Located near the Jubilee Food Market, Waco Urban Reap is a local organization dedicated to the environmental education and nourishment of underprivileged Waco citizens. Waco’s “Compost Queen” Emily Hills said the new advanced compost program was founded on the idea of eliminating local food waste in Waco, and to help build a community for a more environmentally conscious Waco.
Hills brought her knowledge about composting to Waco after she took a course about it in New York. She said Urban Reap uses the results from composting to grow the food the organization donates to fight against food insecurity in Waco.
“When you look at our local food insecurity rate it is higher than the Texas average and higher than the national average. And so, when we're thinking about how much food we throw away, versus how much food is not getting connected to the people who need it, I think that is a huge injustice,” Hills said.
The compost club is a paid subscription program that allows Waco to drop off food waste and garbage into bins at marked locations. After Urban Reap receives trash, they turn it into compost and give it back to club members allowing them to grow their own food. Hills said the end goal for this program is for the members to attract and teach other citizens slowly building a network of people dedicated to helping Waco.
“We are building a network of people who can be advocates for compost. And so not only are you learning how it all works, but you get to interact with a lot of other initiatives and see what's happening in Waco and kind of contribute to that way,” Hills said.
The course is six weeks long and includes field trips to their compound to see how it's made. The organization also offers gardening courses so people can begin to grow their food organically in their own backyards.