#compostnow

[zerofuckingwaste]

Easy zero waste tip no. 3: Know your R's

Refuse: If you don't acquire the thing that will become waste in the first place, it won't produce further waste. Simple enough. Refuse that which you do not need. Example: All that cute stuff on that Buzzfeed article? You don't need it. Don't even click the link.

Reduce: If you need something, get the minimum. Note that this doesn't mean the cheapest option- it means the most effective and environmentally friendly option. Example: Instead of buying disposable razors, or a razor with changeable heads, try out a safety razor. Instead of using plastic toothbrushes, try out bamboo, and instead of toothpaste in disposable tubes, try out some toothpaste bits. Instead of buying chicken breasts for one thing and chicken broth for another, get a whole chicken and learn to butcher its meat, and make broth from the skin and bones.

Reuse: This means both being mindful of purchases, so you're only buying things that are reusable whenever possible (Example: use beeswax wrap instead of saran wrap), and repurposing things you've already bought (Example: use those little Oui yogurt containers to start seeds for your garden).

Recycle: Find out what your local recycling program actually recycles, and be mindful. Aluminum is a safe bet most of the time, as is paper/cardboard; but plastics, most of the time, are a dud, so try to refuse, reduce, and reuse plastic whenever possible so you don't even need to worry about recycling it. This also refers to donation- that's another valid way to recycle things!

Rot: If you have a yard, start a compost pile! Just try to get a 50/50 balance of food scraps to brown matter (paper, dry leaves, etc). If you have a freezer, you can stick a container in there to act as a compost thing until you can bring it to a compost facility, such as a local garden, or farm. If you don't have the ability to do either of these things, then you can see if there's a subscription compost service in your area (I used CompostNow for ages, they're great).

Understanding these five principles, and looking at them in this order, can make things easier. Next time you're buying something, or about to throw something away, consider which of these might allow you to reduce your waste output in the future.

[dr-archeville]

Thirty years ago, this thirty-acre patch of dirt in southwestern Chatham County was a dairy farm.  Today, full of big machines busily moving piles around, it’s growing something else.  

When a kid tosses out her French fries at a Chapel Hill school, when a Durham Co-Op customer doesn’t finish his chickpeas, or when a Raleigh CompostNow subscriber puts a bucket of scraps out to be whisked away, this is where it all ends up: Brooks Contractor, one of the Triangle’s only large-scale composting facilities.

Brooks has been engaged in composting since the early 1990s, but the company has faced hard times.  These days, though, it’s on the upswing, thanks to CompostNow, a small but fast-growing company that’s somehow managed to make composting sexy.  Together, Brooks and CompostNow have created their own small ecosystem, symbiotically harvesting most of the residential and consumer-driven compost in the Triangle — and reaping profits in the process.

But as composting goes mainstream and cities like Durham consider progressive new policies, that tenuous balance could shift.  The change would likely be a win for the region’s residents, but it could significantly alter the landscape for the current big players.  

First, though, a tutorial.  Composting, of course, is the act of letting organic matter decay naturally, something gardeners and eco-minded folks have been doing for decades.  But with climate change an ever-looming threat, the practice has gotten more notice — for good reason.  Composting aficionados talk about how composting “closes the loop” on the farm-to-table philosophy: It returns organic matter to its origins so that it can once again be productive.  In contrast, food and paper products that go into a landfill take up critical space, produce methane — a greenhouse gas — and can never be used again.

In the United States, food scraps make up roughly 22 percent of waste, the largest single component; a 2016 Durham waste study found that about 30 percent of the city’s trash is compostable.  So if we want to cut down on the amount of trash going to the landfill, the best place to start is with food.

There are other benefits to composting, too: It captures carbon, reducing the amount in the air.  It also adds fertility and beneficial microbes to soil, cutting down on the need for pesticides and artificial fertilizers.  

“Most North Carolina soils have less than one percent organic matter.  When you add compost, you’re jump-starting all of that activity,” says Frank Franciosi, the Raleigh-based director of the U.S. Composting Council.  “There are all these positive ecosystem services that you get by producing and using compost.”

Those advantages are well-known now, though they weren’t when Dean Brooks was seeking an alternative to dairy farming in 1989.  But he saw an opportunity in the state’s new Solid Waste Management Act, which banned some organic waste from landfills, and he began collecting debris from chicken hatcheries.

It was a start, but his facility didn’t really begin flourishing for a decade, not until Orange County sought his help boosting its composting program.

“We engaged with Brooks and set up a contract whereby Orange County paid Brooks to pick up food waste from larger-scale commercial generators,” recalls Blair Pollock, a solid waste planner with the county.

That launched Brooks’s foray into composting food scraps on a large scale, something novel at the time.

“I think we were the first company on the East Coast to collect [organic waste] the way we do and compost it,” says Amy Brooks Fulford, Brooks’s food-waste collection manager and a partial owner of the family business.  (She is Dean’s daughter and grew up at the facility.)

Orange County wound up launching what’s been the Triangle’s most forward-thinking composting program.  For a while, the county paid Brooks to collect food waste from big generators like UNC — both the university and the hospital — as well as Whole Foods, Weaver Street Market, and the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group’s eateries.  Eventually, it sent most of them off to negotiate their own contracts with Brooks, though the county’s program still covers about forty local restaurants and institutions.

And at every elementary and middle school in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School system, kids segregate their food waste and Brooks picks it up for composting, for which the company is paid about $40,000 a year.  (Because the system’s trash pickup costs are reduced, that program is cost neutral.)  In five years, the school system has diverted 1.3 million pounds of food waste from the landfill.

Meanwhile, other institutions got on the bandwagon.  Duke University has been collecting and sending its compost to Brooks for years, as has the EPA office in the Research Triangle Park.

For Brooks, this has all been good news.  The compost biz is surprisingly precarious.  The material might be waste, but transporting it costs money, and the machinery needed to pick up, turn, screen, and deliver it comes with a high price tag.  A single piece of equipment can cost half a million dollars.  Today, though, the company — which is deeply invested in advancing sustainable practices in the region — processes about sixty-five thousand tons annually, assisting with transport and providing a destination facility.

There, over the course of six months to a year, organic waste slowly turns into rich black dirt.

That finished compost has found its way to the landscaped yards of new developments all over the Triangle, as well as farms and university campuses, including Duke Gardens.

Composting isn’t yet at a point where it makes good economic sense, though.  In Orange County, the institutions that donate food scraps to Brooks benefit from lower trash-pickup costs.  But the entire operation is subsidized by the county, which pays Brooks up to $180,000 a year.  For businesses that have their own contracts with Brooks, the costs can vary.

“Smaller businesses, if they really sharpen their pencil, can get close to making diversion of food waste pay for itself,” says Pollock.

Close, yes, but not all the way there.  At this point, it’s still cheaper to simply throw food scraps away — which means that for many companies, composting is a mission-driven decision.

But that dynamic changed somewhat when CompostNow entered the market.  Started in 2011 by Matt Rostetter of Raleigh, the compost collection company has seen exponential growth, quickly gobbling up competitors Tilthy Rich Compost and Food Forward.  The business now also operates in Asheville, Charleston, and Atlanta, but about half of its five thousand members are in the Triangle.

With its ease of use, reasonable prices, and good timing, CompostNow has managed to make rotting vegetation cool.  And it’s achieved something else that diehard environmentalists have been waiting for: “They’ve planted that seed of, this isn’t waste, it’s a valuable resource that’s not being used properly,” says Franciosi of the U.S. Composting Council.

In essence, CompostNow has served as an ambassador for the practice.

The message has certainly gotten through to Lakisha Chichester, a Durham resident and enthusiastic CompostNow customer.  She says she’s no tree hugger; a coworker turned her on to the benefits of composting.

“After that conversation, every time I scraped something into the trash, I thought about it: What am I doing — why am I taking something that can be used and putting it in the trash?” says Chichester.  Like two-thirds of the company’s clients, she doesn’t ask for the finished compost (which is free to customers); it simply feels like the right thing to do.

This sentiment is becoming increasingly common.  Office-based composting, for example, has been taking off “unlike anything we’ve seen before,” says Kat Nigro, the head of marketing and engagement for CompostNow.  “We see this demand from employees to work in a sustainable, environmentally focused office.  Employers are thinking it helps attract talent.”

CompostNow also services Wake County’s compost collection sites and has hundreds of smaller institutional clients all over the region.

But that expansion is possible only through its collaboration with Brooks Contractor.  CompostNow specializes in collecting, sorting through, and cleaning out compost bins, something Brooks doesn’t really have time for.  Meanwhile, Brooks provides the acreage, machinery, and know-how to create the final product.  Together, they’ve found a mutually beneficial balance.

This being a relatively nascent industry, however, that balance could shift.  And it might.  Durham has big plans that could make it a leader in composting across the state and perhaps even the nation, but that could affect CompostNow’s business model.

At the moment, Durham contracts with the company Atlas Organics to compost its yard waste at a facility on East Club Boulevard.  But the city owns five acres of compost sheds that are permitted to receive and compost food scraps, as well as biosolids.  The latter is treated sewage sludge — aka human feces.  Its use on food crops is mildly controversial, but the substance is heavily regulated and tested by the EPA to ensure its safety.  Like animal manure, it increases soil fertility.

What all of that means is that Durham could be doing far more composting than it currently is.  And it’s fixing to change that.  Once this exceptionally wet spring dries out, Atlas will experiment with composting a combination of yard waste and biosolids.  Meanwhile, the city government will research and pilot a program to collect household food scraps.

“The city is really interested in making this happen,” says Muriel Williman, Durham’s senior assistant solid waste manager.  She was hired five months ago to help guide this initiative.

How exactly it’ll all work is unclear — but some big brains are on it.  Durham’s Innovation Team, which is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, together with Duke’s Center for Advanced Hindsight have taken on the project and are currently examining best practices around the country and the barriers Durham faces.  In six to twelve months, they’ll pilot a curbside collection program with about two hundred households that are already signed up for yard waste collection and see how it goes.

Durham will also establish drop-off sites for food waste.  If municipal curbside compost collection succeeds, though, it would be the first in the state — and make Durham one of only a few dozen municipalities in the country to compost all three types of organic waste that a city produces: yard waste, biosolids, and food waste.

“The ramifications are huge, not to mention the carbon reduction,” says Williman.  “Talk about resilient cities — we could do all of it ourselves.”

But if Durham established residential curbside food-waste pickup and did its own composting, the big loser would be CompostNow, which has hundreds of subscribers in the city.  Brooks, with its wider customer base, would be less affected — although that might change, too, if Durham’s initiative goes well and other municipalities start their own composting programs.  Already, Carrboro officials are mulling launching their own curbside food scrap pickup effort.

CompostNow says it’s not concerned.  And who knows?  Durham might decide to hire CompostNow to do the curbside pickup.  After all, that’s what the company does.

No matter what, no one’s going to suffer too badly.  As everyone in the industry agrees, there’s more than enough organic waste to go around.

Comment on this story at backtalk@indyweek.com.

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[notesfortracy]

With apologies to the good folks at #muvfitness 😊 #compostnow https://www.instagram.com/p/B1vtSPGAt8cYyG9TYTa558ie3To8X-AJS0NwQA0/?igshid=18trycddwpqqd

[gogreenfernbank]

On Monday we presented a poster about our Sustainable Cafeteria Initiative at Fernbank at the Break the Cycle Conference at Emory University. AT the conference, students and faculty from a variety of colleges and universities participate in developing projects that will Break the Cycle of Children’s Environmental Health Disparities to promote health equity for all children. 

[ncdweller]

Got to help supervise/educate on these at Monday's Parks & Greenspace conference at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Everything served for breakfast was compostable, even the plastic utensils. We had to hide the trash cans as people still wanted to toss the paper plates and such in them.

Zero went to the landfill.

Lunch was a little trickier as there were soft drink cans and chip bags to contend with.

Chip bags went to the landfill, cans got recycled, everything else will become compost.

Pretty impressive.

The compost goes to local farms and community gardens, or they will return it to you for your own garden.

I signed up for this at home, and my empty compost vessel will arrive Tuesday. The following week they swap my bin for a new one, and we continue on that way.

They even take pizza boxes.

Now people reading this and thinking "what's the big deal, our City does this already". Consider yourself fortunate.

In Atlanta, and everywhere else around here, food scraps go into the trash can, or worse, down the disposal to clog drains.

Pretty cool!

[popupraleigh-blog]

@compostnow will be at @popupraleigh Saturday, January 21st, noon til 6pm. Shop the best local art and vintage INSIDE @trophymaywood while sipping beer and noshing on food from trucks! FREE admission & parking. #popupraleigh #trophymaywood #shoplocalraleigh #wintermarketraleigh #compostnow (at Pop-Up Raleigh)

[thezensucculent]

Come say hey to our newest plant shop resident, (Prickly) Pete, in the downtown Raleigh shop. He’s a prickly pear cactus, a gift from our pals at @compostnow who needed a new home for him. Who else names their plants? Shout out your favorite plant names in our comments. https://ift.tt/2nGboDA

[wikkedscorpion]

#Repost @atlresilience (with @report.for.insta) ... 40% of all the food produced in the US is thrown away. Whether through over-purchasing or improper storage at home, farmers not being able to sell “ugly” produce, or grocery stores overstocking to maintain an image of abundance, wasted food accounts for 21% of the nation’s drinking water usage and 10% of its energy. On April 25th, you are invited to join the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and @WeAreOneAtlanta for the FREE Wasted Screening #EarthDay celebration by featuring a discussion on the intersection between wasted food and our environmental, community health with our city’s food leaders including Atlanta’s Urban Ag Director, Mario Cambardella, @goodrco’s Founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe, @compostnow’s David Paull, @foodwellalliance’s Will Sellars, and @emoryuniversity’s Jonathan Crane. Tastings of local chefs will also be featured before the screening. Sign up for this free exciting event here or in our bio: https://www.facebook.com/events/442661969609416/?ti=icl (at Johns Creek, Georgia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwFmWeHARxw/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hq33pl8oibt9

[ecominimalistmom]

My local composting option May- Nov. I plan on starting back up in May. Wish they had composting pick up in my city if they did I think many would get on board with it. Compostnow is also an online sustainable program but isn’t available in my area.

[csrgood]

Ecocentricity Blog: Trash Turned Into Treasure

Ecocentricity Blog: Trash Turned into Treasure

Chantel Lanier here, taking over John's blog for this week. Our NextGen Committee held its annual retreat over the weekend, so I’ve been thinking a lot about values, missions and personal rules to live by. John has been able to articulate his personal rules for many years. “Comfort over style,” and “process over results,” top his list. Mine have evolved over time and through various circumstances, but “say yes to interesting opportunities,” and “be a lifelong learner,” have emerged as some of my most important. It was an easy decision, then, to accept an invitation to tour CompostNow’s operations at King of Crops a few weeks ago.

Turns out that CompostNow utilizes a method similar to many backyard composters – a pile. They take all of the organic matter collected from their subscribers and utilize a tractor to combine it with carbon matter. They let it sit in a pile so the inside can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit. They utilize the same machine to rotate the pile and also move it farther back on the land (to make room for newer piles). Eventually the compost becomes soil and is returned back to CompostNow subscribers and community farm partners.

I’ve been curious about composting since John and I began utilizing CompostNow’s services last summer. I thought it must take place in huge machines capable of generating really high temperatures that could break down organic matter quickly. I knew I was in for a different experience when I stepped out of my car in the middle of a beautiful afternoon and could hear only the sounds of chickens clucking and other tour participants chatting. I took a deep breath and smelled…nothing. If anything, it smelled like crisp, fresh, unpolluted air. I certainly didn’t detect any unpleasant odors I would have previously associated with composting.

Even if all I learned on the tour was the “how” of composting, it would have been fascinating. What made it even better was learning about all of the thought CompostNow puts into every aspect of its business. Here are some things that really stood out to me:

CompostNow shapes customers’ perspectives on composting by providing a clean bin every time. As a residential customer, I always find my bin freshly lined and ready to be refilled after each pick-up. Commercial customers receive large black bins that look similar to garbage and recycling bins. They get washed and dried at the facility and are returned to the businesses in pristine condition. (Yes, we actually examined and smelled these bins on the tour. They were perfect.)

Why are the bins black? Why is the logo aqua? As we discussed on the tour, CompostNow’s branding was designed to stand out. Founder Matthew Rostetter says, “I wanted to stray from the typical ‘green’ business…. I designed a logo that was clean, modern and conveyed a sense of activism. I chose the aqua color because it was a mix of green, associated with environmental sustainability, and blue, symbolizing the clean air that is saved by smaller landfills.”

Eventually CompostNow doesn’t want to be in the business of composting (kind of…). If I remember correctly, CompostNow handled more organic matter in 2019 than it had in its first six years of business combined. Soon the volume of organic matter it collects will exceed the capacity of its King of Crops facility. CompostNow is addressing this by working with people who want to start medium size composting facilities. CompostNow helped create the legal pathway for these facilities to operate and also provides the knowledge, support and compostable materials to help get the facilities off the ground. Eventually CompostNow will deliver organic matter to its partner composting facilities and focus solely on the logistics of collection. The plan is to keep operating the King of Crops facility to offer tours and educational opportunities.

One thing that struck me as I held composted soil in my hand was that it’s the closest I’ve ever been to trash turned into treasure. I thought about all of the different things I dump in my compost bin every week and how they’ve all become something so useful and important. It was a cool moment. If you don’t already, I urge you to try composting – whether that means subscribing to CompostNow or doing it yourself in your own backyard.

This blog is available weekly via email subscription.  Click here to subscribe.

RESOURCES

Ecocentricity Blog: Free-Riders

Ecocentricity Blog: The Best Laid Schemes

Ecocentricity Blog: Buildings Made of Sky

CONTACT

Valerie Bennett

+1 (770) 317-5858

valerie@raycandersonfoundation.org

Ray C. Anderson Foundation

http://www.raycandersonfoundation.org

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/43853-Ecocentricity-Blog-Trash-Turned-Into-Treasure?tracking_source=rss

[samyalter354]

Why should you compost at home?

Composting not only reduces trash in landfills, but also improves your backyard at home. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow." That means bigger produce, prettier flowers, and a healthier garden can come at no extra cost to you once you start saving your family's scraps and turning them into "plant food." Follow our easy steps and you'll be amazed at the change in your garden — and the amount of garbage you throw away will drastically drop, too.

Why should I compost?

It’s one of the most effective ways to minimize the amount of garbage your family sends to the landfill. Around 30% of what we throw away are food scraps and yard waste, says the EPA. Not only does this reduce methane gas, which is a major factor in global warming, but composting also controls trash can odor. And the biggest payoff? You'll be left with a rich fertilizer you can use in your own garden or donate to your favorite cause.

Related Articles : https://www.justhomegardening.com/

How can I set up a composting bin or pile?

Choose an outdoor space for your compost — you need at least 3 square feet of space — and a bin. A closed bin is a good choice if you're worried about the way your compost pile will look (or smell)! You can easily make a container, order one online (like FCMP Outdoor's best-seller), or buy one at your local hardware or gardening store. Look for a bin that's about 3 feet in diameter and not much taller than your waist. Use chicken wire or fencing to protect your bin from animals such as raccoons (or even the neighbor's dog).

What can I compost?

You can add almost anything from your kitchen and garden — some surprising organic material includes egg shells, cut flowers, coffee grounds (and paper filters), old newspapers, tea and tea bags, hair (from pets and your own hair brush!), toothpicks, and even matches. The trick is to aim for equal amounts of "green" waste and "brown" waste to keep your compost healthy. "Green" waste includes moist matter like fruits and vegetables and "brown" waste is dry matter can be items like wood shavings, dry leaves, or even old newspapers. Maintaining a balance is important is because "brown" materials are rich in carbon, feeding the organisms that break down the scraps and "green" materials supply nitrogen — key for building the cell structure of your new soil.

Your compost also needs oxygen and moisture. Without air, your pile will start to rot and smell. Moisture helps break everything down; sprinkle the compost with water every now and then, unless your scraps are wet enough on their own. With the right mixture, your compost should smell like nothing but earthy dirt.

Is there anything I can't compost?

While they are compostable, dairy or animal products (even animal bones) will start to smell and attract pests, so toss those in your old-school garbage can. The same goes for fats, oils, and pet waste. Also, if you have a disease or insect ridden plant, don't add it to the pile – it could contaminate your compost, making it unusable. best mushroom growing kit for beginners https://www.justhomegardening.com/8-best-edible-mushroom-growing-kit-plus-growth-tips-for-beginners

How long does composting take?

Over a few weeks, your food scraps will turn into soil. Turn your mixture over every week or two with a shovel or garden fork to mix it up. If you're not seeing progress after a few weeks, add more "green" material and make sure you're keeping the pile moist. If it's smelly and wet, add more "brown" material and turn the compost more frequently. Also, break apart any big materials (like branches) to keep air flowing. Your compost is ready when it looks and smells like soil!

How can I use my compost? Incorporate it into your garden beds or sprinkle it on top. Remember, compost is not a replacement for your soil, but rather acts as a natural fertilizer to nurture your soil and plants, so add it a couple of times a year for best results.

Can I compost inside my home?

Absolutely. Whether you’re in an apartment or a house without a backyard, you can set up a mini collection station right in your kitchen so you don't have to trash food scraps. Experts from the Good Housekeeping Institute share their tips and tricks for making composting work no matter where you live:

1. Get a compost bin with a tight-fitting lid.

Whether you opt for a plastic bin or a stainless steel version, make sure it comes with a lid. Some plastic versions may absorb smells, explains Laurie Jennings, GH Institute director, which is why she uses an old stainless steel ice bucket with a matching lid on her countertop to collect compostable material.

2. Line your compost bin with biodegradable bags.

While it’s tempting to want to reuse plastic bags from the grocery store, these aren’t biodegradable and can defeat the purpose of your composting. Jennings swears by BioBag’s compostable bags (available in 3- and 13-gallon sizes) even after trying a number of more expensive brands. crimini mushroom growing kit https://www.justhomegardening.com/8-best-edible-mushroom-growing-kit-plus-growth-tips-for-beginners

3. Store full compost bags in your freezer.

You'll want to replace the bag regularly so weeks-old scraps don't start to stink up your space. Once your bin is at capacity, secure the bag, and place it in the freezer (yes, really!). This will make scraps easier to transport, eliminate any odor, halt active decomposition, and buy you some time before you're able to get rid of them.

4. Find a local collection service or drop-off location.

If you don’t have a garden in which compost your scraps, see if your community offers collection services. Contact your local municipality or visit CompostNow's site which lists participating services around the country — some even provide at-home starter kits and regular curbside pickup. The rules all depend on where you live. If you bring your own waste to a transfer station, check with them too: Many have designated compost areas.

If you live in an apartment or in a city without collection, you likely have to put in a little extra effort to donate your compost, but it’s worth it, explains Birnur Aral, Ph.D., director of the Health, Beauty & Environmental Sciences Lab, who is a home-composter in a community that doesn’t have a collection program. flower bed ideas front of house https://www.justhomegardening.com/flower-bed-ideas-for-front-of-house

“Every few weeks I bring my scraps to my daughter’s college where they have built a composting bin,” she says. “In the summer, I bring bags to my local farmer’s market and give them to a neighbor who sells produce and uses the compost at her farm upstate.” It's a little way to give back.

[michaelfallcon]

Build-Outs Of Summer: Sightsee In Charleston, SC

There’s cute and then there’s cah-yute, and today’s entry into the Build-Outs of Summer falls squarely into the latter. Sightsee is a retail space and coffee shop in Charleston, South Carolina that’s got breeze and whimsy for days.

Adorned primarily in seafoam green and white, Sightsee is fun and playful, and that’s what owners Joel Sadler and Allyson Sutton want. Their hope is that the adventurous feel will get customers exploring the shop, where they can stumble upon any of the curated wares Sadler and Sutton have selected. So head to Sightsee to grab a coffee, just don’t be surprised if you head home with a field guide or a print.

The 2019 Build-Outs of Summer is presented by Pacific Barista Series, notNeutral, KeepCup, and Mill City Roasters.

As told to Sprudge by Joel Sadler & Allyson Sutton.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

Sightsee is a retail shop + coffee bar that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Founded by Joel Sadler and Allyson Sutton, Sightsee aims to inspire a sense of adventure in everyday life. By blending the energy and community of a cafe with the joy of product discovery, Sightsee introduces you to new finds in a way that breaks traditional retail categorization. Grab a cup of coffee, strike up a conversation, and learn how the brands we carry can bring a bit of adventure to your day-to-day.

Our Kickstarter video really communicates the whole concept fairly well, we think.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

We’ve been doing popups for nearly a year now in friends’ shops and creative spaces around Charleston. We had all but given up hope on finding affordable space downtown when Allyson discovered 125 1/2 Line St on a commercial listing page. We jumped on it immediately even though we weren’t sure how we were going to afford it and were getting married in a couple months (May 11).

What’s your approach to coffee?

We actually wrote a “manifesto” of sort on that topic several months back.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We are super excited about our custom La Marzocco GS3 with a white body and wood panels. We had some constraints on the use of space that required the espresso machine to be the first thing you see when you walk in. We needed it to help set the tone for the entire shop. We also custom painted our FETCO batch brewer white ourselves to match our other equipment. We want the coffee component of our concept shop to blend seamlessly into the overall experience. Having a giant stainless steel box on the counter really does the opposite.

How is your project considering sustainability?

We are using 100% compostable cups, lids, straws, and paper and are working with CompostNow to make sure our program stays in line. We’re even running our espresso machine drain into a bucket that we will empty directly into our plant beds outside.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

We have had friends, family, and Kickstarter backers in for a soft opening to get our feet under us. As of today, though, we have just gotten our CO and can officially open this Friday, 9/13!

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

Our GC Charlie Letts has been incredible as well as Chevis Luckett who built the counter. Our friend and architect Ross Ritchie worked a miracle translating our sketches into a coffee counter diagram that a contractor could actually build. Beyond that we really would have to thank the entire Charleston community for helping us in all sorts of creative ways.

Thank you!

Sightsee is located at 125 1/2 Line St, Charleston. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Sightsee In Charleston, SC appeared first on Sprudge.

Build-Outs Of Summer: Sightsee In Charleston, SC published first on https://medium.com/@LinLinCoffee

[shebreathesslowly]

Build-Outs Of Summer: Sightsee In Charleston, SC

There’s cute and then there’s cah-yute, and today’s entry into the Build-Outs of Summer falls squarely into the latter. Sightsee is a retail space and coffee shop in Charleston, South Carolina that’s got breeze and whimsy for days.

Adorned primarily in seafoam green and white, Sightsee is fun and playful, and that’s what owners Joel Sadler and Allyson Sutton want. Their hope is that the adventurous feel will get customers exploring the shop, where they can stumble upon any of the curated wares Sadler and Sutton have selected. So head to Sightsee to grab a coffee, just don’t be surprised if you head home with a field guide or a print.

The 2019 Build-Outs of Summer is presented by Pacific Barista Series, notNeutral, KeepCup, and Mill City Roasters.

As told to Sprudge by Joel Sadler & Allyson Sutton.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

Sightsee is a retail shop + coffee bar that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Founded by Joel Sadler and Allyson Sutton, Sightsee aims to inspire a sense of adventure in everyday life. By blending the energy and community of a cafe with the joy of product discovery, Sightsee introduces you to new finds in a way that breaks traditional retail categorization. Grab a cup of coffee, strike up a conversation, and learn how the brands we carry can bring a bit of adventure to your day-to-day.

Our Kickstarter video really communicates the whole concept fairly well, we think.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

We’ve been doing popups for nearly a year now in friends’ shops and creative spaces around Charleston. We had all but given up hope on finding affordable space downtown when Allyson discovered 125 1/2 Line St on a commercial listing page. We jumped on it immediately even though we weren’t sure how we were going to afford it and were getting married in a couple months (May 11).

What’s your approach to coffee?

We actually wrote a “manifesto” of sort on that topic several months back.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We are super excited about our custom La Marzocco GS3 with a white body and wood panels. We had some constraints on the use of space that required the espresso machine to be the first thing you see when you walk in. We needed it to help set the tone for the entire shop. We also custom painted our FETCO batch brewer white ourselves to match our other equipment. We want the coffee component of our concept shop to blend seamlessly into the overall experience. Having a giant stainless steel box on the counter really does the opposite.

How is your project considering sustainability?

We are using 100% compostable cups, lids, straws, and paper and are working with CompostNow to make sure our program stays in line. We’re even running our espresso machine drain into a bucket that we will empty directly into our plant beds outside.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

We have had friends, family, and Kickstarter backers in for a soft opening to get our feet under us. As of today, though, we have just gotten our CO and can officially open this Friday, 9/13!

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

Our GC Charlie Letts has been incredible as well as Chevis Luckett who built the counter. Our friend and architect Ross Ritchie worked a miracle translating our sketches into a coffee counter diagram that a contractor could actually build. Beyond that we really would have to thank the entire Charleston community for helping us in all sorts of creative ways.

Thank you!

Sightsee is located at 125 1/2 Line St, Charleston. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Sightsee In Charleston, SC appeared first on Sprudge.

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[gogreenfernbank]

GO GREEN CLUB MEETING OCTOBER 2019

Our focus was COMPOST: what it is, why it’s important, and how we can use composting to keep waste out of our landfills & to give back nutrients to the planet-

1. Betsy took the kids to the meadow to pick wild flowers to make an equinox bouquet

(”The meadow is a thriving ecosystem bursting with color during the drought (because of drought resistant plantings) and humming with activity. The kids took notice of the number of plants flowers and trees, as well as the number of butterflies dragon flies and bees busy around it. - Betsy's reminder: we always have a choice, we can choose to create a beautiful, thriving, native meadow where we might normally plant grass - which would not provide the activity there is now” )

2. Emily and Justine worked with the kids to plant Radish and Carrot seeds directly in our very own Go Green garden bedAs well as planting cold weather seeds in a biodegradable mesh bag that your child brought home.

We talked to the kids about composting and soil, what grows well when, and how to care for your plants.

3. Robin started filming the kids for our upcoming GO Green Educational Compost video that we will be sharing with our school and the county. (stay tuned)

We want to shout out our  local fav Compost Now - who donated the little bags of compost that the kids brought home. This is the company that Fernbank is using to process our lunch waste and then return to us in the form of awesome, nutrient rich compost that we use in our school gardens.

They do residential pickup too, and it’s a great way to participate in composting without having to manage a pile at home.

[spiderbae]

Hey guys, I know a lot of us live in apartments and stuff so I found this awesome way to compost without a yard!! By composting you also earn free compost delivered straight to your door for your own flowers or houseplants. If they’re already in your city you can sign up right away, and if they’re not in your area yet you can sign a petition to bring them there!

Go forth and compost, comrades!