City-Funded Community Compost Program Launches at Pitney Meadows Farm
We’re skipping the ribbon cutting and launching our composting journey, one apple core at a time, by enjoying some local apples and tossing the scraps into our compost drums!
Pitney Meadows Community Farm, in partnership with Sustainable Saratoga, is proud to announce the launch of a new city-funded Community Compost Program located on-site at the Pitney Meadows Community Garden. This initiative is designed to reduce food waste, educate residents on sustainable composting practices, and create a closed-loop system that benefits both our environment and local food systems.
This pilot compost program will accept its first 50 individuals and families this season, with plans to expand later this summer after an initial trial phase. Interested city residents are encouraged to sign up for the interest list.
“By transforming food waste into a local resource, we can reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers, cut emissions from long-distance transport, and nourish the very soil that feeds our community,” said Brooke McConnell, Executive Director of Pitney Meadows. “We’re excited to bring residents into the process and build a model for sustainability right here in Saratoga Springs.”
This kickoff event will also include the first community compost training session led by Sustainable Saratoga. The training will cover best practices for home composting and how to properly use the new secure, food scraps drop-off site at Pitney Meadows Community Farm. The
finished compost will be used to fertilize Pitney Meadows’ Community Garden and agricultural fields, which provide food to local families, pantries, senior centers, and shelters.
“This pilot program is the next critical step in empowering our community to compost by providing both the knowledge and experience to create a more sustainable future for Saratoga Springs,” says Kelsey Trudell, Executive Director of Sustainable Saratoga.
The initiative is modeled after the successful Bethlehem Municipal Compost program and in consultation with ANCA Compost for Good and reflects a growing movement toward food sovereignty, sustainability, and circular systems.
Commissioner Minita Sanghvi stated, “Composting is a crucial environmental initiative, and we are proud to support Pitney Meadows through Participatory Budgeting—the most democratic process in the City’s budget, where community members have the power to vote for the projects that matter most to them.”
We cordially invite you to join us on May 24 at 12:00pm for the Community Compost Kickoff Apple Core Toss at Pitney Meadows located at 223 West Ave. Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. The afternoon will begin with a one hour training session for program participants and tour of the composting site, and will conclude with our celebratory Apple Core Toss.
For more information visit www.pitneymeadowscommunityfarm.org/community-compost
About Pitney Meadows Community Farm
Founded in 2016, Pitney Meadows Community Farm is a 166-acre preserved working farm in the heart of Saratoga Springs dedicated to agricultural education, healthy food production, and food sovereignty. Each year, Pitney Meadows donates approximately 120,000 servings of fresh produce to hunger relief organizations and provides Food as Medicine programs in collaboration with healthcare and community partners.
About Sustainable Saratoga
Sustainable Saratoga is a not-for-profit organization that promotes sustainable practices and the protection of natural resources through education, advocacy, and action, for the benefit of current and future generations in the Saratoga Springs area. Since 2008, Sustainable Saratoga has been a leader in promoting awareness of environmental issues and what we as a local community can do to minimize our ecological impact while maintaining a high quality of life.
About Saratoga Springs’ Participatory Budgeting
Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process that empowers community members to decide how to spend part of a public budget. This process was first brought to the City of Saratoga Springs in the Spring of 2022 by Commissioner of Finance Minita Sanghvi and is currently planning its fourth cycle of funding. Participatory Budgeting deepens democracy, builds stronger communities, and creates a more equitable distribution of public resources. For more information, visit the City of Saratoga Springs website.