COMMUNITY COMPOSTING

COMPOST UPDATE

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COMPOST UPDATE 〰️

Thanks everyone for your participation in our community compost pilot program! We have a couple of updates for current and prospective participants:

  • New signups for the program are currently closed.

  • GrowOV Thursday collection will have its final day on Thursday Oct 3, which is the last CSA pick up of the year.

  • Following, OCSWA will take over collection and new participants will be able to sign up. Their model will look similar to ours, with a few slight changes, and the current Compost Program Managers will remain involved. Their sign up link and info will be posted here in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned for more info coming soon!

COMPOST WITH US!

This season, we are excited to offer a community compost program, exclusively for our CSA and Public Market Members!

We all create food waste - carrot tops, apple cores, potato peels… What if you could do something useful with that waste? Compost gives us that opportunity to recycle our food waste back into the soil, an opportunity that is lost with each bit sent to the landfill.

This season, we hope to make the choice to compost a little bit easier, because together our food waste can do amazing things! Keep reading to learn about compost, and how you can join our efforts.

Already a CSA or Public Market member?

Sign up for compost collection below!

Not a member yet?

Join the CSA or become a Public Market member today!

For a one-time fee to cover material costs,

program participants will receive access to:

  • Two convenient drop-off points for your kitchen & garden scraps

  • A collection container & guidance on what to collect

  • A share of the finished compost for use in your home garden!

THE SCOOP ON COMPOST

Most simply, compost is broken down organic material (food scraps, paper, yard waste, etc.) used as a nutrient rich fertilizer.

Composting is the process of collecting organic waste and facilitating its breakdown into those nutrients. Why do we do it?

For our environment! In the anaerobic (oxygen-less) setting of a landfill, organic waste puts out methane gas, which is at least 30x as potent as carbon dioxide for our climate. On the other hand, well-managed compost piles cut down these methane emissions, while creating a usable garden product.

For our farms! Composting recycles nutrients from food waste back into the soil, which allows our farms to continue to grow healthy and delicious produce for our community to enjoy!

For our landfills! Food waste accounts for about a quarter of all landfill volume, so by diverting your waste through compost you can help to reduce the size of our landfills.

COMPOST COLLECTION FAQ

  • We will provide all program participants a container to use for their home compost collection, which will be available at the first CSA pick-up.

    We will have a large bin for you to empty your home collection container into at the Public Market CSA pick up (Thursdays 1-6) or at Farm 18 (any time).

    In exchange for all of the waste you provide us, we look forward to offering a bit of compost back to you a couple of times throughout the season.

  • All organic material is compostable in the proper setting, but for our program we are only able to accept the following:

    • Fruit and vegetable scraps (de-stickered!)

    • Napkins and paper towels

    • Eggshells

    • Coffee grounds and filters

    • Tea bags (without staples)

    • Yard trimmings (pesticide and herbicide free)

    Please DO NOT send:

    • Fatty and oily foods

    • Meat

    • Dairy

    • Baked goods

    • Plastics, twist ties, rubber-bands, or stickers

  • Compost collection coincides with the Grow Ohio Valley CSA pickups. A drop-off point will be available throughout the 15 week CSA season from Thursday, June 27th until Thursday October 3rd. The main drop-off point is located at the Public Market (1401 Main Street, Wheeling, WV 26003) on Thursdays from 1-6pm. PLEASE DO NOT BRING COMPOST TO THE PUBLIC MARKET OUTSIDE OF THESE HOURS, as it will not be accepted.

    An alternative point for after-hours drop-offs and larger volumes will be located at Farm 18 (details upon signup)

  • At the beginning of the season, we are asking for a one-time payment of $15 for SNAP participants, or $25 for non-SNAP participants, to cover material costs throughout the season. Both price points include a $5 bucket deposit, which will be refunded upon returning your container at the end of the CSA.

  • Yes! Customers who use SNAP can receive a $10 off their signup fee. Please email education@growov.org to receive a discount code.

  • It shouldn’t! (too much)

    How to keep your compost container from getting smelly:

    Make sure to empty and wash your container each week.

    Keep your container in a cool place, like the fridge or garage.

    Always keep the lid secured on the container to keep out flies + critters.