North shore community compost movement

Spreading Aloha to Our Soils With the North Shore Community Compost Movement

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Spreading Aloha to Our Soils With the North Shore Community Compost Movement

Started by the Changing Tides Foundation, Community Compost Movement is on a mission to make at-home composting a seamless part of the North Shore lifestyle while regenerating the island’s soil and reducing the community’s carbon footprint. Day-to-day operations of the Community Compost Movement are run by a small team of dedicated and passionate humans, stoked to make a difference! We caught up with Leah Dawson and Danielle Marriott, who oversee these operations, to get the dirt on the project. – KH

 

Where did the inspiration for the Community Compost Movement come from? 

Leah:  I started composting for the first time in my early 20’s while living on a property on the North Shore which had space for an ongoing compost pile.  When I later moved into a new house, there was no compost pile available to us. It became painful to put food scraps in the trash can when I knew there was a disposal alternative to the landfill. So I got a five-gallon bucket, and every couple of weeks I took the smelly bucket of food scraps to a friends compost pile. For five years, we thought, “There really needs to be a community compost program, for people like us who can’t compost at home.” 

Well, we turned dreams into action, and through a collective effort at the Changing Tides Foundation and numerous helping hands and helping brands, such as Patagonia and Juneshine, we’re now a fully operating business, serving the local community on the North Shore of Oahu.

 

What sparked your interest in composting, farming and gardening? How did you learn about it?

Leah: We eat everyday. The decision of what we eat has an effect on our planet.  My quest to learn which foods made me feel good, and what foods did not, sparked a lifelong journey of learning about food, soil, and the compost cycle.  Through this journey, we learned what a vital role returning our food waste back to the soil has.  

Danielle: When I lived in San Diego, my roommates and I had a small garden in our backyard. We planted flowers and veggies and would compost our food scraps as well. When I moved to Hawaii over six years ago, I got involved with a program called Permablitz. Their mission was to transform backyards and lawns into edible food forests. I learned so much about gardening, permaculture, and community from them. One big thing that I learned was how important soil health is in growing nutrient rich food (common sense, right?). I love watching videos online, reading books, and watching documentaries all about gardening and farming. One of the biggest teachers is nature itself, so I spend as much time as possible in the garden or outside exploring.

 

Can you tell us more about what Community Compost Movement does? 

Danielle: The North Shore Community Compost Movement is a weekly collection service for residential composting. You divert your food waste, we pick it up and turn it into compost for our local farms.

We’ll deliver a compost bucket (or 2 with the “plus” plan) with a screw-top lid, some bokashi to kickstart the process, and a welcome packet with educational information and instructions on what to do. It’s easy; You fill your bucket up with food scraps, we pick up the bucket, and swap it out for a clean one every week —no smell, no cleaning, no hassle.

 

Tell us about the farm where the composting takes place and what a typical day looks like there? 

Danielle: We process all of our food scraps at Waihuena Farm on the North Shore of Oahu. It’s a beautiful 33 acre farm across the street from the beach, nestled in a mountain that grows ulu (breadfruit), fruit trees, veggies, greens, edible flowers and so much more. We have a small composting area nearby where it all takes place. 

Every Wednesday, we load up the truck with clean buckets and bokashi and make our route through Waialua, Haleiwa and Pupukea. Once our driver, Mel, has collected and weighed all the buckets, she heads back to the farm to process them. We then empty the buckets into 20 gallon trash cans with holes in the bottom that allow for drainage, where the food will sit for another week. For our compost rounds, we use wire fencing and recycled cardboard. In the trash can filled with food scraps from the week before, we layer in soil and bokashi until it’s full. Each pile sits for six weeks until it is ready to sift. If we’re not processing food scraps, we are sifting compost to give back to our subscribers and sell to the community.

 

As an organization, how do you tackle the issue of food waste? In your experience, what has the potential to inspire others to take action regarding this issue? 

Danielle: Food waste is a big problem globally. Every year we spend $218 billion dollars growing, processing, transporting, and disposing of food that never gets eaten. We like to think of Community Compost Movement as an opportunity to show our community how easy it can be to divert your food scraps and make an impact. Last year alone, we were able to divert over 12,000 pounds of food waste from over 30 homes. In my experience, people are really interested in becoming more connected to their food and where it comes from. A really easy way to do that is to support local farms by buying their produce and think about where your food scraps go when you are done with them. I also think people understand the need to regenerate our land and mitigate climate change; they want to be a part of that change. Giving people the information and tools to compost makes it really easy for them to get involved. 

 

How does CCM get involved in community education?

Danielle: Last year, we gave presentations to several elementary and middle schools and taught them about the different methods of composting and how our program works. We had planned for schools to take field trips to the farm and have a volunteer day, but because of social distancing, we had to postpone until further notice. Normally, we have a workshop or a volunteer day every month at the farm. Moving forward, we want to host virtual workshops and post tips and advice on composting on our social media. 

Food does not belong in the trash! We have to transition to a circular economy to regenerate our land and reduce the impact that we are having on our planet.

– Danielle Marriott

 

What does the future hold for CCM in 2020?

Danielle: We really want to expand our capacity and grow the program. Our goal is to have compost programs across Oahu and other islands in Hawaii as well. We’ve been exploring different properties and farms to partner with and we will share any progress of that when it comes to fruition. Other than that, we just want to spread our knowledge and skills to as many people as possible and inspire them to start composting at home or join a community garden. 

 

What makes you happy to wake up every day and what are you hoping to see in our planet’s future? 

Danielle: What really drives me is the responsibility I feel to leave this world better than when I came into it. There are so many ways that we can better ourselves and our community and I honestly feel that the two go hand in hand. Working with the land always brightens my day and makes me feel grounded, even when the world feels overwhelmingly chaotic. Throughout history, indigenous cultures have been stewards of the land and lived in harmony with our Earth. If we listen to, learn from, and give power back to Native people, I believe we have a chance to save humanity and bring balance back to nature.  

 

What life lessons have you learned since working at CCM? 

Danielle: I’ve learned a lot about resilience and balance. Farm work and composting is really labor intensive and not always easy, but we love it! There is a lot that goes into running and maintaining a successful program, no matter what your mission is. I’ve learned a lot about strategizing, staying organized, and keeping it fun. It helps when you work with all of your friends. I think we’ve done a really good job at researching and planning for the program, but sometimes you just have to jump in, see what works and what doesn’t work, and go from there. I love the challenges that come with improvisation and adaptation and what you can learn from hands on experience. 

 

What does kindness mean to you? What role does kindness play in your life?

Danielle: Kindness is really important to me and was instilled in me by my parents at a young age. Both my parents are the first to help when anyone is in need. I’ve learned that it’s important to be of service to your community and to know that you can make a positive impact on the world. Being kind to yourself, others, and our Earth is the first step in creating a ripple effect to heal humanity and reduce suffering around the world.

 

Name one kind human in your life that has positively affected you and why?

Danielle: My Dad is the first one that comes to mind. He is the most selfless person I know. My whole life, he has encouraged me to be fiercely independent and resilient. He’s taught me everything I know about building and construction, which is super useful, and how to enjoy the simple things like spending time in nature with my family. He has always taken our family on camping trips all over California and down to Mexico and really inspired me to travel.  

 

What is your advice for people that want to get started with their composting journey outside of Hawaii? 

Danielle: My advice is to start with a little bit of research. There are so many different ways you can compost in your own yard, so I recommend looking up youtube videos (or check out our Instagram) for tips and advice on composting. Find what works best for you, whether it’s an above ground tumbler, bokashi composting, vermicomposting (with worms) or burying your food scraps in your yard. There are many methods and they all have different benefits. 

 

What is a message you want to spread and leave with the Kind Humans community?

Danielle: Food does not belong in the trash! We have to transition to a circular economy to regenerate our land and reduce the impact that we are having on our planet. The only way to do that is to change our individual behavior and demand change at a systemic level. Be vocal in your community. Elect local leaders that care about people and the environment over profit. Reach out to and support local organizations that are already doing this work. Stay kind to yourself and others!

All Photos are taken by Jianca Lazarus.

 

About Danielle:

Originally from San Diego, Danielle lives on the North Shore of Oahu. She moved to Hawaii to work for a few companies repairing surfboards, she now works full time at CCM. If she’s not busy composting at the farm you can find her in the garden, at the skatepark, or at the beach!

 

 

About Leah:

Florida-born and raised, Leah made her way out to Hawaii for University, where she has lived ever since. Leah has over 20 years of surf competition experience in both longboarding and shortboarding around the world. Her passion lies within surfing and connecting with the wide surf culture around the world. When she’s not surfing she is busy making waves as an environmental activist and filmmaker.

 

 

 

 

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Spreading Aloha to Our Soils With the North Shore Community Compost Movement
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