The nation’s largest compost operation to run entirely on renewable resources (solar, wind, and volunteer labor) can be found at Brooklyn’s Red Hook Community Farm. Managed by the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, this project relies on more than 2,000 volunteers annually to help convert over 150 tons of organic matter from waste to nutrient-rich compost soil, cherished by gardeners, and often referred to as “black gold”.

Not only can composting improve soil health, but it’s more efficient and cost-effective than sending food waste to landfills, and reduces methane emissions. In this episode of the Local Motives Series, we pick up a shovel and join a group of volunteers to learn what it’s all about.

Local Motives original score composed and produced by William Lindsay.