Prairie Compost turns food scraps from homes and businesses into garden compost

WEST FARGO — It’s a lesson in biology, chemistry and a burger and fries that you don’t finish at a local restaurant, or at home.

This summer, North Dakota’s first food waste facility is going into high gear.

Similar to garbage and recycling day, Prairie Compost is making stops at homes and businesses every week to load food that will eventually be quality garden compost for homeowners and retail greenhouses. Even the compostable bags that hold household food waste break down.

When Bridger Scraper and Hayden Thompson head out to work on Tuesday mornings, the Fargo North and NDSU grads are ready for route work.

Prairie Compost has local restaurants and homeowners as subscribers. The guys stop weekly to load food stored in special containers.

“It is very rewarding to see the numbers climbing. We are up to 75,000 pounds of food waste that we have diverted,” Scraper said.

From there, the food is brought to the Prairie Compost facility in rural West Fargo, where it quickly becomes the biggest science experiment in town.

“You have your nitrogen, which is your food waste. You have carbon, which is your sawdust and woodchips. You combine the two, and you have the perfect environment for microbes to live,” Scraper said.

Microsoft provided some of the initial grant dollars for this startup. Scraper, a biologist, and Thompson, a finance guy, eventually left their window washing business, ditched their first composter machine, and this year will kick out close to 500,000 pounds of food waste.

“It doesn’t get much easier than that, and it has a big impact. Food waste isn’t trash, it is a resource that can close the full loop circle of the cycle,” Thompson said.

The temperature inside the composter? Between 145-160 degrees. Once it is out, the compost is piled up for curing for a month, where worms and other insects feast on the buffet, aiding in the decomposition.

Just recently, with more places like Starbucks and Costco coming on board, the numbers are climbing.

“Those numbers are going up drastically each month, the amount that we are diverting,” Scraper said.

Homeowners using the program appreciate Prairie Compost’s efforts to do something with food waste.

There is such growth, Prairie Compost is looking at adding another composter.

To subscribe or to get more information, visit their website .