Terumot and ma'aserot for vegetables on the porch, plus using compost for fertilizer
Question
I am growing tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers in perforated pots on my porch, on a concrete floor.
Just to confirm - any organic compost (such as worms) is not a problem to use for plants - even if it's from non-kosher matter?
Do I have to take ma'aser/terumah every time I pick from the plants?
Answer
Rabbi Moshe Bloom
Dear Avishag,
Great questions!
It's perfectly permissible to use organic compost to fertilize plants.
In terms of terumot and ma'aserot from your plants, it really depends.
1. Separating outdoors
If you are out on your porch, and it is an uncovered area, you may pick one vegetable and eat it without separating terumot and ma'aserot. Once you pick two at once, or bring the vegetable indoors, it already becomes obligated in terumot and ma'aserot.
2. To bless or not to bless
Is your porch covered? If so, it is considered indoors, so you separate terumot and ma'aserot but without a blessing - just skip to the text. Same with ma'aser sheni in appropriate years.
3. What if you are afraid a child will pick vegetables without separating teurmot and ma'aserot?
In this case, it is possible to separate terumot and ma'aserot in advance, once a week, and keep the parts designated as terumot in the fridge, wrapped and marked so they are not eaten. It's not lechatchilah, only if you are concerned that tevel vegetables will be eaten. If you are interested in how to perform this procedure, the text, etc., please let me know.
Otherwise, yes, each time you harvest a tomato and bring it inside, you will need to separate terumot and ma'aserot.
See here a clip on the topic.
4. Giving ma'aser rishon and ma'aser ani
This year (5785) is a ma'aser ani year, and it is obligatory to actually give the vegetables or their value to a poor person or charitable organization. Member of our ma'aser fund, Otzar Ha'aretz have a contract with a charitable organization and give the organization a loan, while the organization allows the member to keep the fruit and its value is deducted from the balance of the loan. The same holds true for ma'aser rishon - meant for a Levite. Members have a contract with our pedigreed Levite along the same lines. This money is donated by the Levite to talmudei torah.
To become a member, click here: en.toraland.org.il/services/beit-haotzar-fund-for-terumot-and-ma-aesrot/subscribe/