Blue Barrel Farm CSA Food Scrap Composting Program
In the 2014 growing season, Soil Stewardship teamed up with Blue Barrel Farm, a local Fort Collins, Colorado CSA, in order to start a food scrap composting program. The idea was to “close the loop” in the CSA model by collecting the scraps of previously delivered vegetables. These leftovers were then brought back to the farm and turned into beautiful compost. Soil Stewardship provided 20, three-gallon food-scrap-collecting buckets to the CSA to distribute among its members. These buckets were picked up regularly from the participating houses and replaced with clean buckets.
Soil Stewardship designed and setup the system using wooden pallets and hay bales. We also operated the composting system on the farm, mixing the right amounts of other ingredients with the vegetable scraps and turning the compost when necessary. Worms were eventually added to the mix, and they skillfully finished the process.
Blue Barrel Farm has succeeded in diverting this food waste from the local landfill. In the process they have also created their very own homemade vermicompost to add to their soils for the 2015 growing season! Blue Barrel is planning on offering this service again to its members in future seasons.