Setting up sustainable food scrap diversion programs
Community groups are increasingly concerned about diverting food scraps and other organic materials from landfills. Joining with farms to close the local food loop makes sense. Farmers may have land, equipment, or expertise to lend to composting efforts. Before approaching a farmer as a potential partner, community members need to understand who farmers are, what farming is like, and what farmers in the community are already doing on behalf of the public.
Here we provide tools to help motivated community members and groups prepare to partner effectively with farmers as they seek to engage in on-farm food scrap composting.
The goal
Understand how to work effectively with farmers interested in food scrap composting.
This requires relationship-building & establishing supportive systems that enable farmers to add another layer of community service to their farming enterprises.
Before you begin
Farms are a public good
Farms & farmers are integral to the fabric of rural communities, providing economic, cultural, ecological & social value beyond food production.
Their multifaceted contributions enhance the quality of life, strengthen community ties, and sustain the vitality of rural areas.
In many cases, sending food scraps and other organic materials to a farm for composting can work. But not all farmers have the skills, time, or interest to add food scrap composting to the long list of work they already do.
It's crucial to make an effort to see your project plans from the farmer's perspective and consider what they need to ensure that a food scrap program is fair, workable, and beneficial to all involved.
Some way farms & farmers play support rural communities:
They provide economic stability by creating jobs and supporting local businesses.
They preserve community identity and culture.
Many practice environmental stewardship, benefiting the ecosystem.
They add to the beauty of the landscape, attracting tourists and boosting local economies.
They often serve as educational resources, helping people learn about agriculture and sustainable practices.
Strengthen your starting point
These exercises prioritize self-study and reflection and highlight areas for learning.
Identify the benefits farmers provide to community, environment, and economy as you experience them in daily life.
Dig into false assumptions you might have about what farmers and farming are like.
Study the farmers who work where you live, taking stock of their models and motivations.
Craft your first questions to bring to a conversation with a potential partner farmer.
Developing your program
Define “community” for food scrap diversion programs
The word “community” can mean many different things in different contexts.
For community-oriented on-farm food scrap composting programs, “community” defines who is invited to divert their food scraps to a specific farm.
When working to establish a partnership with a farm, it’s important not to make assumptions - everyone involved needs to understand and agree on how “community” is defined.
Keep in mind that how your group defines community may differ from how the farmer defines it. This is okay - buy if your program is going to be sustainable over time, it has to be limited to the volume your farmer partner can effectively manage.
If your goal “community” produces more food waste than your farmer partner can take, consider ways to increase awareness about food waste and organize outreach and education focused on reducing waste. Reducing food waste should be everyone’s first focus, regardless of whether the scraps are being diverted to a farm or not.
Additional thoughts:
Starting small is a great way to hone the community and composting systems integral to your diversion program. Once you all gain confidence in these systems, the volume a farmer partner can effectively manage often increases.
It’s rare for farm-centered programs to take food scraps from “everyone” in a town. If this is the goal of your food scrap diversion program, consider multiple outlets for food scrap diversion (multiple farmer partners, municipal or commercial compost facilities, etc.).
Finding a partner farmer
Who farms for your community?
Once you've defined “community,” consider:
Who farms for the community you’ve defined?
What other farmers grow and sell food where you live or operate nearby?
Which farmers do you see at the store, school, or places of worship?
Farmers already invested in the people and places you’re invested in are likely to be the strongest partners. Once you have some potential farmer partners in mind, consider how well you know them – their farming models, challenges, hopes for growth, and concerns.
If the answer is “not well,” we recommend you get curious about their perspectives in your initial conversations with them. One of the assumptions we frequently see community groups make is that all farmers are interested in and able to compost food scraps from their communities.
Take the time to go through the exercises in the Strengthen your starting point section above.
Is it a good fit?
Sustainable programs benefit all involved.
Here are some ideas for teasing out whether or not it’s a good fit for a potential partner farmer:
Find out if they are already composting and if they have experience with composting food scraps in particular (as opposed to manures or field residue).
Ask how they see food scrap composting that includes community collection working to help them meet their mission.
Talk with them about how food scraps will be collected - if community members will drop them off at the farm or a farmers market or if a third-party hauler might be needed.
Tune in to the federal, state, and local rules and regulations and zoning laws that affect your project and make sure that someone on your team has a solid grasp of these.
Figure out who from the farm will be involved, from employees to children to volunteers.
Talking through these initial topics will help identify who else you might need on your project team – and why building a base of knowledgeable, committed people is so important. Working through a complete system design with potential partner farmers can bring additional insights and perspective.
Relational vs. contractual approaches
Relational and contractual approaches represent two distinct ways of implementing and managing community-based projects.
While there’s a time and place for both - they differ in their underlying philosophies, goals and methods.
Relational approaches focus on building and maintaining strong interpersonal relationships as a fundamental part of completing tasks and achieving goals. Relationship is based on trust, shared values, or personal connection; relationship-driven work often involves a more participatory and community-driven decision-making process. Team members are actively involved in identifying needs, setting priorities, and shaping the project's direction. The approach is flexible and adaptive, allowing for adjustments and changes as the work evolves based on community input and feedback. Sustainability is often a key consideration, as the focus is on long-term community development and well-being. Projects aim to create lasting positive changes and resilient communities.
Contractual approaches are more transactional in nature. They involve setting specific agreements or contracts with defined outcomes and milestones. The longevity of the arrangement may be less of a concern and the project's continuation may be contingent on securing additional contracts or funding.
Relational approaches to food scrap diversion rely on intangible factors like trust, reciprocity, and shared values. In contrast, contractual approaches depend on formal agreements, contracts, or memoranda of understanding that clearly define roles, responsibilities, and deliverables.
Taking the time to build relationships is an integral part of establishing sustainable food scrap diversion programs.
In practice, farm-focused food scrap diversion programs may incorporate elements of both approaches, depending on the specific context and objectives. Building successful community programs often require a balanced approach that recognizes the importance of building relationships while also delivering tangible results. But having your project rooted in a relational approach, especially in early team-building, can give a project a much better chance of being successful and sustainable in the long run. Relationships are not just a means to the end of getting work done; they are the foundation of programs that last and the basis of the inspiration, motivation, and resources to achieve significant impact.
Be purposeful in how and when to use - or integrate - these approaches in your work.
Building toward a plan
Once you understand the needs of your farmer partners, think about who else you need on your team. To do this, you need a strong sense of the components of successful food scrap diversion programs.
See the whole system
Have you considered all the parts of a complete community food scrap diversion program?
Understanding all the pieces needed for a successful food scrap diversion program can prevent assumptions, miscommunication, and misunderstandings, all of which could ultimately derail the best of intentions.
Collection systems
Everyone needs to understand what kinds of food scraps and other organics are accepted and why. They also need to clearly understand the importance of separating compostable materials from materials unsuitable for composting (produce stickers, plastics, metal, glass, etc.).
There needs to be a sustainable system for getting the food scraps to the partner farm. Participants might drop their scraps at the farm, or they might be collected by a community member, hauler, or farmer. There might be a set schedule, or it might be open. It might be free, or participants might need to pay a fee. There are many models to choose from, but it needs to be clearly understood, sustainable and equitable.
For a community food scrap diversion program to be successful, the volume diverted must fit within the scope of what a farmer partner is comfortable accepting. This doesn’t need to be an obstacle for your group - but it might mean you need more than one farmer partner or a combination of diversion pathways (including commercial or municipal compost facilities).
Technical support
Partner farmers might need compost technical training or help understanding the regulatory landscape that governs food scrap composting.
Communication systems
Communication systems can make or break a food scrap diversion program. Take the time to understand what kinds of communication is effective and be sure to include everyone involved.
Image credit: L. Bilsens brolis, B. Platt, Community composting done right: a guide to best management practices, institute for local self-reliance, 2019 (www.ilsr.org/composting-bmp-guide).
Additional thoughts:
It’s important for all involved to understand that it takes time to build relationships and establish sustainable programs
There’s often a need for start-up funds or some level of initial investment in infrastructure.
The volume of food scraps that a farmer can manage may change over time as the farmers' skills increase and the recipe and system management is honed.
Grow your team
What support does everyone need for success? What expertise is still missing?
What support does everyone need for success? What expertise is still missing?
Now that you understand the different components of a successful and sustainable food scrap diversion program - what individuals or organizations would be a good fit for each need? Who do you need on your team? What expertise do they already have? What kind of support do they need to do their best work and do it well over time?
Farmers might need technical support to learn how to compost effectively and safely. They may not have the time or equipment needed to pick up food scraps or the bandwidth to take on a new practice. And they may need help understanding the regulatory landscape and any implications of adding composting to their farm plan.
Community members likely need training on the importance of separating all non-compostable items or that different farmers accept different materials depending on their compost system and whether or not they are certified organic. And - in their excitement to divert their food scraps - they might not fully understand that establishing community-oriented on-farm food scrap composting takes time.
Step 1
Get clear about what you want your food scrap diversion program to accomplish, for whom, and why. This will help you bring partners and participants on board.
Step 2
Make a list of the team members you have and what they’re each contributing to the project. This can be as general as “strong communication” or as specific as “Tuesday/Thursday hauler”.
Step 3
Next, note the support they need, from reminders about meetings to training on source separation. Notice gaps? Ask around to see who else might step up to fill them.
When talking to potential partners and participants, remember to be curious about their questions and concerns. Try to understand their points of view. Ultimately - this will help you build a more inclusive and sustainable food scrap diversion program.
Some potential partners:
Solid waste managers and local recycling task forces
Farm organizations and advisors
Community members
Farm-to-School Networks
Composting and environmental organizations
Regional Planning Commissions and Conservation Commissions
Local Boards of Health
State environmental and agricultural agency representatives
Town leadership
Master Composters
Organics haulers
Rural associations
Project Steering Committees
Establishing a project steering committee is a great way to bring in experts who can provide project input on any number of topics.
It’s also a way to expand your network, get assistance in developing discrete pieces of work, and promote your project.
Members of a Steering Committee might include university Extension, agricultural and natural resource regulators, municipal leaders, community members, solid waste managers, or conservation district - just to name a few!
Allow for learning
No one knows everything - together we know a lot
It’s important to understand that not all your team members will have the same knowledge of food scrap diversion or composting – but all of them will know something that's useful and valuable to the work you're doing. Make plans to address the areas that no one knows enough about – there is strength in developing expertise over time.
Community members may be committed to environmental action but never have done anything to recycle their food scraps. → Look online for a video on collecting and separating food scraps at home that you can watch and discuss with your team.
Farmers understand that compost is important but may lack an understanding of the technical and regulatory considerations involved. → Ask your university extension service or CAV about technical support providers (TSPs) in your area and arrange a meeting.
With the goal of establishing long-term and sustainable partnerships, the hesitation between interest and readiness needs to be recognized and addressed. Using motivational interview techniques and the other tools from our organization toolkit will help you strategize to find ways to support new learning for your team.
Now that you've laid the groundwork to be a great community partner, dig into the toolkit together with your farmer partners!
