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WORC NEWSLETTER | QUARTER FOUR |
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The WORC Annual Conference is officially back! November 10 – 12, WORC partnered with The Tilth Alliance in Kennewick, Washington to bring together composters, farmers, organic processors, researchers, educators and food system professionals for three days of sharing, learning, and relationship building.
Day 1 attendees enjoyed visits to Hayshaker and Natural Selection farms. WORC announced the results of the Board elections for the coming year at its Annual Meeting on November 10. On Day 2, conference goers had a wealth of options for education and engagement. Separated into “tracks”, presentations covered aspects of Creating an Equitable System, Cultivating Community & Farmer Health, Sustainable Production Systems, Farm to School Intensive, WORC and Operating a Viable Farm Business.
Arti Chandra, MD, MPH, presented the Keynote address, Soil Health for Whole Health. Dr. Chandra is Board Certified in Integrative Medicine and holds a master’s degree in Public Health. Dr. Chandra presented her perspectives on integrating the agricultural sector with the health sector at the local, national and global level to reverse the climate and chronic disease crises we are facing.
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WORC thanks the Tilth Alliance
for their partnership and excellent work
to provide a memorable conference.
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Compost Operator Facility Training (CFOT) |
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After two years of COVID interruption, the annual CFOT training was back in person at WSU Puyallup October 17 – 22, 2022. The five-day training covered classroom instruction on the science of composting, tours of commercial composting facilities and hands-on practical experience putting the theory into action.
The 49 participants from across the state toured facilities at Cedar Grove – Maple Valley, Woodland Park Zoo and Silver Springs Organics. Composting experts provided instruction on soil science, pile building, facility design, end uses, marketing and more. The curriculum meets the requirements of Washington Administrative Code 173-350-220 for Compost Facilities.
WORC organizer Liv Johansson recapped the experience, “As the benefits of organics management and composting become better understood at local, state, and nation levels, the demand for skilled and passionate compost facility operators becomes ever more important. Through CFOT, the Washington Organics Recycling Council helps to ensure that the composting community continues to grow. The handson and classroom components of CFOT allow participants from all professional backgrounds to learn more about the importance of composting in communities from Spokane to Kailua-Kona. And we have a great time doing it!”
The one-week intensive requires months of planning, hundreds of hours of preparation and many volunteers to make it happen. WORC wishes to thank Liv Johansson for her stellar organizing! We also want to thank WSU Puyallup, Cedar Grove Composting, Woodland Park Zoo, Silver Springs Organics and the many, many volunteers who donated their time, expertise and hard work to making CFOT 2022 a success.
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Skagit Soils Composting Facility, located in Mount Vernon, WA, has been composting at its current location since 1998, producing soil mixes and mulches from recycled organics. Serving Skagit, Whatcom, Snohomish, Island and San Juan counties, the facility diverts organics away from our landfills and produces high quality compost. They sell compost, general soil mix, mulch, beauty bark, and gravel.
By partnering with Lautenbach Recycling, Skagit Soils has doubled its capacity to recycle organics. The two entities function together to maximize material recovery and processing. Lautenbach Recycling’s depackaging equipment, for example, allows Skagit Soils to recover and process significantly more food waste that in the past. Craig Culmback has managed the facility for over 20 years. Troy and Torrey Lautenbach’s partnership has allowed Skagit Soils to experience tremendous growth in recent years. These factors allow Skagit Soils to divert an increasing volume of organics and produce high quality soil amendments that beautify our communities, reduce waste consumption and sequester carbon in the soil.
Skagit Soils’ relationships are foundational to their success. Excellent employees and partnerships in the community allow Skagit Soils to thrive. Skagit Soils is a Compost Manufacturing Alliance affiliate. Troy Lautenbach is a member of the WORC Board of Directors.
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Election results for the 2023 Board of Directors were announced at the WORC Annual Meeting on November 10, 2022.
Your 2023 WORC Board of Directors:
- Dan Corum, City of Tacoma
- Liv Johansson, Woodland Park Zoo
- Scott Deatherage, Barr-Tech Compost
- Kate Kurtz, Seattle Public Utilities
- Jan Allen, Impact Bioenergy Inc.
- Nehemias Chamla, Natural Selection Farms
- Gavin Schmidt, Dirt Hugger
- Reingard Rieger, Tilth Alliance
- Mary Harrington, Washington Department of Ecology
- Logan Harvey, Recology King County
- Kelsey Bailey, King County
- Janet Thoman, Compost Manufacturing Alliance
- Dave Keeney, King County
- Bob Barrows, OR Department of Environmental Quality
- Michael Houseman, Silver Springs Organics
- Wendy Weiker, Republic Services
Please reach out to any Board member or WORC@aminc.org if you have any questions
or are interested in getting involved!
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Food Lifeline Receives $200,000 Grant |
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Food Lifeline of Seattle has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for development of a community-owned anaerobic digester in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle.
In partnership with Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association, Black Star Farmers, and Sustainable Seattle, Food Lifeline will develop new anaerobic digester capacity through the South City Biodigester Collaboration project.
While the project will provide a model for the circular economy and potential larger-scale biofuel systems, it is also designed to provide broad community benefits. It is intended to provide BIPOC and low-income communities with engagement and autonomy with the waste-to energy cycle, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide Duwamish Valley youth an opportunity to explore STEM careers.
The EPA grant project is designed to provide funding at the community level to increase anaerobic digester capacity to reduce food loss and waste and divert organics from the landfill and incinerators. Food Lifeline was one of 11 grant recipients for 2022.
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USCC 2023 Conference Scholarship |
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The US Composting Council DEI Working Group is pleased to offer a small number of scholarships to attend COMPOST2023 in Ontario, CA. The scholarships are intended to provide greater access to the conference for members of historically marginalized communities. Information about the conference can be found here. Though the scholarship deadline is officially passed, interested parties may contact Janet Thoman at janet@composterapproved.com to determine continued availability.
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Nominate your Organization for a Member Spotlight!
Every newsletter, WORC features one of our member organizations or board members,
and yours could be in the ‘spotlight’ next!
Not everyone may know about what you do, so let us know and we can feature you.
If you’ve been featured in the past, you can be featured again!
Let us know if you have a cool new project or awesome staff you want to highlight.
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If you are interested in becoming more involved with WORC this year,
consider submitting a spotlight or even joining a committee.
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