Compostadores
We’re Keepin’ the nutrients in the Neighborhood!
The Compostadores are a group of compost enthusiasts dedicated to building a neighborhood-based compost infrastructure in community gardens in the Twin Cities. This is a general information page; for more information, photographs, upcoming bin builds, and recent posts, visit the Compostadores Blog.
For more general information on composting, or for compost programs for community gardeners, visit the Compost page of the Gardening Matters website.
The Compostadores came together in early 2010 as a group of hard-working waste reducers. They are a project of Gardening Matters, the Twin-Cities based non-profit working to protect and preserve community gardens. The Compostadores work fervently to address two issues: food waste in restaurants, homes, and businesses, and the need for improved soil fertility in community gardens. As you might have guessed, these issues offer an excellent complementary solution for each other!
The Compostadores work to cycle these leftovers and nutrients back into gardens, while teaching community members how to create and use compost. In this way, the Compostadores allow gardeners to grow healthy food directly in the neighborhood.
The Compostadores Permit Project
The Compostadores are working to conduct a year-long permit project, in collaboration with the MN Pollution Control Agency and the City of Minneapolis, to model a well-managed community based model of composting. This pilot would carefully monitor compost to ensure safe practices and prevent against vermin, odor or disease.
This project will work to support progressive changes to compost legislation in Minnesota. A community-based scale of composting is not yet permissible according to current Minneapolis law, so gardens are unable to make sufficient compost for themselves. At the same time, most restaurants, groceries, and coffeeshops are unable to compost their organic food waste without using commercial systems. Changes to this legislation have been proposed by the MPCA and can be examined here.
Learn and engage with your neighborhood:
Build a Compost Bin with the Compostadores!
The Compostadores lead bin-building workshops in community gardens across the Twin Cities that are free and open to the public. They use the Growing Power method of bin construction, utilizing salvagable materials to build simple, static, "no-turn" 4' x 4' bins in community gardens.
Compost bin workshops last about 2-3 hours and take place several times monthly. They are fun, participatory, educational opportunities, and are a great way to meet neighbors and learn about the complexity and importance of soil! You'll leave the workshop with basic skills and knowledge to build your own bin and maintain it.
To learn about upcoming bin builds near you, to volunteer with us, or to host a bin building workshop in your garden with your gardeners, contact Rebecca@gardeningmatters.org
Other Resources
Urban Compost: a group working in apartment buildings or other high density units in the Twin Cities
Neighborhood-based composting projects
Washington DC: Central drop site at a community garden; neighborhood composted on-site at the garden using a 3-bin system.
Massachusetts: Pedal people - Weekly/bi-weekly pick ups of compost; year round, by bicycle.
Philadelphia: Pedal co-op - bicycling compost (and trash, recycling and bakery items) hauling
Northfield, MN: Community Composting central collection site at the farmers market
Boulder, CO: Neighborhood composting project
City-Based Composting Programs
Commercial composting in San Francisco: first in the nation. It’s mandatory – requires everyone in San Francisco to separate their refuse into recyclables, compostables, and trash.
King County, WA: Over 90% have access to curbside composting
Oakland, CA: Home composting diverts 543 pounds, per household, per year from the landfill. That's 2.7 tons over 10 years!
Portland, OR: Brand new program - October 2011!
Gardening Matters - 310 E. 38th Street, #204b, Minneapolis, MN 55409