April 22, 2026 Haleʻiwa, Hawaiʻi - Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation (KHF), founded in 2003 by Kim & Jack Johnson, has been connecting students and community members across Hawaiʻi to the land with a variety of environmental education initiatives. Through six different school programs, KHF provides hands-on learning opportunities focusing on sustainable agriculture and waste reduction practices that range from school gardens to recycling drives, beach cleanups, and more. Since 2025, KHF's Kōkua Learning Farm in Haleʻiwa has been expanding its positive community impact and waste reduction initiatives with a new in-vessel composting system that converts food waste into high value compost to benefit local agriculture.
The Kōkua Compost Program, an extension of KHF’s long-standing compost curriculum of the ʻĀINA In Schools Program, has grown significantly with the arrival of an Earth Flow automatic composting system, one of many systems now operating in Hawaiʻi. This program is a community-based conservation solution that transforms wasted food from local schools, camps, and nearby restaurants into nutrient-dense compost.
Using an Earth Flow in-vessel composter, that they affectionately named “Tina,” along with additional composting methods, the program recovers over 2,000 lbs of food waste weekly. Through coordinated collection, curing, distribution, and hands-on education, the program helps community members of all ages understand that wasted food can become food for plants.
“Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation has a long history focused on the intersection of sustainable agriculture, community impact and environmental education. We are thrilled to be part of Hawaiʻi’s food waste composting infrastructure,” said Kim Johnson, CEO, Co-Founder and President of Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation (KHF). “We believe we’re building a scalable model of community-based composting, where food scraps are recovered and composted near where it is generated, and where valuable compost goes back into local sustainable agriculture to support our schools and community.”
The Earth Flow in-vessel composting system from Seattle-based Green Mountain Technologies automatically processes the material while eliminating odors and other potential negative environmental impacts.
Since 2021 seven Earth Flow composting systems have been set up in Hawaiʻi, largely due to support and facilitation by the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi, 11th Hour, Full Circle Farm and other community organizations focused on sustainability and community impact.
“We are excited to play our part in helping educate communities across Hawaiʻi on how their food scraps can help. We teach all ages that food scraps are food for plants, not waste. We hope this reciprocal relationship with food can help push forward a food sovereign Hawaiʻi,” said Mitch Steffey, Program Director at KHF.
The Earth Flow composting system at Full Circle Farm which was installed in 2021 with support from KHF, was the first commercial food waste composting system ever set up in Hawaiʻi. The combined impact of the seven Earth Flow systems set up in Hawaiʻi since 2021 has the capacity to divert more than 1000 tons per year of food waste from incineration or other disposal methods, converting this waste stream into valuable compost.
The education programs offered by KHF are also teaching local students and community members about composting best practices and organic agriculture, including programs in partnership with many local elementary schools and high schools. KHF’s ʻĀINA In Schools program delivers garden, nutrition, and compost curriculum to students in grades K-6. Since 2006, over 3,000 ʻĀINA In Schools Composting Lessons have been delivered teaching students about aerobic composting, vermicomposting and bokashi. The Kōkua Compost Program was a natural extension of ʻĀINA In Schools.
Compost produced through the Kōkua Compost Program supports the expansion of food grown on the Kōkua Learning Farm and in Kōkua’s “Backyard Garden” which is sold through their ʻĀINA Farm Stand.
“The momentum that food waste composting now has in Hawaiʻi is something I’m very proud to have played a role in,” said Orion Black-Brown, President of Green Mountain Technologies, who spent 4 years living in Hawaii while the Earth Flow systems were being deployed. “It has been amazingly inspiring to work with the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation and other community organizations in Hawaiʻi to get all of this new composting infrastructure in place. These programs have been so successful that it feels to me like the momentum now has a life of its own.”
About Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation: Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation (KHF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2003 by Kim and Jack Johnson, that supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaiʻi.They provide opportunities that enhance appreciation for and understanding of the environment to inspire lifelong stewards of the earth. KHF’s programs include ʻĀINA In Schools, the 3Rs School Program, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation Field Trip Grants, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation Project Grants, Plastic Free Hawaiʻi, and Kōkua Compost Program. Learn more at https://kokuahawaiifoundation.org/about-us/
About Green Mountain Technologies: Green Mountain Technologies has been designing and building innovative composting solutions since 1992. Our growing global client-base includes large commercial composting facilities, small scale community organizations, and institutions of all types. We're proud to give back 10% of our profits to non profit community and environmental organizations. Learn more at www.compostingtechnology.com
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