Municipal Compost Program Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
At long last the Village Compost program is launching on Jan. 1, 2025! To celebrate this momentous occasion, the Village of Rhinebeck is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday, January 12, 2025 at 1:00 pm . Mayor Gary Bassett will use the oversized scissors and cut the ribbon tied around the food scraps collection container in the municipal parking lot.
Members of the public and local leaders are invited to attend. Village Compost’s registered participants are encouraged to bring their food scraps buckets and ceremoniously dump them into the large, green compost collection container. “I’m so excited to see everyone dump in their food scraps! I’ll be there dancing a little jig!” exclaimed Trustee Bertozzi, who, along with a team of volunteers, Mayor Bassett and the Village Board, has been planning the program for years. Michael DeCola, owner of Ellerslie Stables and subcontractor for the program, will also attend.
Village residents can register for the Village Compost program at www.rhinebeckcompost.org. Approved registrations are notified via email on Thursdays. The program is free, and participants can choose to receive a share of the finished compost each spring.
The collection container is the central drop off site for the program and will be located in the municipal lot behind Aroi and by the Rhinebeck Farmers’ Market shed. Participants can drop their food scraps any time they like, year-round. The food scraps container will be securely locked to prevent illegal dumping and to protect it from critters. Ellerslie Stables will pick up the collection container on Monday mornings, incorporate the food scraps into the composting operation at the farm, and return the container to the municipal parking lot. The program is funded by a $200,000 DEC grant, with a term of 7 years, with an option to continue the municipal-farm contract.
Join us on January 12 for high fives and food scraps!
For more info, contact Village Trustee Vanessa Bertozzi