A letter to Rutland partners from program manager, Noah Fishman, following the kick-off meeting for this community composting program.
Hello all,
Thanks for coming out to the Close the Loop! Rutland Kickoff Meeting this week - we had a great time meeting with all of you and sharing ideas. Also, thank you to Elizabeth Theriault and RAFFL for providing such a great space for the event, and to Bryn Oakleaf from the VT Agency of Natural Resources for explaining the State's role in the transition to food scrap recycling. It was inspiring to hear from everyone at the meeting about your stories and goals regarding composting. We hope that you all have a better understanding of Highfields' programs and work. Let's keep up the great momentum! We look forward to working with you in the coming months and turning our food resources into compost, eggs and beyond.
Drawing on what was discussed at the kickoff meeting, we've narrowed down a list of goals to focus on immediately:
▪ Contunue to develop composting pilot project ideas (please keep in touch if you've got ideas!)
▪ Identify composting education and workshop potentials
▪ Develop existing on-site composting potentials
▪ Connect food scrap generators to local haulers and composters
Please make sure to spread the word in your community regarding Close the Loop! Rutland and do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. In addition to tackling the major goals outlined at the kickoff meeting, we'll be continuing to expand support and technical service opportunities for composting projects in the Rutland area, and developing educational materials for our Community Composting Toolkit which will be a comprehensive electronic/printed guide of all things compost. We are here to assist businesses, schools, and institutions in training on food scrap recycling and to make your ideas a reality.
Best,
Noah