How to build a community compost hub

This past weekend, the crew at Compton Community Garden reached out to me to ask about getting a community compost operation going. Their own set up was pretty good, they said, but they wanted more people involved, and they were having trouble getting food scraps because their neighborhood was a designated food desert. There were no restaurants or grocery stores around to partner with. Before I had the chance to weigh in with any advice, though, they showed up to their garden to find a gigantic “For Sale” sign plastered across the front gate. Their landlord, without warning, had put the lot up for sale and, they soon discovered, had already received an offer. The team got together some money and tried to counter the sale, but the landlord refused unless they could come up with more.

Now, the team has just a few days to speed-raise the money their landlord is asking for—a half million dollars. It is no small task and it is, frankly, devastating that they’ve been forced into this position. Compton Community Garden, like other community gardens, is such a generous project. They’ve hosted gardening days and food drives, offered free education and mentorship, and kept their gates open just for people to… be. They’ve certainly supported me in the work I’m trying to do, and so it’s the smallest of return favors that I can give to say:

Donate to save the Compton Community Garden now. 

This is a worthy effort and its success is one that will impact anyone and everyone who’s ever been in the community garden space. Give what you can, share if you can’t.

Now, some advice on starting your own community composting operation, direct from my heart to yours. When I offer these tips, I’m assuming that you already have a parcel of land you’re working, perhaps a community garden you’re starting or one you already participate in. There might even be a small compost going, but you’re trying to bring more awareness to the neighborhood and get people to participate. (This is the situation Compton Community Garden are in.)

• Make a sign. It can be super cheap, just as long as it’s there. Use a sharpie and an old paper bag, and tape it somewhere that people can see it from the street. Name your space and your operation: “YOUR NAME community compost.”

• Work somewhere visible. If people can see you, they’ll talk to you. You can explain what you’re doing and get them educated and curious. This will be a big part of the way you build up both interest and trust with your neighbors. A (perhaps not) surprising amount of the work of composting is about people, not food.

• Set up a regular time and day when community members can drop off food scraps. Put those on your sign, too. A specific and recurring time is better than “anytime”, because then you’re there when people show up. You can meet and talk to them, answer questions they might have, and process any food scraps on the spot. Again, this is all about building up local relationships. It also helps avoid unwanted odors and pest issues from food scraps left sitting around, which can be deterrents for neighborhood acceptance.

• You’ll want volunteers. They will help do a lot of the hard and heavy work, but they’re also great for keeping the neighborhood engaged and invested in the project. They will help spread the word and widen the circle of participation.

• Decide on a time and a day for a regular volunteer shift. This shift can be at the same time as your food scrap drop-off hours. At Edendale Grove, one of the community compost hubs I maintain, our weekly volunteer shift is the same as when we’re open for community food scrap drop off.

• Have somewhere to track volunteer interest. The easiest way to do this, to start, is a simple text message or email group. At Edendale Grove, we have a text group called “The Rot Squad” for our most active volunteers and a Google Group for a wider group of more passively interested and less regular volunteers. This works extremely well. It’s free, easy for people who aren’t tech-savvy, dynamic for conversation, and simple to update.

• Have information (drop-off hours, volunteer opportunities, educational information about what can be composted and how to prepare your food scraps for drop off) available in a physical form that you can give to people. Print flyers at a local copy shop. Pass them out to people who stop through. Drop a chunk of them at a local bookstore, bodega, or grocery shop. Anywhere that people in the neighborhood tend to gather.

• Education is very, very important. Many people want to compost but are intimidated by the process and unsure how to contribute. Make yourself available for questions and answer those questions patiently. Make sure any printed materials are available in multiple languages, if applicable in your neighborhood.

• Know that more people than you might realize are hostile to community compost hubs, and even community gardens altogether. They are worried that property costs will be driven up, that pests will be attracted, et cetera et cetera. These concerns are legitimate and should be treated as such.

• The most important people to engage are your neighbors and anybody within walking distance of your pile. You will need to work to build trust, overcome stigma, and bring joy to these people—otherwise they can and will shut you down, and it is their right to do so.

• Don’t worry about an Instagram presence, going viral, or “building a brand” at this point. You can get to Instagram later. “Likes” matter less than the people who will actually show up and do the work.

• Talk to your neighbors and get to know them. Be really nice and listen more than you talk. Begin to build your network of volunteers and enthusiasts. Find out what motivates them and also what holds them back. Do they want to compost, but they have a disability? Are they in it for the environment? Do they garden themselves? This information will help you evolve your compost initiative so that it suits your neighborhood in specific and generous ways.

• Above all, be patient. This work takes time. People are busy and they don’t always have a lot to give, but they’ll do their best. Cultivate appreciation for every moment somebody offers you, and deeply love those who give regularly. They are sacred.

• Give back, anywhere and anytime that you can. This part is really important. People will be more excited about your initiative if you’re finding tangible ways to show them how it benefits the entire community. Share the vegetables you grow and reminds folks they were nurtured with the compost you all made together. Buy brown paper lunch bags (they’re cheap!), and bag up small portions of your finished compost. Write “Free Compost!” on the bags and leave them out front of the garden, for anybody who wants to have. Learn to speak a different language, even a little bit. Find people who are fluent in locally-spoken languages, if you can. If you know that a neighbor wants to garden, but is unable to afford starter plants—buy her some and leave them at her door as a gift.

That’s what I’ve got for now. I’m writing it out fast, straight from the gut, and I’m sure that after I’ve hit send, II’ll wish I had said things more clearly or differently and/or I’ll realize I left out something crucial. So be it. The main reason I’m writing to you today is to ask for your help saving Compton Community Garden. One last time, give if you can, share if you can’t. We’re in this together, and it’s not over ‘til it’s over.

Love,

Cass