For those of you familiar with permaculture principles, Produce No Waste is such an important principle to practice in our communities. Whether it’s composting your kitchen scraps in your backyard, decreasing your use of single-use plastic and packaging, mending clothes, thrifting items or hosting repair cafes, there are countless ways in which to practice this principle.
I always like to remind people that not all of us need to be gardeners and not all of us have access to land. That’s why the rise in commercial composting operations that pick-up kitchen scraps and other compostable materials is such an important service.
On a recent trip to Whitefish to give a talk, I connected with my former student and soils expert, Alissa LaChance from Dirt Rich Compost. Alissa owns a residential and commercial composting business in Columbia Falls, MT. In the interview, we talk about why Alissa started her business, how much food we waste in the country (Alissa shares some astounding statistics), and why we should be composting. We also talk about how composting your food scraps can be a hopeful act in a time when people may be feeling hopeless or overwhelmed.
If you’re in the Columbia Falls area and you don’t already compost, I highly recommend you sign-up for her service! And if you’re in the Gallatin Valley, check out Happy Trash Can and YES Compost.
There are so many ways to practice permaculture, even without a garden. Being able to compost our kitchen scraps and contribute to soil-building and food production in our communities is such a tangible and actionable step to take!