Participants included: Michael Martinez, LA Compost, Los Angeles Corinne Coe, Terra Nova Compost, Atlanta Renee Wallace, Food Plus Detroit, Detroit Sophia Hosain, Real Food Farm – Civic Works, Baltimore Valerie Onifade, Howard University Community Garden, Washington D.C. Amy Freeman, Edible Flint & Flint Women in Ag Farm Development Center, Flint Lor Holmes, CERO, Boston

1. Community Engagement &
Building Community Power via
Community Composting
Panel Discussion
2017 Cultivating Community Composting Workshop
Moderated by: Linda Bilsens of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance

2. Composting for Community & Neighborhood
Soil Rebuilders Composter Training Program

3. Community Power & Social Justice
• Whereas we can accomplish the most good with the greatest impact when
we engage all members of our communities.
• Whereas true community power cannot be cultivated without the full and
equal participation of each member of that community.
• Whereas equal participation requires that the distribution of resources is
equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and
secure (aka social justice).
• As such, social justice is one of our main tools for building community
power through our composting projects.

4. Community Engagement + Social Justices =
Community Power
This session will:
• Explore how community composting can be used as a tool for social justice
work, and therefore, building community power.
• Provide examples of how composting projects can help to address
inequities in our current system, while building community inclusion,
resiliency and power.

5. Community Power & Community Composting
Community power is a project or approach in
which:
• Local stakeholders own a majority share of the
project or organization, such as a cooperative,
or
• Community members or a locally based
organization control decisions related to the
projects, or
• The majority of the project or organization’s
social and economic benefits are distributed
locally.
Community Composting involves a relatively
small-scale system in which material is converted
into compost within a local community.
Community composting keeps the process and
product as local as possible while engaging the
community through participation and education.

6. Corinne Coe of Terra Nova Compost (Atlanta)

7. Sophia Hosain of Real Food Farm (Baltimore)

8. Valerie Onifade of Howard University
Compost Cooperative (Washington, D.C.)

9. Amy Freeman of edible flint (Flint, MI)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4j48vyWcrs

10. Renee Wallace of Food Plus Detroit (Detroit)
Pictures from Amy Freeman of edible flint and Women in Agriculture Development Center in Flint, MI

11. Lor Holmes of CERO (Boston area)

12. Michael Martinez of LA Compost (LA)