Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the overarching goal of lane…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the overarching goal of lane county'sproject, expanding minority access to commercial food waste compost in lane county by increasing distribution of local products to close the loop on organics, is to keep food waste out of the landfill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the landfill would contribute to a reduction in the rate of climate change, which negatively and disproportionately impacts disadvantaged communities. Food waste represents about 18 percent of all waste entering the landfill in lane county, oregon. Food and other organic matter lead to methane generation and emissions from the landfill that are equal to approximately 80,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere each year. In support of this larger goal, the two main goals of the proposed project are 1) to make IT easier for lane county's rural and underserved farmers and communities to get and use compost and 2) to increase demand for food waste compost. Reaching these goals would help to support businesses making compost from local food waste and stop food waste from going into the landfill. Lane county will work towards goals 1 and 2 together with community partners. Grant funding will be used to buy and deliver compost to local farmers and resident, with a focus on minority communities and minority owned farms (1-500 acres - limit of one request up to 100 tons) and to hostone free compost day in four cities each year. This project aims to strengthen lane county's food waste reduction plan by aligning the increasing production and supply of compost with by growing demand, while addressing access disparities. Currently, compost made from commercial food scraps cannot be certified organic due to potential contamination in commercial food waste streams. The challenge lies in providing local commercial composting companies with a reliable market for their products, as they face limitations in storage capacity and operational footprint. Lane county plans to bolster market development for local food-waste compost products to manage the anticipated rise in production. However, this initiative highlights significant disparities in resource access, particularly along racial, geographic, language, and economic lines.urban residents, predominantly white, benefit more from the existing composting infrastructure, while rural communities face challenges like limited transportation, resource allocation disparities, language barriers, and socioeconomic issues, leading to reduced access and participation in composting programs. The united states census data show that most households in lane county make $59,000 (median household income) and 14.4 percent of lane county residents are living below the poverty line. Black, indigenous, and other people of color are more likely to be living in poverty in lane county. Based on 2018 american community survey estimates, latino and/or non-white make up only 17.7 percent of the county&,#39; s population – but 24.2 percent of those living in poverty. Furthermore, agricultural producers in lane county also experience disparities, with a majority operating small-scale farms with limited net cash incomes.of the 2,646 farms in lane county, 38 percent are smaller than 10 acres and 40 percent are 10-49 acres. Only eight percent of farms produce more than $50,000 in annual market value sales, according to the census of agriculture lane county profile in 2017.to address unstable compost markets and inequitable access to compost, lane county willdistribute free compost to local farmers and rural residents. Each funding year, maya buelow, the project lead, will identify a minimum of 35 farmers, at least 14 of which will be minority owned businesses or located in disadvantaged communities, to receive free compost. Compost will be purchased from local commercial companies. Approximately 7,260 tons of compost, up to 100 tons per producer, will be delivered over the life of the grant.four communities in lane county have been identified forfree compost day events (cottage grove, junction city, oakridge and springfield). With the exception of springfield, these communities are outside of the urban core of the county, have relatively high rates of poverty, and include more diverse communities. Lane county waste management division staff will deliver 20 tons of compost to each of the four communities. Residents can pick up as much free compost as they can carry, and any remaining compost will stay on site to benefit local non-profits, schools, or community groups. Educational materials will be distributed to each person picking up compost.lane county waste management staff will work with local community organizations to develop promotional and educational materials for compost distribution to agricultural producers and for the residential free compost days. The materialswill highlight thebenefits of compost use, such as the improvements in soil quality, increased rainwater absorption, and diverting food waste from landfills (which leads to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions).outreach materials will be created with community partners who are connected to lane county's rural and minority populations. The willamette farm and food coalition (wffc) lists 48 small farms in lane county in their locally grown guide. The network of farmers represented by the wffc membership is one example of the kinds of community partnerships lane county would like to strengthen to create more opportunities for learning and engagement about soil health and compost use while improving access to compost in underserved populations. The marketing plan will result in the distribution of multi-lingual and culturally sensitive educational and promotional materials geared towards promoting the use of compost. Monthly ADS in print media, radio, social media, other marketing channels, are expected to generate engagement with 250-500 agricultural producers each year, and with, thousands of residents.making access to locally produced food-waste compost easier through product giveaways and public education on the benefits of composting will create more equitable access to compost and bolster the market for finished compost products. Lane county residents and farmers will see the benefits of compost first-hand and brand recognition of locally produced compost will increase. Once the products have been promoted and distributed across the county for two years, the benefits of applying compost and the quality of the product will have been realized, demand will increase.ultimately, this project aims to create a sustainable composting culture within rural minority communities and create a more equitable and sustainable waste management approach in lane county. IT seeks to establish local composting networks, build community leadership, and provide ongoing support beyond the initial free compost days and free compost distribution.keeping organic waste out of the landfill will reduce the amount of methane created by the landfill, which will reduce the negative impacts of climate change on the local community and the world.