HINESBURG, Vt. — The Composting Association of Vermont (CAV) is excited to announce the release of its multimedia On-Farm Community Composting Toolkit, which provides technical support and training for community-oriented food scrap composting and manure management on farms in rural and small communities throughout the U.S.
Connecting farmers with community members looking to divert food scraps from landfill provide farmers with a valuable resource. Whether used on-farm or moved off-farm through compost sales, it provides a mechanism to transfer nutrients to where they are most needed. For communities, it offers a possible solution for stabilizing or reducing food scrap management costs, especially in rural areas where population density does not readily support hauling routes or centralized commercial compost operations.
This unique and practical resource is divided into three primary segments. The Resources for Farmers section, designed to meet the needs of farmers interested in establishing food scrap composting systems, includes tips and resources on understanding regulations, asset mapping, choosing the right compost system, collection logistics, record keeping, and recipe development. The Resources for Organizations section, targeting agricultural, solid waste, and other organizations that provide composting technical expertise to farmers, includes topics such as identifying partners and understanding and addressing the ‘readiness gap.’ The soon-to-be-added Resources for Community Members section will provide ideas for individuals and groups looking to partner effectively with farms in their communities on food scrap diversion and composting operations.
Funded by a USDA Rural Utility Services Solid Waste Management Grant Program, CAV’s project, On-Farm Community-Oriented Food Scrap and Agricultural Organic Residual Management in Vermont and New Hampshire, involves working with participating farms and communities to provide cost-effective solutions for diverting food and organic residuals to composting. This project works with seven small, diversified farms to establish compost operations in their rural communities. Each farm offers food scrap drop-off opportunities to their “community supported agriculture” (CSA) members and farmers market’s customers.
–Composting Association of Vermont
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