If banana skins, egg shells and chicken bones are thrown away, if they can be rotten and transformed into methane contamination, would it be something that enriches the soil in which the plants are grown?
The village of Pinecrest has launched an innovative initiative to do just that. The pilot project will convert food scrap into nutrient-rich compost and deliver it to the Mikkoski tribe of the Everglades.
The project, called “Everglades Earth Cycle,” is the county’s first large-scale compost program sponsored by a local government. This is funded by a $400,000 USDA grant, a $40,000 grant from Miami-Dade County Commissioner Raquel Regalado’s office, and a $10,000 contribution from the Fertile Earth Worm Farm.
“It really fostered a sense of environmental responsibility in our community,” said Shannon Del Prado, a member of Pinecrest Council.
The village, which includes some of Miami-Dade’s wealthiest areas, has already collected 90,000 pounds of food waste in just a year. Currently there are three drop-off locations. Pinecrest Library, Pinecrest Gardens Community Center, and Sunday Farmers Market. The village plans to expand its business to nine total locations. Fertile Earthworm Farm, a commercial composting operation in South Miami-Dade County, picks up food scraps twice a week and power washes bins to prevent bug odors and collection.
“That’s what nature intended. Lanette Sobel, founder of the Fertile Earthworm Farm, said: “There’s nothing like waste. The waste in one cycle is just a resource in another cycle. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to do. Recreate what Mother Nature does with composting.”
Reducing the amount of garbage heading towards landfills that are closer to capacity helps Miami-Dade. This determines how waste is disposed of in the future. The climate benefits from composting can also reduce damage to methane emissions from food rot in landfills.
The grant will support Miami-Dade County’s first Pinkrest free residential hood scrap drop-off program and help track compost into the 4-year-old community garden of Microskeeper. The garden now has a row of beds of plants with vegetables such as lettuce, Swiss chard and dill. The plan is to expand the garden on acres.
Rev. Houston Cypress, a Miccosukee artist and activist for Love the Everglades, an organization that manages environmental and cultural conservation, said the pilot project might one day help the Everglades solve some of the bigger issues that address water quality issues, such as fertilizer runoff and water quality issues from tree islands.
“We’re talking about pilot projects in the South, so we may not address the issues directly, but these are solutions that could apply across the basin,” Cypress said.
The tribes are already a very sensitive environment that affects water pollution, so the tribes are carefully approaching the use of compost, Cypress said. Scientists should test it on tracks in soil to determine if it is suitable for one day to recover natural areas, he said.
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The grant will also be used in educational workshops and will launch on-site compost operations and food scrap programs with Miccosukee appointments. Money is expected to bump into the village bank account in the summer.
Cypress said it considers the project to be more than just composting. He sees it as a way to “thrive together” by fostering a sense of teamwork while protecting waste from landfills.
“When we talked about the Everglades, you could remember the people who live here,” Cypress said. “I think this is about getting involved in the local community, making sure no one is left behind and making sure everyone is supported by the solution.”
