Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District is enthusiastic to report that our District has been awarded the  EPA Recycling Education and Outreach grant  to implement the Educating the Next Generation: Place-Based Food Waste Reduction and Compost Recycling Initiative project.  This project will be implemented over three years, August 2024 to July 2027.  Ciudad Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) is currently piloting the composting projects at Polk Middle School, Valle Vista Elementary, and Los Padillas Elementary. Implementing the composting curriculum currently in the works with the end goal making it accessable to all teachers APS-wide. In the @026 - 2027 school year, compost initiatives will be piloted at a 3 other APS high schools.  Ciudad SWCD is truly looking forward to continue our partnership with APS, the City of Albuquerque Sustainability Office,  and other organizations in the South Valley as Ciudad SWCD continues to support the community with local agriculture and soil health initiatives. 

Additionally, Ciudad SWCD was awarded the USDA Composting and Food Waste Reduction Grant to Cultivate Collaborative Composting in New Mexico. As of August 2024, Ciudad SWCD is collaborating with various organizations to develop a community composting co-op site and a farm compost hub site. A write up freely shared case studies based on these and other regional community composting efforts will be available in 2026.

The Martineztown Community Compost  Co-op is currently operating in partnership with Second Presbyterian Church, located at 812 Edith Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102 (parking on Page Ave). They hold weekly work days every Tuesday from 6:30 - 7:30pm. Everyone one is welcomed to join for a work day or drop off food scraps.  A typical work day involves turning compost piles of unfinished food scraps and sifting finished compost. There is plenty of finished compost to take home