FY23 ENVIR MGT G2G GARBAGE TO GARDENSUSDA.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
NOTICE OF GRANT AND AGREEMENT AWARD
NRCS-ADS-893
1. Award Identifying Number 2. Amendment Number 71Date
Award /Project Period 4. Type of award instrument:
NR233A750005C008 of Final Signature Cooperative Agreement
- 02/07/2025 !
5. Agency (Name and Address) 6. Recipient Organization (Name and Address)
USDA NRCS, Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production
c/o FPAC-BC Grants and Agreements Division
1400 Independence Ave SW, Room 3236
Washington, DC 20250
Direct all correspondence to FPAC.BC.GAD@usda.gov
7. NRCS Program
Contact
NEW HANOVER, COUNTY OF
230 GOVT CTR DR
WILMINGTON NC 28403-1732
UEI Number: F7TL T2GMEJEI / DUNS Number: 040029563
EIN:
Contact
e: SHARONTE WILLIAMS Name: Jose Berna Name: Matt Collogan
le: (202) 981-1653 Phone: (202) 572-5814 Phone: 910-798-7674
il: Sharonte. Email: Jose,Bema@usda.gov Email: mecollog@nhcgov.com
CFDA 12. Authority 13. Type of Action
10.935 7 USC 6923 New Agreement
7 USC 6923, CFWR ARPA
10. Recipient Administrative
Contact
Name: Dru Harrison
Phone: 910-798-7135
m Email: drharrison@nhc:gov.00m
Name: Joe Suleyman
Phone: 910-798-4403
Email: jsuleyman@nhcgov.com
15. Project Title/ Description: Garbage to Gardens: Growing Composting Capacity & Waste Diversion in New Hanover County
16. Entity Type: B = County Government
i t. Seiect t-unaing i y
Select funding type:
Original funds total
Additional funds total
Grand total
18. Approved Budget
F Federal
$180,000.00
$0.00
$160,000.00
Page 1 of 10
Non -Federal
$55,275.00
$0.00
$55,275.00
Personnel
$0.00
Fringe Benefits
$0.00
Travel
$0.00
Equipment
$0.00
Supplies
$0.00
Contractual
$0.00
Construction
$0.00
Other
$180,000.00
Total Direct Cost
$180,000.00
Total Indirect Cost
$0.00
Total Non -Federal Funds
$55,275.00
Total Federal Funds Awarded
$180,000.00
Total Approved Budget
$235,275.00
This agreement Is subject to applicable USDA NRCS statutory provisions and Financial Assistance Regulations. In accepting this
award or amendment and any payments made pursuant thereto, the undersigned represents that he or she is duly authorized to
act on behalf of the awardee organization, agrees that the award is subject to the applicable provisions of this agreement (and all
attachments), and agrees that acceptance of any payments constitutes an agreement by the payee that the amounts, If any,
found by NRCS to have been overpaid, will be refunded or credited in full to NRCS.
Name and Title of I S
Digitally signe
Authorized Government oe to
Representative by LO U I S AS P
LOUISASPEY Date: 2023.03. 1
NRCS Associate Chief ASPEY
16:34•
Name and Title of
Authorized Recipient Signature uate �r'
Representative
JESSICA COFFER�—
Assistant County
Manager
NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origln,
age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political
beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply
to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print,
audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to
USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202)
720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT
The above statements are made in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. Section 522a).
Page 2 of 10
Statement of Work
Purpose
The purpose of this agreement, between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) and New Hanover County, NC (Recipient), is a Composting and Food Waste Reduction Pilot Project entitled
"Garbage to Gardens: Growing Composting Capacity & Waste Diversion in New Hanover County". The details of the
project are as follows:
New Hanover County (NHC), located in southeastern North Carolina, has an estimated total population of 229,018
people in what is the second smallest county by area in the state. This rapidly urbanizing county, a peninsula bound by
the Atlantic Ocean and the Cape Fear River, has reached a tipping point with its landfill space. Projections indicate that
as of May 2022, 28 years remain until the landfill is full, assuming the area only sees three percent population growth
over that time. Compounding the situation is that no new landfills are permitted to be constructed in coastal New
Hanover County, where 21 orphan landfills already sit. With the unpredictable threat of natural disasters looming, such
as 2018's Hurricane Florence, a single storm event can shorten the NHC landfill's lifespan by more than five, possibly
ten years in a single blow. It may only take a pair of powerful storms to demonstrate how vulnerable NHC is to losing all
available landfill space.
To address organic material that could be diverted from the landfill, New Hanover County Environmental Management
started operating an in -vessel composter in 2017 that was purchased to compost diverted food waste. Concerted efforts
have been made to identify and cultivate large volume food waste sources, such as UNCW and local schools. However,
one of the biggest issues with the food waste received at the NHC Landfill is that it is often contaminated with non-
compostable materials, like plastic.
Feedback from school representatives, volunteers, and organics haulers where existing pilot diversion programs are
underway indicate a need for greater coordination, education, and communication in order to effectively reduce
contamination in the food waste. A need for dedicated personnel was identified, and a part-time program coordinator
was hired this summer by the Friends of the New Hanover County Arboretum to manage the Garbage to Gardens
program of NC Cooperative Extension. However, the funding for that part-time position ends on the last day of 2022. In
order to build upon this program of public school lunchroom food waste diversion, funding is being sought for hiring full
time personnel over the next two years. This program coordinator is pivotal to increasing the diversion rate and reduction
of food waste in public schools across NHC.
In alignment with CFWR's goal of testing municipal composting and food waste reduction plans, the 1320 program goals
include reducing municipal food waste through system -wide educational programming, generating greater amounts of
uncontaminated food waste inputs to feed both public and private composting facilities, and increasing access to soil
improving compost for schools participating in G2G, parks, community gardens, producers, and the public at large in
New Hanover County. The funding from this two-year project will enable G2G to hire full-time personnel to expand upon
its existing work in public school lunchroom food waste diversion, growing the program from two schools to sixteen.
During that time, data will be collected to perform a cost benefit analysis to determine the savings realized from will be
shared with other schools in New Hanover County.
Objectives
Goal 1: Reduce municipal food waste through systemic education and source reduction best practices.
Objectives:
1. Measure baseline waste generation data and establish measuring protocols for weights of diverted organics and MSW
2. Engage, inform, train, involve and assign roles for school population to foster systemic behavior change
3. Increase food recovery rates by donating surplus food to students and hunger relief organizations (food banks, soup
kitchens, and shelters), or if most appropriate agricultural producers
Goal 2: Expand the generation of compost by coordinating the collection of uncontaminated food waste inputs to be used
in public and private composting facilities..
Objectives:
1. Establish sorting stations in school cafeterias for students to source separate food scrapslcompostables from other
materials like recyclables, liquids, and trays
2. By demonstrating the return on investment of compostable waste diversion expansion, reduce single use disposable
plastic and tyrofoam used in the cafeteria and replace with plant -based compostable utensils, trays and materials
through
sustainable purchasing _
Page 3 of 10
Goal 3: Increasing access to soil -improving compost for producers, public schools, parks, community gardens, and the
public at large
Objectives:
1. Facilitate the return of finished compost at participating G2G schools for use in on school grounds
2. Provide access to local producers with locally generated compost to amend soil through education
3. Provide access to compost at public community gardens in urban areas (where soils have historically been
compacted, contaminated, or depleted and raised beds are necessary) to amend soil through education.
The overarching goal of this project is to engender a cultural shift in New Hanover County around waste management
away from a .consumptive, extractive, single -use mentality and toward a renewable one.
Budget Narrative
The official budget described in this Budget Narrative will be considered the total budget as last approved by the Federal
awarding agency for this award.
Amounts included in this budget narrative are estimates. Reimbursement or advance liquidations will be based on actual
expenditures, not to exceed the amount obligated.
TOTAL. BUDGET $235,275.00
TOTAL FEDERAL FUNDS $180,000.00
PERSONNEL $113,536.00
The majority of the request is to hire full-time personnel as a program coordinator for the Garbage to Gardens program.
According to New Hanover County's Human Resources Department, to hire a full-time, benefits eligible employee in the
program coordinator position, the cost would range from $67,173 - $87,350, which includes fringe costs. This range is for
hiring someone between the minimum and the midpoint of the salary grade. Due to the dynamic nature the work
demands this job entails and the desire to hire someone well qualified, the upper end of the salary range was used in
this budget. Below is a breakdown of the fringe costs for this salary. Program Coordinator will be accountable for the
operations and delivery of Garbage to Gardens programs at Wilmington -area schools.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
• Point of contact for all area schools, visit all G2G schools at least once a month
• Coordinate volunteers to attend lunch times at participating schools
• Lead monthly meetings, keep minutes and report to BOD
• Develop and maintain program budget
• Manage communications, including email account
• Post and respond on all social media accounts
• Oversee fundraising, and research grants and work with board members to apply
• Maintain an educational resource folder for teachers
■ Organize the development of a website (www.garbagetogardens.org)
• Coordinate and conduct educational programming at schools
• Be the lead organizer and presence at all events
=` Develop vendor relationships and with Child Nutrition Services
• Create and send monthly newsletter to schools and stakeholders
• Maintain statistics and data overall and for each participating school
• Create a new annual event celebrating the program Our Ideal Candidate:
• Prompt, organized, and detail -oriented
• Passionate about soil and sustainability
• Positive and efficient communication skills
t- Experienced with Google Workforce, Mailchimp and various Social Media Platforms
Ability to create basic graphics using Canva or similar program
Program Coordinator Compensation
Personnel Cost
Annual Base Pay $56,768, 2 years = $113,536.00
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Program Coordinator Compensation
FICA/MED $4,343
Med/Dent $9,527
LTD $9,821
Retirement $6,892
401 K $1,419
SUPPLIES $2,460.00
This project proposal's goal is to enroll 16 schools into the Garbage to Gardens program by the end of the two-year grant
term. The Food Waste Collection Containers, Bilingual Signage, and the Tyvek aprons listed below are to be divided
amongst eight schools, since New Hanover County Environmental Management plans to fund the other eight sets of
supplies for these three items (see non-federal in -kind match from NHC Environmental Management). The Trash Pickers
(two units per school) and the BioBag Biodegradable Liners (one case per school) for all 16 schools are included in this
supply list.
Supplies for Organics Diversion Cost
1. Food Waste Collection containers - 23gal (8 units at $58/each) $464
2. Bilingual Signage and decals (8 set at $24/each) $192
3. Tyvek Aprons (2 cases at $86/each) $172
4. Uline Deluxe Trash Picker (32 units at $32) $1,024
5. BioBag Biodegradable Liners -13 gallon (8 cases at $76/each, 280 count per case) $608
Total Supplies $2,460
TOTAL DIRECT COSTS $180,000.00
INDIRECT COSTS $0.00
Recipient has elected to voluntarily waive indirect costs,
TOTAL NON-FEDERAL FUNDS $55,275 ($43,668 personnel + $2,448 supplies + $9,159 fringe)
The local match, largely made up of personnel time, will be made by New Hanover County (personnel time for Dru
Harrison, Admin support from NHC Environmental Management, and Composting Operator), and NC Cooperative
Extension (personnel time of Lloyd Singleton, Matt Collogan, Casey Shotten, and volunteer time of Extension Master
Gardener Volunteers). The small number of supplies provided with a local match will come from New Hanover County
Environmental Management (now under the new name department name `Recycling & Solid Waste").
PERSONNEL $43,668.00
A match of 25% of the funding request is required from the applicant, which is equivalent to $45,000 over two years, or
$22,600 per year. This match will be provided by an in -kind match of personnel time, volunteer time, and supplies.
Lloyd Singleton - County Extension Director, NC Cooperative Extension — New Hanover County.
Provide high-level oversight of the project and frequent communication with stakeholders and general public. Oversight
includes supervision and leadership of the Cooperative Extension staff and volunteers engaged in the project. The
communication will include local TV, radio, newspaper coverage and promotion, and reports to county administration and
advisory council.
Salary % of effort Project Duration Match Value
$84,292 2% 24 months $3,372
Fringe calculated at 33%, value $1,113.
Matt Collogan - Consumer Horticulture Extension Agent, NC Cooperative Extension
- New Hanover County and Supervisor with the New Hanover Soil and Water Conservation District (unpaid position).
Provide direct supervision of the project manager and offer regular support to the program. Facilitate G2G training and
help develop promotional material as needed. Recruit Extension Master Gardener Volunteers to adopt school gardens
as advisors for schools participating in G2G,
Network across agencies to support G2G efforts. A 2014 graduate of the Compost Operations Training Course, Matt
carves composting expertise that will benefit G2G programming, and is in regular communication with the NC
Composting Council as well as an active member of the Coastal Composting Council
Salary % of effort Project Duration Match Value
$48,415 15% 24 months $14,525
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, value a4,
Casey Shotton - Program Assistant, NC Cooperative Extension - New Hanover
County. Provides volunteer coordination and communication for the Extension Master Gardener volunteers working on
the program.
Salary % of effort Project Duration Match Value
$34,176 10% 24 months $6,835
Fringe calculated at 33%, value $2,256.
Dru Harrison - Director, New Hanover Soil & Water Conservation District. Provide data collection and reporting services
for all USDA CFWR grant requirements.
Salary % of effort Project Duration Match Value
$75,501 2% 24 months $3,020
Fringe calculated at 33%, value $997,
Logistical Admin Support, New Hanover County Environmental Management (A/R, A/P, IT, Finance, Admin). This role
will HR and admin support to G2G coordinator.
Wage Hours/Yr. Project Duration Match Value
$28 20 2 years $1,120
Composting Operator, New Hanover County Environmental Management
Wage Hours/Yr. Project Duration Match Value
$16.50 12 hours 2 years $396.
Compost Operator performs a variety of tasks in the maintenance and repair of the compost equipment; performs routine
services, minor repairs, and preventative maintenance of the composting equipment and facilities. The Operator shall
inspect incoming waste materials for contamination, record temperature data, operate a skid -steer loader, collect
samples for analysis, and perform general housekeeping duties. The Operator shall also interact with the public related
to compost distribution and general education and provide facility tours as required.
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, NC Cooperative Extension. These volunteers will help provide leadership and
horticultural expertise at school gardens where G2G programming is taking place in cafeterias.
Wage Hours/Yr # of Vols Duration Match Value
$30 40 6 2 years $14,400
In -Kind Personnel with Fringe Match Total: $52,827
FRINGE BENEFITS $ 9,159
Fringe calculated at 33% of eligible salaries.
SUPPLIES $ 2,448.00
New Hanover County Environmental Management plans to fund eight sets of supplies for these three items: The Food
Waste Collection Containers, Bilingual Signage, and the Tyvek aprons. The Latex Gloves and Gardening Tool Allowance
will be for use with all 16 schools.
Supplies Cost:
1. Food Waste Collection containers (8 units at $58/each) $464
2. Bilingual Signage and decals (8 sets at $24/each) $192
3. Latex Gloves (4 cases at $24/each) $96
4. Tyvek Aprons (2 cases at $861each) $172
5. Gardening Tool Allowance $300
6. Total Supplies (annually) $1,224
7. Total Supplies (two years) $2,448
TOTAL DIRECT COSTS $55,275.00
INDIRECT COSTS $0.00
Responsibilities of the Parties:
If inconsistencies arise between the language in this Statement of Work (SOW) and the General Terms and Conditions
Page 6 of 10
MRCS RESPONSIBILITIES
1) Connect the CFWR pilot project team(s) with other USDA agencies such as, and not limited to, the Economic
Research Service (ERS), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the Office of the Chief Economist (OCE), and
Federal partners like the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to collaborate on project activities and
outcomes that contribute to the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 goal.
2) Coordinate and convene the CFWR pilot project team(s) and other Federal government, regional, institution, state,
and local experts to share information and strategies related to CFWR with the goal of enhancing the locally driven
process to better address nationally and regionally important composting and food waste reduction goals that transcend
localities.
3) Gather the methods, results, and benefits derived from the project to evaluate and disseminate different solutions for
increasing access to compost and reducing municipal food waste across the United States.
4) Provide advisory and administrative support during the project and maintain constant communication with partners,
review progress and financial report and provide feedback to ensure the product follows USDA standards.
5) Provide guidance and procedures related to NRCS Conservation and Business Programs.
6) Review and editing rights on all material produced under this agreement to ensure it complies with USDA standards
and regulations before publishing.
7) Participate in project committee meetings to aid and guidance for the purpose of the workshops, educational activities,
and other activities identified in this agreement.
8) Conduct ad -hoc meetings (via electronic, phone or in -person field visit) to discuss the progress of the agreement.
9) OUAIP reserves the right to make site visits to review and evaluate Awardee records, activities, organizational
procedures, and financial control systems; to conduct interviews; to request additional information; and to provide
technical assistance as necessary
RECIPIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
10) Follow methodology in the project narrative and inform the Program Manager any changes.
11) Collaborate with multiple partners, such as public or private, nonprofit or for -profit entities, academic institutions
(including minority -serving colleges and universities), and/or other appropriate professionals, community -based
organizations, and local government entities.
12) Perform the work and produce the deliverables as outlined in this Statement of Work.
13) Conduct all activities and program provision under this agreement in compliance with all applicable federal civil right
laws, rules, regulations, and policies.
14) Ensure no member of or delegate to Congress or Resident Commissioner shall be admitted to any share or part of
this agreement or to any benefit that may arise there from.
15) Nothing contained may be construed to require establishment of a system of records to render in good faith the
assurances and certifications required. Your knowledge and information are not required to exceed that which is
normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings.
16) Comply with the applicable version of the General Terms and Conditions.
17) Submit reports and payment requests to the ezFedGrants system or the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC)
Grants and Agreements Division via email to FPAC.BC.GAD@usda.gov as outlined in the applicable version of the
General Terms and Conditions. Limit advance payment requests to immediate cash needs (generally 30-60 days).
Reporting frequency is as follows:
Performance reports: Annual
SF425 Financial Reports: Annual. If advance payments are requested, the financial report frequency is quarterly.
Expected Accomplishments and Deliverables
Goal 1: Reduce municipal food waste through systemic education and best practices Pre-program auditing and
assessment key dates will occur two times a year, in the fall and spring as schools work with the program for the first
time to onboard. Adjustments can be made on audit dates for year-round schools if needed.
March -April 2023 - schools 1-4
August -December 2023 - schools 5-8
January -May 2024 - schools 9-12
August -December 2024 - schools 13-16 _
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Annual Audit & "Weigh the Waste" contests key dates:
January 2024 (8 schools)
December 2024 (16 schools)
Education and Role of Key Players - Deliverables, Milestones, Timeline - ONGOING
• Principal engagement meetings
• Kitchen and cafeteria staff trainings (smarter lunchroom strategies and NRDC's best practices for reducing food waste
in cafeterias) during onboarding and as necessary following initial G2G implementation
0, Teacher workshops (twice a year Don't Waste It training) and What Goes Where (virtual webinar twice a year)
e, Facilitate classroom programming - one grade -level wide (4th and 5th have been identified for potential waste
ambassador leadership development) on -site activities once a year per school (partner with UNCW interns in Watson
School of Education and
Environmental Sciences Department for expanded program delivery capacity)
C, Student awareness program - Create or adapt an existing food waste awareness campaign that involves forming
student focus groups to brainstorm food waste reduction strategies, develop leadership skills and engage students in
sorting materials in the cafeteria (complete by Year 1 March through December 2023, Year 2 March through December
2024)
+I, Parent and Volunteer Training - produce short video for new volunteers and digital training program inviting parents to
volunteer in cafeterias (complete by May 2023)
•, Publish bi-annual G2G print and e-newsletters for students & parents and caregivers describing waste -saving tips on
reducing food waste, at-home composting, or where the public can drop-off organic matter (also available in Spanish)
•, Identify Compost Champion(s) - ask/recruit G2G participating schools to identify a champion (staff, student green
teams/compost patrol, or parent volunteers) to provide on -site leadership and support for food waste reduction efforts,
guiding the separation process until students are familiar with it (complete by Year 1 February through September 2023,
Year 2 February through September 2024) Food recovery to students and hunger relief organizations (food banks, soup
kitchens, and
shelters), if appropriate agricultural inputs
•, If not already a practice, establish "Share Tables" at each school, in line with local health codes, so students can leave
unwanted packaged items from the meal program for other students to take (tracking unclaimed Share Table items to
identify minimization strategies for any surpluses). (Complete within a month of any school joining the Garbage to
Gardens program)
• Establish database, protocol, and logistics plan for local hunger relief organizations accepting food donations
(romplete by March 2023)
• Establish database and protocol for local livestock producers who accept food scraps for animal feed (complete by
July 2023)
Goal 2: Expand the generation of compost by coordinating the collection of uncontaminated food waste inputs to be used
in public and private composting facilities Sorting Stations - Deliverables, Milestones, Timeline
0 Equip participating schools with cafeteria sorting stations with signage and color -coded bins and liners to source
separate food scraps/compostables from other materials like recyclables, liquids, and trays. (complete within 1 month of
onboarding each school) Replace Plastics - Deliverables, Milestones, Timeline
0 Reduce single use plastic and styrofoam used in the cafeteria with plant -based compostable utensils, trays and
materials through sustainable purchasing and innovative business development with nutrition service providers. (This will
be ongoing with the
goal to make this a standard practice across the county schools ff possible)
• Minimize contamination to within tolerable levels —Ongoing (weekly assessment with hauler and volunteer/cafeteria
staff)
0 Cost Benefit Analysis data collected from the G2G program (Complete by January 2025) By the end of this project,
New Hanover County will have 16 public schools diverting food waste for composting. A system -wide composting
program implemented in the 45 schools in the NHCS system has the potential to yield up to 100,000 pounds of food
waste annually. This is based on the NHCS school district having 24,841 students, producing an average of four pounds
of food waste per child per month for nine months of the year (see partner organization Every Tray Counts for more
information). Using estimates provided by ReFED's food waste impact calculator ReFED - Impact Calculator, diverting
100,000 pounds of food waste to composting instead of landfilling would yield a greenhouse gas footprint reduction
equivalent to 42,247 (MT CO2e). These estimates do not include food waste from the private preK-12 schools (18), early
care education facilities (55), faith centers (161), or the other public schools outside NHCS (7)—all within New Hanover
County. Developing a whole system cost benefit analysis will enable NHCS Child Nutrition to quantify the potential
savings reduction in waste generation even with an increase in cost for serveware materials.
Goal 3: Increasing access to soil -improving compost for producers, public schools, parks, community gardens, and the
public at large Compost for School Grounds - Deliverables, Milestones, Timeline
4� Deliver presentation to principal, teachers and facilities staff at participating G2G schools about how to obtain, apply,
and reap the benefits of incorporating compost in the school landscape like resilience and better learning (activating
outdoor learning space connects students to ecology, nutrition, science, healthy living, mental reflection, gardening,
Page 8 of 10
entrepreneurship and more). (Presentation lobe delivered toce during gram terms in 1he fall semester o - an
2024.)
4. Facilitate connection between schools entering the G2G program and the NC Cooperative Extension Service - New
Hanover County Center to access horticultural programming, agronomic services (offered by NC Department of
Agriculture & Consumer Services), family & consumer science resources, 4-H youth programming, and the Extension
Master Gardener Volunteer program. (This will occur as part of the onboarding process with each school in Spring and
Fall of 2023 and 2024)
With support from NC Cooperative Extension and New Hanover Soil & Water Conservation District, schedule on -site
school consultation while delivering a school gardening & outdoor leaming center resource packet developed by
Extension. (This is
part of the onboarding process with each school in Spring and Fall of 2023 and 2024) Compost for Local Producers &
Community Gardens - Deliverables, Milestones, Timeline
In partnership with NC Cooperative Extension, host field day and deliver a presentation to producers about how to
obtain, generate, apply, and reap the benefits of incorporating compost in the farm landscape like resilience and
improved yields. (once a year in person meeting recorded live for reference online at any time).
# In partnership with INC Cooperative Extension and New Hanover Soil and Water Conservation District, host garden
workshop day and deliver a presentation to producers about how to obtain, apply, and reap benefits like improved yields
or stormwater resilence from compost use (once a year in -person meeting recorded for public reference online).
Compost can be used almost anywhere in the landscape to improve soil health by retaining nutrients, absorbing
rainwater, helping plants stay healthy with reduced reliance on fertilizer, reducing the need for irrigation, increasing
carbon sequestration, and improving overall resilience thus mitigating the inefficient overuse of natural resources that
collectively cause climate change. For example, NRCS research shows that increasing the organic matter in the top six
inches of the soil by one percent can increase soil's water retention capacity to 27,000 gallons per acre. If everyone top -
dressed their lawns with just 1/8" of quality, finished compost, we could significantly reduce flooding potential and runoff
and the need for fertilizers, improve water quality, and improve the health of our landscapes. By focusing on school and
community gardens, this ensures that more citizens have equitable access to compost and its benefits.
Resources Required
See the Responsibilities of the Parties section for required resources, if applicable.
Milestones
See the Expected Accomplishments and Deliverables section for milestones.
Page 9 of 10
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Please reference the below link(s) for the General Terms and Conditions pertaining to this award:
httos•//www fpacbc usdaaoytaboullgr_ants and agreements/award-terms-and-conditionstindex html
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