Local co-op strengthens roots through grants

With the help of three grants from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) through Catholic Charities, Fertile Ground’s roots are growing deeper.

Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church has sponsored the company for these grants.

"Fertile Ground Cooperative is an application of Catholic social justice and economic principles at work,” sponsor Bob Waldrop said. “Across the world there are millions of people who own, and work, in worker-owned cooperatives. They provide an excellent way for micro-enterprises to get started, often as part-time jobs that can grow into full-time jobs owned by the workers themselves. The people at Fertile Ground are true examples of what it means to 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps.’”

The company’s website echoes those sentiments.

“Fertile Ground is a worker-owned cooperative attracting worker-owners who have an interest in composting, gardening and permaculture-related activities. Worker-ownership is at the center of Fertile Ground’s core values. When workers own their labor voluntarily, businesses thrive not for distant shareholders, but for everyone – workers, customers, the community, the environment and the local economy. They invest their time and energy into making their community a better place.”

Founder Terry Craghead said, “The $2,000 grant for 2018 allowed the cooperative to purchase 100 carts for commercial recycling. These 96-gallon poly-carts can be rolled in and out for convenience on collection day, which could be weekly or several times a week depending on the needs of the business.”

Plastic, paper, aluminum, tin cans and cardboard can be place in the cart, no separation necessary. This helps the environment, and businesses reduce company waste and costs.

The co-op provides commercial recycling and composting services for offices, restaurants, churches, apartments and condos in Oklahoma City area and Norman.

Another way Fertile Ground is helping Oklahoma is through “zero-waste” strategies for companies hosting special events.

“In the zero-waste strategy nothing is sent to the landfill,” Craghead said. “Much of what would have gone to the landfill is turned into a nutrient rich compost or recycled. Fertile Ground can design a compostable, recyclable, and/or reusable waste disposal system for any event, provide receptacles, haul away and appropriately process the recycling,” he added.

There also is residential compost collection that picks up food scraps weekly, composts them at its site or at a community garden compost site, and provide customers with a portion of compost in return. Bike collection routes are near downtown, midtown and uptown. A complete service area map is available at fertilegroundok.coop.

Craghead thinks people have various reasons for not composting. “Sometimes people are just afraid of trying something new. Most people are set in their ways and trash is one of those concepts the average person doesn’t think about until it becomes a problem. Many people live in multi-family units with no space available for backyard or community composting and for others, the “yuck!” factor prevents them doing it. Fertile Ground exists for all of these folks,” Craghead said.

Annually, CCHD takes up a collection in parishes throughout the country the week before Thanksgiving. Donations are divided to fund grassroots projects that assist in carrying out Catholic Charities' mission. All grant funds are awarded and reviewed by a local advisory committee.

Judy Hilovsky is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.