Edible Notable
Kelsey Hammond has always hated throwing things away. Whether she’s collecting old wood to build a chicken coop or reclaiming wastewater and making it clean and usable again, repurposing is her passion.
“Taking organic waste and turning it into nutrient-rich soil that benefits the topsoil—now, that is the holy grail of repurposing,” Hammond says.
Her background in environmental engineering and remediation led her to Page Springs Cellars in Cornville, where she headed the sustainability program. “Over six years of growing Page Springs’s composting program, I realized there is a major need in the Verde Valley for alternative waste hauling solutions for organic waste materials,” Hammond says.
She started Verde Valley Compost in March. “The idea is to divert organic waste from the landfill, keep that waste local, and turn it into a useful fertilizer for local farmers—creating a closed economic loop that keeps resources and currency local.”
The benefits are many, she says: “Compost creates a perfect environment for beneficial microbes and bacteria, which then create soil structure. That structure allows nutrients to flow, sequesters carbon from the atmosphere, retains water to prevent erosion, and suppresses weed growth. It also keeps organic waste from rotting in a landfill,” which is a major producer of greenhouse gas emissions and can also produce leachate, which can seep into and pollute the groundwater table.
Verde Valley Compost serves Rimrock, Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Jerome, Clarkdale, and Cornville. May through October, residents can bring food scraps to the Verde Valley Farmers Market for free, or pay a small fee to have them picked up from their house. Businesses are also encouraged to participate.
Help Hammond close the loop. Bring your organic waste to the Verde Valley Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8–11 am through October 4, or register for service at vvcompost.com.
