients’ recovery times after surgery.

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) and Pilea peperomioides are tough houseplants that are easy to propagate. Place a cutting in a glass of water. It will start to root within days. It will grow in the glass of water for weeks. Pot up a few of these plants to fill your apartment with lush, stress-relieving greenery!

Permaculture is a lifestyle. It doesn’t end at one’s doorstep. Through actions such as propagating houseplants, preserving produce, storing food, diversifying one’s energy portfolio, using one’s pee for fertilizer, and vermicomposting, one can create a resilient, sustainable lifestyle, both indoors and out.