Winter Quarterly Newsletter – 2021

Dear Solana Center Community,

As we head into the last month of 2021, we are excitedly looking forward to the environmental progress the new year will hold. State Bill 1383 is rolling out on January 1, 2022, and will result in more organic material diverted from landfills across the state than ever before. Solana Center is proud to be serving 75% of jurisdictions in the San Diego region with our consulting and education services. We are hopeful about the positive impacts this state legislation and recent County moves to decarbonize will have on our climate. Along with a global and federal focus on environmental issues, this is a dynamic time to be driving environmental progress!

Along with celebration, the end of the year is a distinct time of reflection and goal-setting for the new year. We encourage you to incorporate goals to minimize waste in both your household and your business. For many, food waste is an accessible starting point. Americans generate 25% more waste during the holidays than the rest of the year, but did you know that the average household wastes 32% of their food on a regular basis? My family is constantly looking for ways to get creative with leftovers to prevent waste in our household – it can be a formative learning experience for young children as well! We recently partnered with the City of Encinitas to create a video sharing food waste prevention tips.

As we head into the holidays, keep in mind that shopping locally is an impactful choice for both your community and the environment. Alternatively, if you are ordering through Amazon, designate Solana Center as your AmazonSmile donation recipient for a simple and automatic way to support our environmental work as you do your holiday shopping! Log on to smile.amazon.com and donate at no additional cost to you. Or better yet, check out our online store which offers many composting materials for curbside pickup. If you are able, please consider a donation to support our ongoing work. Each dollar donated goes directly toward increasing our impact and is greatly appreciated. 

Looking ahead to 2022, the Solana Center Education Team will be offering a 3-week On-Farm Composting Course at a family farm in Escondido. San Diego County has more small farms than any other county making this mid-scale composting education increasingly important. Our popular rain barrel program is also back for the rainy season. Stay tuned as we announce more programs in the early spring season. Wishing everyone a safe and merry holiday season!

Sustainably yours,

Jessica Toth
Executive Director

Depending on the length of your trip, you will likely not need to do anything at all. Even a new population of worms only needs to be monitored every few days to assess how much food was eaten, moisture levels, and whether they need more food.

If you’re planning to go out of town for the holidays this year, regardless of how long your trip may be, read our latest blog post for steps to consider prior to embarking on your adventure.

5 Creative Ways to Source Materials for your Compost Pile

Sometimes when we want to build a compost pile, we either have a disproportionate amount of greens or browns or don’t have enough material. We shared a few ways to find extra organic resources on our blog!