In 2020 Mike and Christina Kelcourse founded Sunshine Organics and Compost in Jacksonville, which they said is the city’s first commercial-scale food waste composting facility. The need and the potential for innovation in the field — converting organic materials such as food scraps into a nutrient-rich soil additive or mulch through natural decomposition — got their attention, Christina Kelcourse said. “Thirty percent of our landfills are filled with organic waste that can be broken down and composted and 20 percent of that figure is food waste,” she said. “There is so much growth, so much potential, so much opportunity in an industry that is still just beginning.”
In January, Sunshine Organics began a pilot partnership with the city and Riverside restaurants to encourage commercial composting. In June the company received a $4.9 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to expand its North Shore facility, add more efficient equipment and launch a delivery service for farmers. The grant will enable Sunshine Organics to provide composting and other products that reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and improve soil quality, according to the company. The expansion “will put Jacksonville on the map in the compost world and revolutionize the agricultural sector,” according to the company. “Our goal has always been to make a positive impact on the agricultural sector, the environment and the local community,” Mike Kelcourse said.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, “composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter, such as leaves and food scraps, into a valuable fertilizer that can enrich soil and plants. Anything that grows decomposes eventually; composting simply speeds up the process.” The end product, which can resemble fertile garden soil, is called compost.