The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is filled with small communities, and in Ishpeming this is no exception. Partridge Creek Farm is an educational farm dedicated to promoting sustainable food systems. They have composting areas where they build layered piles of horse manure, leaves, hay, and food waste. This food waste is saved from the landfill and collected from 20 restaurants, including Northern Michigan University dining services and Ishpeming schools.

One very important aspect of their organization is community involvement, to encourage community composting. Partridge Creek Farm will go into a school and run their Farm to School program to teach students about the importance of composting. They will take around 120 5th and 6th graders and teach them all about growing local food. Partridge Creek Farm has also work heavily with the Great Lakes Recovery Center over the years. Kids in this program will learn about how to build and maintain a community garden. Partridge Creek Farm believes that education and engagement of children will help families adopt composting practices.

“There is nothing more encouraging than walking into a lunchroom full of middle schoolers who chant ‘Feed the Worms!’”

Partridge Creek Farm knows that a curbside collection program is currently not feasible, so they hope to focus their grown into drop off locations. They are helping to support Recycle, MI through their relationship with the school system and growing composting as much as possible.