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12 <br />The Hillsborough Farmers' Market draws primarily from northern Orange County, which is an area that is often <br />left out of climate initiatives. Many community members have expressed appreciation for the Compost <br />Collection at the Farmers' Market: they are no longer having to make the longer car trip to the Walnut <br />Grove Waste and Recycling Center; others who never composted before are starting to do so and have <br />significantly decreased the amount of food waste they throw out as a result; others who were already <br />composting at home are appreciative of the fact that they can bring items to the ERFM Community Compost <br />Collection site that they cannot compost in their back yard, since the compostables are picked up by Brooks <br />Contractors, an industrial composter with the ability to accept a broader range of compostables. <br />This project will contribute to carbon reduction in several ways: by reducing methane levels at the landfill; by <br />helping our soil to sequester more carbon and by reducing the carbon emissions from cars by providing a closer <br />food waste drop off for residents of Northern Orange County. Based on current use numbers, we estimate that <br />400 community members per month will utilize this collection site. In addition, most of Orange County waste is <br />sent to a landfill in Sampson County,where a poor minority community has had to deal with the smell and <br />pollution of the mega landfill in their backyard. Reducing the waste that ends up in the landfill will have a <br />positive impact on this community." <br />Grant Dollars Requested Per Metric Ton of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduced During Project Lifetime: <br />106.27 <br />HRC Comments: Overall the HRC felt that this project was inexpensive and worth funding. Reducing waste and <br />ensuring waste is composted serves everyone.The environmental benefits of this project also align with social <br />justice benefits as less waste would be going to landfills in more vulnerable communities. <br />HRC reviewers would have liked to see a breakdown by race and income of who goes to the farmers market, in <br />order to make a more informed determination of how direct the social Justice and racial equity benefits might <br />be. <br />In the end, given that Orange County Solid Waste has already put money into making this compost drop-off <br />program work, and given the good cost to benefit ratio,the HRC felt that this project was beneficial. <br />CFE Comments: CFE reviewers felt that this was a cost-effective and highly visible project that would increase <br />access to the County's composting services. Keeping food waste out of the municipal waste stream avoid a good <br />amount of greenhouse gas emissions as it reduces the tonnage of waste transported by heavy trucks out of the <br />County.The applicants' proposal outlines a project that appears clear and obtainable. <br />Not all CFE reviewers were convinced with the applicants' claim that that the presence of a compost collection <br />sire at the market increases the number of weekly visitors to the market,thus increasing the market's economic <br />success.Also,the CFE was concerned there was no longer-term plan for funding the compost monitors after the <br />grant period is over. <br />In the end,the relatively low cost and potential for diesel emissions reduction, coupled with the applicant's <br />commitment to use media to engage with the community to encourage composting, were all factors that led to <br />a higher rank. <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: FC54AC26-7897-4270-8EA1-D754CD59EA76