Intern Project – Composting Communication

Post written by Urban Agriculture Intern, Lizzy Burkhalter.

My name is Lizzy Burkhalter, and I am the Urban Agriculture Intern at Allen Centennial Garden. In my unique role, I have had the opportunity to work part-time at Allen Centennial Garden, where I manage the Wymann Kitchen Garden and collaborate with our team of interns and volunteers in 27 different garden spaces. Additionally, I work part-time at Troy Farm alongside the farm crew and five community growers, cultivating crops dedicated to improving food security. For my intern project, I partnered with Elliott Gilfillan, who is the organizer and lead composter of Troy Farm’s composting operation, Brainplate Grows. Brainplate Grows is a volunteer-run operation that is setting up ecohubs and composting processing centers throughout Madison. The goal of this organization is to help Madison neighborhoods become more involved with composting by educating and engaging with the community to meet the goals of lessening fossil fuel emissions and improving food security.

The first goal of my project was to increase awareness, interest, and understanding of composting techniques and impacts. To meet this goal, I created educational materials to communicate information about composting methods, benefits, and outcomes. This project focused on two benefits of composting: lessening greenhouse gas emissions and utilizing composting to increase food security. The second goal of my project was to engage community members in composting activities. To reach this goal, I created educational materials that focused on the benefits of composting and how individuals could become involved with composting at the individual and community scale and presented those materials to community members.

Troy Composting Greenhouse

Getting Involved with the Action

To create effective educational materials, it was essential for me to gain hands-on experience with composting. I achieved this by collaborating with Brainplate Grows on a weekly basis, learning the intricacies of composting firsthand. Each week, a truck arrived loaded with food scraps collected from 20 local restaurants and organizations partnering with Brainplate Grows. The process began by opening and dumping a few buckets of food scraps into a bin and chopping the fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces to accelerate decomposition once added to the compost pile. These chopped scraps “the goop” were then added to a wagon and mixed with wood chips, cardboard, sawdust, and fungi—a blend I fondly referred to as a ‘compost salad.’

Compost Pile Nitrogen inputs- “The Goop”
A perfect “Compost Salad”

With shovels in hand, we carefully mixed these elements together, creating a combination of greens and browns ready for composting. Two team members would then unload the wagon, piling the compost salad into large piles in the greenhouse. We repeated this process until every bucket was emptied, resulting in a large, nutrient-rich compost pile ready to nurture the soil.

Compost piles at Brainplate Grows’ Operation at different stages of decomposition

Working with the composters was a wonderful experience full of laughter, music, and great conversation. I not only got to work with the composting team, but also a wonderful group of volunteers that made each experience enjoyable. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to become familiar with compost creation and watch how lemons, tomatoes, and woodchips transform into nutrient rich soil. This hands-on experience equipped me with the knowledge to create my educational materials and engage in thoughtful conversations with members of my community.

Compost Piles supporting the life and growth of “volunteer squash”, bringing life into the greenhouse

Signs

The educational materials that I created took the form of four signs and one booklet that covered various composting related topics.

 

Sign 1: Why Should We Care About Nature?

(Caption: Why Should We Care About Nature? Nature provides direct and indirect benefits to humans that make life on Earth possible. These are called ecosystem services. 1. Provisioning services: food, fiber, water, medicine, and other natural resources. 2. Supporting services: habitat for plants and wildlife, nutrient cycling, and the maintenance of genetic and biological diversity. 3. Cultural services: Recreation, tourism, aesthetic and artistic appreciation, and spirituality. 4. Regulation services: Climate regulation, air and soil quality, carbon sequestration, and pollination.)

I chose to create this sign to emphasize the importance of caring for nature by highlighting how nature serves us. Ecosystem services are the benefits that nature provides to humans, which we often don’t consider. By focusing on these services, I aimed to deepen the understanding of how closely our well-being is related to the health of the environment. This sign is meant to inspire appreciation and responsibility of nature by showing that caring for nature is a necessity for sustaining life on earth.

Sign 2: Why Do We Compost?

Why Do We Compost? 1. To build community: join composting programs to meet neighbors who care about the environment. These events are great for learning, working together, and feeling like you’re making a difference. You’ll help build a strong community that takes care of our planet. 2. To create nutrient rich soil: Compost is like nature’s fertilizer, giving plants key nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It makes the soil better at holding water and helps good organisms grow, leading to healthy, strong plants. 3. To decrease food waste: When organic waste breaks down in landfills, it creates methane, a strong greenhouse gas. Composting keeps this waste out of landfills, so it breaks down with less methane and returns nutrients to the soil.

I chose to create a sign concerning why we should compost because understanding the purpose and benefits of composting is foundational to encouraging participation among community members. By clearly communicating the positive impacts of composting on both the environment and our communities, I aimed to inspire involvement amongst community members whether they were familiar with composting or not. The design of this sign is meant to illustrate how interconnected and complex our environment is. We usually only see what is above ground: the flowers, grasses, and trees. We rarely think about all of the action that is occurring below our feet. Beneath us lies a vibrant, bustling ecosystem full of life. From microscopic bacteria to wriggling worms to burrowing ground squirrels, billions of organisms work together to sustain the ecosystems we rely on above ground. This intricate web of life is essential to the health of our soil, the growth of plants, and the balance of our world. Through this design, I aim to bring attention to the incredible activity happening below us, reminding us of the deep connections that bind all living things together. This sign focuses on three different reasons behind composting: to build community, create nutrient rich soil, and decrease food waste.

 

Sign 3: How to Compost

How To Compost. What to compost: Nitrogen rich (greens) inputs such as fruits, vegetables, eggshells, grass clippings, yard trimmings, and leaves. Carbon rich (browns) inputs such as wood ash, hay and straw, cardboard, paper, sawdust, and woodchips. How to compost: Organisms that decompose waste and create compost need carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and water. Composting recipe: 2-4 parts carbon (browns) for every one part nitrogen (greens). Too much nitrogen = slimy, smelly compost. Too much carbon = dry, inactive compost. Materials that shouldn’t be composted are likely to attract animals, create smelly compost, and/or do not fully decompose. What not to compost: milk, coal or charcoal ash, dairy products, eggs, diseased plants, fat, grease, lard, oil, meat or fish, pet feces, litter, and yard trimmings treated with pesticides.

I decided to make this sign to create an easy to understand walkthrough on how to compost once their interest is sparked. Many people are eager to compost but may be uncertain about what can go into a compost pile and how to properly manage it. This sign is intended to eliminate confusion, provide clear information, and ensure that composting efforts are successful for anyone who decides to give it a try.

In my sign, I describe what food scraps or materials should and shouldn’t be composted. This section aims to help individuals understand what inputs should be added to their pile, ensuring a healthy and productive composting process. By clearly stating what should be avoided, the sign helps prevent common composting mistakes.

My section on “how to compost” is intended to give my audience an easily understood idea of what a compost pile needs and what proportions of browns (carbon) and greens (nitrogen) to add. I also chose to include signs to look for that may let someone know if there is a problem with their pile such as too much nitrogen or carbon. This section provides a straightforward guide to starting and maintaining a compost pile, ensuring that anyone can successfully compost at home.

 

Sign 4: Composting MVPS

Composting MVPS. First level decomposers are small organisms that occur in large numbers and break down organic matter chemically. Second level decomposers are organisms that eat first level decomposers and organic matter. Third level decomposers are larger organisms that break down organic matter by chewing, tearing, and sucking.

For this sign, I wanted to focus on the unsung heroes of composting—the organisms that do the work of breaking organic matter down into nutritious soil that can be used in place of fertilizers. Composting does not require a lot of work from humans because these organisms are on the job 24/7 doing the work for us. For this sign, I had the exciting opportunity to illustrate the organisms that I wanted to place a spotlight on. This allowed me to creatively engage with the subject matter and create a visual of the organisms present in compost piles. It was a rewarding experience to combine my artistic skills with my passion for sustainability, creating an educational tool that will help others understand and appreciate the importance of decomposers in our environment.

Booklet

: Nurturing the Earth for a Sustainable Future. QR Cote 1: Brainplate Grows' Instagram and volunteer interest form. @brainplategrows QR Code 2: Companies in Madison, WI that provide food scraps to Brainplate Grows. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OEFyDZ4C1A8OS5T__VtMBlxAui62ddOF/view?usp=sharing)

What is Composting? Composting is the process of breaking down organic matter into nutrient dense soil that reduces food waste and nourishes gardens. By turning our food scraps into compost, we can transform our waste into beneficial, nutritious soils that help our environment and communities. Why is Composting Important? Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food are either lost or wasted. Composting presents an opportunity to reduce this number and return lost nutrients back to our soils. Food waste contributes to 8-10% of global greenhouse emissions. The unsustainable use of land and water resources that can be mitigated by composting also harm biodiversity on a global scale. Through composting in our backyards or joining community composting initiatives, food security can be increased throughout the world and climate change can be fought. How You Can Get Involved. 1. Volunteer with a community composting organization: Join Brainplate Grows as a volunteer to help transform organic waste into compost. You’ll gain hands-on experience and contribute to decreasing landfill waste in your community. Scan the first QR code on the back of this booklet to see Brainplate Grows’ Instagram and fill out the volunteer interest form in their bio! 2. Advocate for Composting Initiatives: Support organizations that contribute to composting programs in Madison and encourage schools and businesses to see what companies in Madison provide food scraps to Brainplate Grows every week! 3. Compost at Home: Start a compost pile or bin in your backyard by collecting kitchen scraps and yard waste. This reduces the food waste that your family generates and can be added to your garden, removing the need for fertilizer. 4. Learn and educate others about composting: Share what you learn about composting with your friends, family, and neighbors. You can also support Brainplate Grows by promoting their programs and volunteer opportunities within your community.

I decided to create an educational booklet for the purpose of sharing the importance and benefits of composting with a wider audience. The content of this booklet is meant to highlight how small, everyday actions—like composting at home or simply supporting composting initiatives can have a substantial impact on our environment. Each year, an astonishing 1.3 billion tons of food are either lost or wasted globally. This not only wastes valuable resources but also contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. Composting provides a practical way to reduce this waste, allowing us to return essential nutrients to the soil and support the health of our gardens, farms, and communities.

Another reason I created this booklet is to empower individuals and communities to take action. The steps to get involved in composting are straightforward and accessible. Whether you choose to start composting at home, volunteer with a local composting organization, or advocate for composting initiatives in your community, every small action contributes to a larger positive impact. I created QR codes to provide a way for individuals to access Brianplate Grows’ Instagram and fill out their volunteer form and another one to let people know what companies in Madison provide produce to Brainplate Grows every week to make their community composting operation possible.

By learning about and engaging in composting, we’re not only contributing to a healthier planet, but also fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility. This booklet serves as both a resource and a call to action, reminding us that we all have a role to play in creating a sustainable world.

 

Dane County Department of Waste and Renewables Open House

At the end of August, I had the opportunity to present my signage for the first time. I was invited to join Elliott and Brainplate Grows at Dane County’s Department of Waste and Renewables open house. This was a wonderful experience in which I had the opportunity to speak to members of the community about Brainplate Grows’ operation, my educational signage, and our future goals of making composting more accessible to individuals living in Madison. It was very fulfilling to educate the individuals that approached our table about the specific organisms that are responsible for creating compost, what they could do to improve or start their own pile, and the benefits of getting involved with community composting. It was fulfilling to finally use the educational materials I had been working on for the past four months in productive conversations with members of my community.

Elliott, Aaron, and myself tabling at the Dane County Department of Waste and Renewables Open House