POTSDAM – The Potsdam Food Co-op is partnering with Whitten Family Farm of Winthrop and Stockholm to offer residents the opportunity to compost their home food scraps. The compost program will keep food waste out of local landfills, fertilize regional farms, and help the overall agricultural economy of the North Country.

In May 2022, the Whitten Family Farm created a composting business.

The Farm has developed a unique compost system that creates a perfect carbon to nitrogen ratio, with heat, moisture and aeration to stimulate microbial activity that ensures that weed seeds, diseases, and pathogens are removed. After four weeks some of the compost is fed to the farm’s worms to create worm castings ‘farmers gold”. The remainder of the compost is worked for several months by insects, bacteria, and fungi resulting in a high-quality, cured compost.

The finished compost is used on the Whitten Family Farm and sold to local farmers and home gardeners, which creates more self-sufficiency in the agricultural businesses of the region. The finished and cured compost can be purchased at the Farm in bulk and loaded by tractor or in 10-gallon bags for $15 (approximately 20 bags per yard), and delivery is available.

Community members and local businesses can participate in the Whitten Family Farm and Co-op composting program by renting either a 5-gallon bucket or 32-gallon bin at the Co-op. The cost is $7 for each 5-gallon bucket, each time a bucket is filled. Food scraps that can go into the bucket include meat, dairy, vegetables, coffee grounds, eggshells, and uncoated food paper such as muffin wrappers, paper napkins, and coffee filters. Composters pay for a bucket at the Co-op, fill it at home, and return it when full. The Co-op has designated a "Whitten Compost Drop" in the composting area behind the Co-op building. Compost is kept in buckets until it is picked up to discourage animals from finding it.