We have built it. Will they come?
Compostville at the Garden at 485 Elm was built in 2018 and 2019 with help from a NEGEF grant and grant partners including the Vermont Community Garden Network, the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District, and the Composting Association of Vermont.
However, according to our 2019 gardener survey, 75% of 485 Elm gardeners bring their food scraps elsewhere because they contain animal products. If we were hot composting, Compostville could process food scraps from all gardeners and several neighboring households, too.
After Chris and I attended a Thetford Elementary School compost tour with composter extraordinaire, Kat Buxton, we realized Compostville’s catch-22: Compostville needs both a core compost team and greater food-scrap volume to reach hot-composting pathogen kill, but not one without the other.
We’re working with our Master Composter project leader (and currently our only Compostville volunteer) to recruit a volunteer team from among UVM Extension Master Composters and interns and non EMC-affiliated people who might be interested.
With more of Act 148 coming online in 2020, we hope Central Vermonters will find appealing opportunities at Compostville.
We will train and support compost volunteers in learning about composting, and offer them a site to bring food scraps. Please email chrisadamsvt@gmail.com to learn more.
