For the past seven years, San Diego-based Food2Soil has diverted 498 tons of food-scraps away from the landfill and reduced 323 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere.

Composed of chefs, farmers, businesses, individuals and innovators, Food2Soil Composting Collective was started by Inika Small Earth, an organization that looks to unique, affordable and sustainable solutions for turning waste into a social, environmental and economic resource.

Part of Food2Soil’s mission involves decentralized composting — a network of neighborhood compost hubs that coexist alongside commercial resources. Their team offers neighborhood dropoff hubs for individuals and households that don’t have the time or space to compost on their own. For businesses with a minimum of 32 gallons of food scraps on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, Food2Soil offers scrap pickup services where the food remains are taken to a nearby urban farm or community garden for composting.

Founder and Executive Director of Inika Small Earth, Sarah Boltwala-Mesina (pictured above), manages the Food2Soil project and supports its composters, farmers and team members.

“Everything that Food2Soil does is enterprise based,” Boltwala-Mesina said. “We are trying to generate a respectable livelihood for our farmers and our composters. It’s not grant run so the idea is not only neighborhood-level but making these things profitable again for the people who are engaged in it.”

In January, Boltwala-Mesina started Food2Staples, urban farm patches that grow food staples for community members in a neighborhood garden.

Open to the public every Sunday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., individuals and households can harvest and transport their own fresh foods, mingle with others and learn about composting, farming and other ways to benefit the earth. Baskets and harvesting tools are provided upon arrival.

“If communities and neighbors could get their staples from plots like this, it could take so much of the burden off of the carbon miles that food uses,” Boltwala-Mesina said.

Ayzsha Smith, a local farmer and program manager for the Food2Staples program, attends the weekly event and assists with harvesting and supplies information about the crops, soil and other aspects of farming. She helps greet and guide visitors through the garden and answer any questions they may have.

Additional information about the project, the garden’s location, how to purchase a pass and more, can be found at the QR code (in the photo).

Further details about Food2Soil, their services and more is located at: food2soil.net/.