{"id":25311,"date":"2025-11-12T20:41:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T20:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/?page_id=25311"},"modified":"2025-11-13T13:22:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T13:22:02","slug":"farmer-first","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Farmer First Compost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\n        #myVideo_mp4{\n        position: absolute; z-index: -99; width: 100%; height: 100%;top:0;left:0;\n    }\n    banner-image-1 iframe,\n    banner-1 iframe{\n        width: 100%;\n        height: 100%;\n    }\n    .banner-1.full-block .mob-banner-sect.high-content-arrow {\n\t\tpadding:64% 0 0 0 !important;\n\t}\n    .banner-1.full-block .mob-banner-sect.high-content-arrow .banner-txt-1 {\n\t\ttop: 10%;\n\t}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"banner-1 full-block large-banner   \">\n        <div class=\"mob-banner-sect high-content-arrow lazyload\" style=\"background-image:inherit;background-repeat: no-repeat;\n    background-size: cover;height:auto;padding:56.25% 0 0 0;\" data-bg-image=\"url(https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-First_banner-1.png)\">\n            <div class=\"banner-txt-1\">\n                                                                                <h1>Farmer First Compost<\/h1>\n                                <h3>A Boulder County closed-loop model of on-farm composting<\/h3>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <div class=\"banner-image-1 banner-image-mobile lazyload\" style=\"background-image:inherit;\"\n              data-bg-image=\"url(https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-First_banner.png)\">\n\n                     \n        \n<script>\n  \/\/ 2. This code loads the IFrame Player API code asynchronously.\n  var tag = document.createElement('script');\n\n  tag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/iframe_api\";\n  var firstScriptTag = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];\n  firstScriptTag.parentNode.insertBefore(tag, firstScriptTag);\n\n  \/\/ 3. This function creates an <iframe> (and YouTube player)\n  \/\/    after the API code downloads.\n  var player;\n  var player_2;\n  function onYouTubeIframeAPIReady() {\n    player = new YT.Player('player', {\n      width: '100%',\n      height:'100%',\n      videoId: '',\n      playerVars: { 'rel':0, 'autoplay': 1, 'controls':0, 'showinfo':0, 'loop':1, 'playsinline': 1, playlist: '',\n        loop: 1 },\n      events: {\n        'onReady': onPlayerReady\n      }\n    });\n    player_2 = new YT.Player('player_2', {\n      width: '100%',\n      height:'100%',\n      videoId: '',\n      playerVars: { 'rel':0, 'autoplay': 1,'controls':0, 'showinfo':0, 'loop':1, 'playsinline': 1, playlist: '',\n        loop: 1 },\n      events: {\n        'onReady': onPlayerReady\n      }\n    });\n  }\n\n  \/\/ 4. The API will call this function when the video player is ready.\n  function onPlayerReady(event) {\n     event.target.mute();\n    event.target.playVideo();\n  }\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n        <div class=\"banner-txt-1\">\n                                                             <h1>Farmer First Compost<\/h1>\n                        <h3>A Boulder County closed-loop model of on-farm composting<\/h3>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"banner-image-1 banner-image-desktop lazyload\"  style=\"background-image:inherit;\"\n              data-bg-image=\"url(https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-First_banner.png)\">\n                <div class=\"banner-txt-1\">\n                                                            <h1>Farmer First Compost<\/h1>\n                        <h3>A Boulder County closed-loop model of on-farm composting<\/h3>\n                    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"sidebar-text-block-sec\" style=\"margin-top:40px; margin-bottom:20px;\n     padding-top:0px; padding-bottom:0px;\">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"row\">\n            <div class=\"col-sm-3 sidebar-left \">\n                <aside id=\"secondary\" class=\"widget-area\">\n                                        <div class= \"sidebar_menu_ar\" style=\"\"> \n                                                                        <h2><a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/\">Composting &#038; Carbon Farming<\/a><\/h2>\n                           \n                            <div class=\"menu-about-zero-waste-container aaa\">\n                                <ul id=\"menu-about-zero-waste sss\" class=\"menu\">\n                                    \n                                                                        <li><a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/circular-community-compost-system\/\">Building a Circular Compost System<\/a><\/li>\n                                   \n                                                <li><a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/what-is-carbon-farming\/\">What Is Carbon Farming?<\/a><\/li>\n                                   \n                                                <li><a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/carbon-farming-boulder-county\/\">Carbon Farming in Boulder County<\/a><\/li>\n                                   \n                                                <li><a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/microbe-brew-compost-tea\/\">Microbe Brew Compost Tea<\/a><\/li>\n                                   \n                                                <li><a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/what-is-biochar\/\">What Is Biochar?<\/a><\/li>\n                                   \n                                                <li><a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/state-and-national-efforts\/\">State &#038; National Efforts<\/a><\/li>\n                                   \n                                               \n                                <\/ul>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <\/div>            \n                <\/aside>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"col-sm-9  arrow-bullet-list-blue \">\n                <section class=\"section-sidbar-block-pd   sidebar-page-main-column  inner-first  inner-page shift alternating-img-block\">\n                    <h2>Proving a Critical Nature-Based Climate Solution<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Boulder County, we generate some of the cleanest food scraps in Colorado from school cafeterias, restaurants, and food businesses that are committed to composting right. But right now, those valuable scraps are hauled more than 50 miles away to a regional compost facility.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, local regenerative farmers&mdash;who grow food for many of these same schools and businesses&mdash;need compost to build healthy soil. That compost could be made right here in our community, literally &ldquo;on the farm.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The nutrients in food scraps are a valuable natural resource. It doesn&rsquo;t make sense to ship them out of the community. Instead, let&#8217;s deliver those resources to the local farmers who could use them to grow food for our community.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-25334 size-large lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 640px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 640\/480;display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cleanest-organic-discards-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cleanest-organic-discards-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cleanest-organic-discards-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cleanest-organic-discards-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cleanest-organic-discards-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cleanest-organic-discards-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cleanest-organic-discards-167x125.jpeg 167w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>That&rsquo;s where Eco-Cycle&rsquo;s Farmer First Compost Program comes in.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> We&rsquo;re working with community partners to create a closed-loop composting model that keeps organic materials like food scraps local, supports regenerative agriculture, and strengthens our food system&mdash;all while helping fight climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While a centralized compost facility will still be an important part of the picture, this farm-based model is a vital step toward a circular, climate-resilient future for our community.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How the Farmer First Compost Model Works<\/h2>\n<p><b>Step 1: Eco-Cycle collects clean food scraps from community partners.<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a mission-driven company, we prioritize customer education and support, resulting in some of the cleanest organic discards generated in the county. Eco-Cycle collects food scraps from our partners&mdash;schools participating in our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/boulder-county-model\/zero-waste-programs\/schools-programs\/green-star-schools\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Green Star Schools program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and select restaurants and businesses who are part of our Zero Waste hauling services&mdash;all of whom are committed to keeping their compost bins clean and free from plastic and other contaminants.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rather than hauling these clean food scraps far away, we direct them to their best use: composting on local regenerative farms to produce high-quality compost with the purpose of building soil and growing healthy food.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 2: We deliver organic discards to local regenerative farms.<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of buying compost, local farmers can now make their own. We help train farmers on the value and process of making their own compost right on their land. We help them build on-farm composting systems&mdash;including infrastructure, pile-turning mechanisms, and temperature monitoring&mdash;to ensure the resulting compost meets the high standards of regenerative agriculture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 3: Farmers apply compost to build healthy soils and fight climate change.<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the compost is ready, farmers partnering in our <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Farmer First <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">program spread it on their fields to build resilient soil that holds more water, grows stronger plants, and produces more nutrient-dense vegetables. Compost feeds the soil&rsquo;s microbes&mdash;tiny organisms made largely of carbon. As soil life increases, so does its ability to store carbon, drawing it down from the atmosphere. That makes composting a powerful, nature-based climate solution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 4: Grow healthy food&mdash;and close the loop.<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The compost-fed soil grows fresh, nutrient-rich food&mdash;delivered right back to the community that helped make it in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 5: Empower communities to grow their own food.<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Farmer First model isn&rsquo;t just for farms. We&rsquo;re partnering with local communities&mdash;especially in low-income housing&mdash;to create small-scale composting systems that they can manage themselves. These systems transform food scraps into nutrient-rich compost for on-site gardens, helping residents grow their own fresh produce and reduce food scarcity right where they live.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Farmer First Keeps the Benefits Local<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-25329 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-with-lamb-225x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-with-lamb-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-with-lamb-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-with-lamb-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-with-lamb-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-with-lamb-94x125.jpeg 94w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-with-lamb-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 225px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 225\/300;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food grown by our Farmer First partners stays in Boulder County, feeding local families and providing for schools, grocery stores, and restaurants.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our community reaps the climate benefits, too, in the form of:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fewer emissions from trucking organic material long distances<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More carbon sequestered in local soils<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stronger, more drought-resilient farmland<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved access to healthy food while strengthening community self-reliance.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Closing the Loop on Organic Materials in Boulder County and Creating a Multi-Scale Local Compost Network (LCN)<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A centralized compost facility will be essential to creating local composting solutions for our community. <\/span><b>The Farmer First Compost program is the on-the-ground starting point<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&mdash;it lays the foundation and creates additive value for a truly local, closed-loop system that connects clean food scraps with regenerative farms to build healthy soil and grow healthy food.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By helping the community see compost carts not as waste collection but as <\/span><b>soil-making tools<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Farmer First cultivates cleaner feedstocks and a deeper connection to where our food scraps go. <\/span><b>As participation grows, we can scale this same logic from individual farms to a connected, community-wide network<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&mdash;what we call a <\/span><b>multi-scale Local Compost Network (LCN).<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In time, this closed-loop approach will serve not only farms but also neighborhoods, particularly low-income housing communities, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to compost on-site and grow their own food. <\/span><b>In short: Farmer First is how we begin; the LCN is where we&rsquo;re headed.<\/b><b><\/b><\/p>\n<h4><b>What is a Local Compost Network (LCN)?<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A multi-scale LCN is a community-based, decentralized framework for managing organic materials close to where they&rsquo;re generated. It integrates composting systems at multiple scales&mdash;backyard, on-farm, on-site at corporate or institutional locations, municipal yard-waste\/mulch sites, and larger regional facilities&mdash;into a connected network that prioritizes clean feedstocks and the production of high-quality compost for soil application.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By treating organic discards as a regenerative resource rather than waste, the LCN connects clean organic streams with the creation of healthy, locally produced soil and food, while reducing hauling emissions and strengthening local resilience. Farmer First is the proof-of-concept at the farm scale that enables this broader network to succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-25333 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LCN-graphic_final-1024x768.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LCN-graphic_final-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LCN-graphic_final-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LCN-graphic_final-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LCN-graphic_final-1536x1152.png 1536w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LCN-graphic_final-2048x1536.png 2048w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LCN-graphic_final-167x125.png 167w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 640px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 640\/480;\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Keeping the Value of Compost Local and &ldquo;Down on the Farm&rdquo;<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The circular economy for organic materials can be <\/span><b>hyperlocal; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">plants can be composted back into the soil at the same house, garden, or farm where they were grown. While municipal curbside or drop-off programs have often relied on regional facilities, there is great value in a <\/span><b>diversified, connected approach<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that links everyone generating organics&mdash;<\/span><b>residents, schools, and businesses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&mdash;with a <\/span><b>distributed network<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of processors of all sizes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This includes the smallest backyard composters, local on-farm and on-site composting operations (as piloted through <\/span>Farmer First<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), municipally run mulch piles, entrepreneurial haulers and processors, and large-scale regional compost manufacturers. Together, these elements form a <\/span><b>multi-scale Local Compost Network (LCN)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&mdash;an integrated model that keeps nutrients circulating locally and prioritizes clean feedstocks for high-quality compost production and soil application. <\/span><b>Colorado&rsquo;s depleted soils and strong agricultural communities stand to benefit as Farmer First expands and links into a countywide LCN.<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><\/p>\n<h2>Farmer First Partnerships<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our Farmer First circular composting program brings together:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Schools, restaurants, and businesses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that generate clean, food-only scraps<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Local farms and food growers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> who turn those scraps into compost&mdash;and use it to grow food right here at home<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together, we&rsquo;re building a stronger, more connected food and composting system in Boulder County.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 data-wp-editing=\"1\"><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-25319 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 225px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 225\/202;float: right;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Green-BVSD-300x269.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"202\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Green-BVSD-300x269.png 300w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Green-BVSD-1024x918.png 1024w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Green-BVSD-768x688.png 768w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Green-BVSD-1536x1377.png 1536w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Green-BVSD-139x125.png 139w, https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Green-BVSD.png 1600w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/span><\/strong>Partners Generating Clean Organics<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Schools that provide clean food scraps: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several Boulder Valley School District schools are participating.<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Businesses that provide clean organics:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avery Brewery<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bramble and Hare<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jacob&rsquo;s Mushrooms<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Niwot Market<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spruce Confections&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Partner Farmers<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Farms producing clean compost on-farm:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Black Cat Farms<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capella Ranch<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Common Name Farm<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MetaCarbon<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nojo Farm<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pemberton Farm<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speedwell Farm and Garden<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vulture Ventures<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Farms that provide crop residue (agricultural waste):<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growing Gardens<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wild Wellspring Farm<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Community-led on-site composting:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Palo Park (Boulder Housing Partners)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How you can support the Farmer First Compost Program<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are a . . .<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>business in Boulder County<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> producing clean, contamination-free organic discards, and are interested in becoming a &ldquo;clean compost generator,&rdquo; contact Rutger Myers, Eco-Cycle Compost and Carbon Farming Director, at <\/span><a href=\"mailto:rutger@ecocycle.org\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rutger@ecocycle.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Longmont business<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> new to composting, but working to be compliant, contact Jeff Reifinger, Compost Project Manager, at <\/span><a href=\"mailto:jeff@ecocycle.org\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">jeff@ecocycle.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>farmer or food grower in Boulder County<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> who would like to produce high-quality compost on-site, contact Rutger Myers, Eco-Cycle Compost Director, at <\/span><a href=\"mailto:rutger@ecocycle.org\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rutger@ecocycle.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>community member<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> who would like to help spread the word about the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Farmer First<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> program through workplace or community group presentations, please contact Rutger Myers, <\/span><a href=\"mailto:rutger@ecocycle.org\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rutger@ecocycle.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>business, foundation, or organization<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> interested in funding this closed-loop community compost system, and help launch it in other communities, please contact Anna Leske, Advancement Officer, at <\/span><a href=\"mailto:anna@ecocycle.org\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">anna@ecocycle.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul> \n\n                <\/section>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>    \n\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"related-resources-sec   \" style=\"margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px;\n     padding-top:30px; padding-bottom:30px;\">\n\n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <h2>Related Resources<\/h2>\n        <div class=\"row\">\n            <div class=\"col-xs-12 \">\n                <nav>\n                    <div class=\"nav nav-tabs nav-fill\" id=\"nav-tab\" role=\"tablist\">\n                        <ul>\n                             \n                            \n                            \n                            <li><a class=\"nav-item nav-link active\" id=\"nav-resources-tab\" data-toggle=\"tab\" href=\"#nav-resources\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"nav-resources\" aria-selected=\"true\">Resources<\/a><\/li>\n                                                                                      <\/ul>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/nav>\n                <div class=\"tab-content py-3 px-3 px-sm-0\" id=\"nav-tabContent\">\n\n                    <div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"tab-pane fade show active in\" id=\"nav-resources\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"nav-resources-tab\">\n                        <div class=\"row\">\n                            \n                                                   \n                               <div class=\"col-md-3\">\n\n                                        <div class=\"content-ar\">\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/resources\/video-microplastics-in-compost\/\">\n                                                                                                    <div class=\"relatedresourceimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/MPIC-video-thumb-nail.png\" class=\"rs-img lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 626px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 626\/348;\"><\/div>\n                                                                                                <h3 >Video: Microplastics in Compost<\/h3>\n                                            <\/a>\n                                        <\/div>\n                                    <\/div>   \n                            \n                                                   \n                               <div class=\"col-md-3\">\n\n                                        <div class=\"content-ar\">\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/resources\/carbon-farming-toolkit\/\">\n                                                                                                    <div class=\"relatedresourceimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/FEATURED-RESOURCE_Eco-Cycle-Carbon-Farming-Toolkit.png\" class=\"rs-img lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 260px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 260\/368;\"><\/div>\n                                                                                                <h3 >Toolkit: Carbon Farming Program<\/h3>\n                                            <\/a>\n                                        <\/div>\n                                    <\/div>   \n                            \n                                                   \n                               <div class=\"col-md-3\">\n\n                                        <div class=\"content-ar\">\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/resources\/video-how-to-apply-microbe-brew\/\">\n                                                                                                    <div class=\"relatedresourceimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/THUMB-RESOURCE_video-microbe-brew.jpg\" class=\"rs-img lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 626px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 626\/348;\"><\/div>\n                                                                                                <h3 >Video: How to Use Eco-Cycle&#8217;s Microbe Brew Compost Tea<\/h3>\n                                            <\/a>\n                                        <\/div>\n                                    <\/div>   \n                            \n                                                   \n                               <div class=\"col-md-3\">\n\n                                        <div class=\"content-ar\">\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/resources\/toolkit-how-organics-diversion-achieves-zero-waste-goals\/\">\n                                                                                                    <div class=\"relatedresourceimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Organics-Diversion-Toolkit_ft.png\" class=\"rs-img lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 260px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 260\/159;\"><\/div>\n                                                                                                <h3 >Toolkit: How Organics Diversion Can Help Achieve Zero Waste Goals<\/h3>\n                                            <\/a>\n                                        <\/div>\n                                    <\/div>   \n                            \n                                                                          \n\n\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                                                             <div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n                <\/div>\n\n\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"program-box-link\">\n                       \n            \n            <a href=\"\/resource-library\">See All Resources <i class=\"fa fa-arrow-circle-o-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!--<\/div>-->\n\n\n<!--<\/div>-->\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019re working with community partners to create a closed-loop composting model that keeps organic materials local and strengthens our food system.<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":25328,"parent":3482,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25311","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Farmer First Compost - Eco-Cycle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Water your soil with life! Eco-Cycle\u2019s Microbe Brew is a living soil amendment that is ideal for all types of plants.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Farmer First Compost - Eco-Cycle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Water your soil with life! Eco-Cycle\u2019s Microbe Brew is a living soil amendment that is ideal for all types of plants.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Eco-Cycle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-13T13:22:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-First_featured.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"680\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"532\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/our-programs\\\/composting-and-carbon-farming\\\/farmer-first\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/our-programs\\\/composting-and-carbon-farming\\\/farmer-first\\\/\",\"name\":\"Farmer First Compost - Eco-Cycle\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/our-programs\\\/composting-and-carbon-farming\\\/farmer-first\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/our-programs\\\/composting-and-carbon-farming\\\/farmer-first\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/Farmer-First_featured.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-12T20:41:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-13T13:22:02+00:00\",\"description\":\"Water your soil with life! Eco-Cycle\u2019s Microbe Brew is a living soil amendment that is ideal for all types of plants.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/our-programs\\\/composting-and-carbon-farming\\\/farmer-first\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/our-programs\\\/composting-and-carbon-farming\\\/farmer-first\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/our-programs\\\/composting-and-carbon-farming\\\/farmer-first\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/Farmer-First_featured.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/Farmer-First_featured.png\",\"width\":680,\"height\":532},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/our-programs\\\/composting-and-carbon-farming\\\/farmer-first\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"OUR PROGRAMS\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/our-programs\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Composting &#038; Carbon Farming\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/our-programs\\\/composting-and-carbon-farming\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Farmer First Compost\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"Eco-Cycle\",\"description\":\"Advancing Zero Waste Solutions\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ecocycle.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Farmer First Compost - Eco-Cycle","description":"Water your soil with life! Eco-Cycle\u2019s Microbe Brew is a living soil amendment that is ideal for all types of plants.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Farmer First Compost - Eco-Cycle","og_description":"Water your soil with life! Eco-Cycle\u2019s Microbe Brew is a living soil amendment that is ideal for all types of plants.","og_url":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/","og_site_name":"Eco-Cycle","article_modified_time":"2025-11-13T13:22:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":680,"height":532,"url":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-First_featured.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/","url":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/","name":"Farmer First Compost - Eco-Cycle","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-First_featured.png","datePublished":"2025-11-12T20:41:19+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-13T13:22:02+00:00","description":"Water your soil with life! Eco-Cycle\u2019s Microbe Brew is a living soil amendment that is ideal for all types of plants.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-First_featured.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Farmer-First_featured.png","width":680,"height":532},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/farmer-first\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"OUR PROGRAMS","item":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Composting &#038; Carbon Farming","item":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/our-programs\/composting-and-carbon-farming\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Farmer First Compost"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/","name":"Eco-Cycle","description":"Advancing Zero Waste Solutions","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25311"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25402,"href":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25311\/revisions\/25402"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3482"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}