Backyard Bounty Program

Say hello to Big Hanna ♻️🌱

At the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, we’re giving leftovers new life. Every day, we work to rescue fresh bread and produce and get it into the hands of neighbors who need it most.

But our job doesn’t stop there.

When food comes through our doors that isn’t suitable for distribution, we make sure nothing goes to waste. With the help of our commercial composter, Big Hanna, we’re turning those scraps those scraps into nutrient-rich compost instead.

Thanks to a $1 million CalRecycle grant, we now have two commercial composters at our Sharehouse locations in Goleta and Santa Maria. Together, they have the capacity to divert up to 178,000 pounds of surplus food from the landfill each year.

The result? Compost that can power local food production and keep our community’s food system growing strong. 💚

Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes of our composting journey and ways you can be part of it!