About the ReGen: Compost Project
The ReGen: Compost Project is a teen-run composting project located at our 58 N. Front Street site in Hudson. Hudson residents are invited to become monthly subscribers. Monthly subscribers can drop off food waste at the River City Garden and pick up finished, top quality compost fertilizer. If you’re interesting in signing up, see below more information about how the project works, payment details, and how to get in touch!
Compost: Accessible, Affordable, Environmental
Composting is an environmentally responsible way to recycle organic waste and we want this service to be accessible and affordable to everyone in the Hudson community! There are several intentions behind building out a more organized composting system that benefits everyone, including:
Improving the ecological health and aesthetic beauty of the North Bay site
Providing Hudson teens with the opportunity to manage a business venture that centers environmental stewardship, community collaboration, and high quality products
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by mimicking the effectiveness of the nature’s miraculous decomposition process
Piloting a successful small-scale compost initiative with the ultimate goal of replicating this regenerative model on a significantly larger scale for the city and county
Dump the Dump
In Columbia County, it costs money to dispose of your food scraps at the dump. As it exists now, the US’s waste disposal industry is harmful to our climate and collective health. This linear waste system supports the fossil fuel industry by relying heavily on single use plastic bags, and emits toxic Methane gases into our air by allowing food waste and other organic matter to rot in landfills.
Alternatively, the ReGen: Composting Project, 1) eliminates plastic bag waste and production, and 2) naturally recycles hundreds of pounds of local food waste and organic matter year-round into a renewable product: compost! The final compost product is chemical free and packed with vital nutrients that support plant and soil health, nutritious food production, and vibrant ecosystem for pollinators, wildlife, and humans.
Compost is Recycled Food Waste
Compost is a regenerative cyclical process for processing food waste! All organic matter (things that were once alive) can become compost through decomposition. Each compost pile requires the right balance of carbon (brown materials like paper, woodchips, hay), nitrogen (green materials like food scraps), water, and oxygen. Many different life forms - including microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, worms and insects - collaborate to break down organic matter into bioavailable nutrients for fertilizing plants and rebuilding depleted soils! Composting is a defiant act against global warming: the process reduces the amount of CO² and methane emissions in the atmosphere while increasing the amount of carbon stored in our soils.
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
SUBSCRIbe for compost drop-off
A monthly subscription for one household includes:
Your monthly subscription includes drop-off of up to one 5-gallon bucket weekly! Please let us know if you are exceeding this amount.
Once your food scraps break down into bioavailable nutrients for plants, we add the finished compost to our River City Community gardens. Compost is an essential part of urban soil remediation and builds resilient habitats, especially in industrial areas like Kite’s Nest’s location.
Scheduled Drop Off Times
Timing: We prefer for drop-off’s to take place on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (when we are generally not in program times). However, the bins are always there if you cannot drop off on those days.
Drop-off Details: Our food scraps drop-off bins are located at 58 N. Front Street in Hudson. See below for a list of what we do and do not accept in our compost system.
Payment
Sliding scale fee
$10 - $30 per month, per household. We offer a word-trade option for 2-3 hours per month!
Payment methods
You will receive an email from Square on the 28th of every month with an invoice and payment request for the upcoming month (with the fee you chose on your intake form). If you are financially able, we deeply appreciate setting up an automatic bank or card payment through Square to lighten our administrative load.Online through Kite’s Nest website (autopay available). You can also pay with check or cash (submitted in person or by mail by the 1st of the month). Checks can be mailed or dropped off to Kite’s Nest, 58 N. Front Street, Hudson, NY, 12534.
Why a fee?
The ReGeneration Compost Project is maintained and operated by Kite’s Nest, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. All proceeds from monthly subscriptions will be directly invested back into the project to support the labor and maintenance of the site - managed by Hudson teens - as well as basic supplies and materials for upkeep. If you are not able to afford the monthly fee, or would like to discuss alternative payment options, we are happy to discuss! Collecting a monthly fee also allows us to track how many people are using the ReGeneration Composting System regularly, informing us how to improve and develop the business to meet the needs of our Hudson community.
Volunteer with us
Many hands make light work! We love sharing our composting and gardening knowledge with our community, and we always appreciate more muscles keeping our compost system healthy and vibrant. Reach out if you want to spend an hour or an afternoon with us!
CONTACT US
Feel free to reach out with questions, suggestions, volunteer interests, and to find out more about how you can get involved with Kite’s Nest’s ReGeneration Project and River City Garden. Please direct all inquiries to (518) 241-3450, or sam@kitesnest.org.
What’s compostable
Learn about the teens who run the compost biz
Learn more about our ReGen teen program and the youth staff who tend to the compost you drop-off. They also run a bike-powered smoothie business, manage our greenhouse and garden, make and sell naturally-dyed upcycled clothing and more! The ReGen teens are learning about land stewardship, environmental justice, and entrepreneurship while building relationships with BIPOC -led land workers all throughout the Hudson Valley. ReGen Teens is a 9-month employment program. Applications open each Spring to teens with working cards.
