Research
Using a community-engaged research approach, our team will co-develop research questions, design studies, and collect data on household and community-scale composting. Each project will be guided by the needs of communities in Fresno, Tulare, and Merced counties considering the biophysical and social factors of small-scale decentralized composting.
Our studies will address three major research themes: Potential, Implementation, and Impact
Potential: How much organic material is available to make compost?
Implementation: What are the best composting strategies for each community context?
Impact: What are the ecological, social, and economic benefits of decentralized composting?
Potential
Our goal is to estimate how much food waste is generated at the household scale throughout regions of the San Joaquin Valley.
Results from this study will help determine how much residential food waste is available to support community composting hubs and what composting infrastructures and educational resources are most appropriate for communities in each region.
Implementation and Impact
Home Composting Study
We plan to equip households in the Central Valley with the resources and training needed for one of four composting methods: a tumbler, a bin system, bokashi, or a worm bin.
Our primary objectives are to assess our participants' initial knowledge and attitudes toward home composting, establish home composting systems throughout the region, reassess the participants' willingness to compost after the study concludes, and analyze the quality of the produced compost.
Implementation and Impact
Community Composting Study
We will compare different community composting strategies to identify the resources needed to implement and maintain each system, assess user experience, and evaluate the potential for food production.