Community Composting for Green Spaces
The pre-selection application to launch a community compost hub at your site with support from CACC is now open! Pre-selection applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with a priority deadline of September 30, 2022, and a secondary deadline of October 7, 2022. Final site selections will be made in Spring 2023.
¡Ya está abierta la solicitud de preselección para lanzar un centro de compostaje comunitario en su sitio con el apoyo de CACC! Las solicitudes de preselección se aceptarán de forma continua, el plazo de prioridad de September 30, 2022 hasta el October 7, 2022. Las selecciones finales del sitio se realizarán en la primavera de 2023.
CACC, in collaboration with People, Food and Land Foundation (PFL), was awarded the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) $1.54m pilot grant “Community Composting for Green Spaces.” The program aims to support the development of community-scale compost sites in 6 priority regions: the Bay Area, Fresno & Central California, Inland Empire, Greater Los Angeles, Sacramento & Northern California, and Greater San Diego. Since October 2020, CACC and PFL have helped improve, expand, or create up to 125 community composting projects and establish 65 part-time employment opportunities, as well as provided job training, community outreach and education, and increased access to locally-produced food, healthy compost, and beautiful green spaces primarily to residents of underserved, low income, and social/environmental justice communities.
The Community Composting for Green Spaces program provides on the ground support to launch or improve community composting sites across the state by providing resources that include:
Skilled staff to support projects with community composting, organizational and site development, community engagement, data collection & record keeping, community composting hub health assessments, and additional community benefits connected to composting (such as farming, education, volunteer engagement, etc.) for up to 70 weeks
Limited infrastructure expenses (on average $1,500 per site) related to community composting, organizational and site development, tree planting and maintenance, and associated community benefits
Organizational capacity and program development support aimed at ensuring project sustainability
Some funds for local staffing may also be available on a site-by-site basis.
Our overall goal is to support basic market development for community-based and small-scale composting projects, and to ensure long term sustainability and viability for such operations so that they can continue to offer place-based jobs and make healthy soil. CACC and PFL has developed responsive services that empower communities and deliver these transformational benefits. CACC’s community engagement processes are characterized by intentional outreach, active listening, community dialogue, sharing relevant resources, and creating open & collaborative spaces. Our approach to building the overall capacity of community composting in California values knowledge sharing and co-creation to accurately identify the true needs of individual sites and communities. In this way, we hope our program outcomes will provide state and local agencies with strong evidence that, given adequate funding and technical assistance, decentralized community composting networks of nonprofits and small businesses will be able to contribute to California’s methane reduction and compost facility development targets.
Infrastructure Development
Community Partners at each project site collaborate with CACC on project site design, and share the history and knowledge of their community to ensure each site addresses the unique needs of its community in a way that is inclusive, sustainable, and contributes to local community and environmental health.
Training and Certification
CACC designed a Soil Stewardship Training Program that pulls from both institutional and localized knowledge, and that empowers holistic organics recovery systems. Project staff attend a training retreat and participate in comprehensive project data collection and site assessments.
Software Development
Program contributors collaborate through a NEW project-specific application tool and online platform for collecting data, sharing information, and conducting analysis. CACC will assess and share this information to help build a network of community composting sites that are knowledgeable, equipped, and viable.
The CCGS-1 initiative is part of the California Climate Investments and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, statewide programs that put billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment— particularly in underserved communities. This pilot program seeks to:
Increase the number and capacity of small-scale composting activities in priority regions
Understand barriers to starting and managing community-based composting programs
Identify success factors and best management practices for community efforts
Provide models for effective and sustainable community composting operations
Project Partners
CCGS Project Advisors
Louise Bruce, San Jose Conservation Corps
Jessica Chiartas, PhD, UC Davis
Matthew Cotton, Integrated Waste Management Consulting
James McSweeney, Compost Technical Services
Deb Neher, PhD, University of Vermont
Cary Oshins, US Composting Council
Calla Rose Ostrander, The Carbon Project
Brenda Platt, Institute for Local Self Reliance
Cole B. Smith, UCCE Master Composter Program
CACC Leadership
Kourtnii Brown, Common Compost
Elinor Crescenzi, Integrative Development Initiative
Lynn Fang, Soil Scientist
Michael Martinez, L.A. Compost
CCGS Regional Co-Coordinators
Kourtnii Brown, Greater Bay Area and Central California
Charlotte Canner, Northern California
Elinor Crescenzi, Inland Empire
Enjoli Ferrari, Greater Los Angeles
Zro, Greater San Diego
Gina Vollono, Greater Los Angeles
CCGS-1 Project Timeline
November 2, 2020
Site application process opens.
Download the paper application, or follow the links above to apply online!
November 24, 2020
Priority deadline for site applications.
December 15, 2020
Final deadline for site applications.
Dec 2020-March 2021
Site applicant interviews and site visits.
April 2021
Project site selection process complete.
May 2021
Site Design and Project Planning.
June 2021
Site infrastructure development begins.
June 21-June 25
CCGS Training Retreat.
July 2021- Jan 2023
Ongoing CCGS Program activities and assessments.
Jan 2023-Mar 2023
Critical program evaluation period.
FAQs
Where can I find the CCGS-2 “pre-selection” site application, and when is it due?
The application to be included as a new pre-selected site for CCGS-2 is now open! Applications are available in English and Spanish, and will be accepted on a rolling basis, with a priority deadline of September 30, 2022, and a secondary deadline of October 7, 2022. Final site selections will be made in Spring 2023.
**NOTE: Individuals, groups, and formal organizations that have been participating in CCGS-1 who want to share their interest in continuing to receive no cost support from CACC for their community compost hub during CCGS-2 can submit this confirmation form online instead of completing the full application for new sites.
Who is eligible to submit a project application to receive support from CACC for CCGS-2?
Individuals, groups, projects, and formal organizations (both not-for-profit and for-profit) that are eligible to apply are those who:
are currently or planning to begin composting at a community scale
will divert organic material from the landfill to their site as a result of participation in this program
are connected to a site that is (or can be made) open to the public at least 4 hours per week. Sites closed for Covid-related reasons are still eligible; sites with entry restrictions such as prisons are still eligible.
have access to a site that is able to be used for community composting until at least April 1, 2025.
**NOTE: Individuals, groups, and formal organizations that have been participating in CCGS-1 who want to share their interest in continuing to receive no cost support from CACC for their community compost hub during CCGS-2 can submit this confirmation form online instead of completing the full application for new sites.
Are projects that aren’t located in disadvantaged or low-income areas eligible?
All projects that meet the above eligibility criteria are able to apply. CalRecycle is seeking to prioritize disadvantaged and low income communities--and requires projects to be ranked in the following order:
1) projects located in DACs
2) projects located in low-income communities
3) projects that serve/provide benefits to these communities but are not located in them
4) all other projects
Please see CalEnviroscreen for a map of communities that CalRecycle defines as disadvantaged communities; see ARB Priority Population Tool for a map of communities that CalRecycle defines as low-income.
What region should I select?
The regional map for the CCGS-2 program has been updated as follows:
Greater Bay Area: Includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, and San Benito Counties. Central Sierra: Includes Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne Counties. Sacramento Valley: Includes Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Placer, Sacramento, Shasta, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. San Joaquin Valley: Includes Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, and Tulare Counties. Northern Area: Includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Siskiyou, Trinity, and Sierra Counties. Inland Empire: Includes Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Greater Los Angeles Area: Includes Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties. San Diego and Imperial Area: Includes San Diego, and Imperial Counties.
Do sites that serve communities where municipal composting programs exist qualify?
It is possible for a project to qualify for grant support even if a project is located in areas with municipal composting services as long as applicants can document the way the project accomplishes this diversion does not violate an existing municipal service agreement.
Who do I contact if I need help with my application?
CACC can offer assistance during the application process, and will be posting answers to FAQs here. Please email all inquiries to us here or contact us at (909) 667-1089.
Is this a grant?
This is primarily a no-cost support program in which approved sites will receive comprehensive assistance from a skilled team of CACC site operators who are based in their region. Support offered from the CACC team will cover many areas associated with establishing or expanding a successful community composting program, including tasks like community engagement and outreach, site design and compost management, volunteer coordination, financial record keeping and sustainability planning, and community co-benefits, such as farming or education.
What is community composting?
For the CCGS Program, we define community composting as any organics recovery program for public benefit and/or for locally-distributed benefits oriented towards communities of moderate income or below, to process locally-generated organic materials, including green materials, agricultural materials, food materials, and vegetative food materials, on a small-scale within the same community where these materials are generated and which operates both a) to achieve community, social, economic, and environmental well-being and b) without compounding local or systemic environmental or social justice issues.
What projects costs are eligible?
CalRecycle limits project and infrastructure spending to the following or similar categories:
Composting bins or systems
Vermicomposting bins or systems
Materials to build composting bins or systems
Aeration systems for composting
Solar infrastructure to power aeration systems
Tools to assist in composting
Fencing to protect green spaces or composting area
Infrastructure to access water supply for composting
Signage for composting area
Training and environmental education for community members
Community outreach and volunteer event support
Soil/Compost testing
Bicycles or tricycles, including e-bikes, and bicycle trailers for collection of feedstocks or delivery of compost
Compost thermometers and logbooks
Bulking agents or chipping services to facilitate hot composting
How much support is offered for eligible expenses?
Some funds are available for site infrastructure expenses. The actual expenses that are able to be paid to each site are somewhat limited, but should be able to cover most of what a community site would need to get started or improve in terms of infrastructure. The expenses will be paid by CACC and infrastructure materials delivered and installed at the site in accordance with the proposed site plan, which will be co-created through efforts of the site applicant and the CACC team, drawing on their collective knowledge of the space, community, concerns, and community composting experience. There will be no direct transfer of funds to selected CCGS-2 program participants.
Are staff stipends an eligible cost?
There is some funding for labor to manage the compost and conduct community engagement, and that person could come from our CACC network, or if there are not many other approved sites in that demographic area or if a project group has staff already, that funding could go to someone from the site's organization to deliver CCGS site operations for CACC. The onboarding process for CCGS site operators is expected to begin in Spring 2023.