Pueblo Permaculture

Pueblo Permaculture empowers community to optimize their resources thereby leaving a positive net impact on Earth. Pueblo Permaculture shows the way to grow produce with food compost that is typical wasted. We create a closed loop system of soil, seed, and food, always returning back to soil. We offer donation based and sliding scale classes regarding cooking, gardening, permaculture, nutrition, novel and ancient energy systems, and general sustainable living classes. Our ambitious goal is a garden in every school and fresh produce in every home.

President:
Meral Sarper
- Mechanical Engineer, Sustainability Activist, Vocalist and Artist
- Pursuing Master of Science in Engineering at CSU-Pueblo

Vice-President:
Clinton Cooper
- Master Mechanic, Founder of Boost Motors mobile car repair
- Experienced Horticulturist

Marketing Officer:
Leyla Sarper
- Entrepreneur
- Professional Social Media Consultant

Health Officer and Nutrition Consultant:
Nanette Sarper, MBA
- Registered Dietitian
- Certified Permaculture Practitioner

Executive Summary

Permaculture is much more than gardening. It is sustainable design in all areas of life, including the environment, economy and society. Permaculture is also called “regenerative design”. Pueblo Permaculture creates systems that can sustain what is already in place while also regenerating the full system potential. This results in optimized energy intake and empowered community. Zero waste systems may sound impossible, but nature has been doing this for eons. Using the technique of biomimicry, we must simply follow nature to solve many of the deficiencies of the human society.
Pueblo Permaculture will offer affordable classes and consulting for individual, community, and environmental health. Just like the systems we create, Pueblo Permaculture’s approach is simple and efficient.
Business opportunity
Pueblo Permaculture will use the opportunity of wasted food scraps to create closed looped nutrient cycles. Using conventional composting techniques, vermicomposting (using worms as helpers), and farming high profit crops as the main source of funding, Pueblo Permaculture will create affordable sustainability education and community gardens. Community garden partnership will be made with local schools, restaurants, and businesses.

Most food establishments throw away many pounds of pre-consumer food scraps a week. Pre-consumer food waste is anything organic normally thrown away during food preparation, before the consumer handles it. The current problem of soil nutrient depletion is perpetuated by daily food waste practices. Pueblo Permaculture will complete the loop. Restaurants, school cafeterias, and coffee shops throw away many items that could be reused via composting. Easy to break down compost like vegetable and fruit peels can be broken down by worms very efficiently. Coffee grounds and all other food items can be composted using general techniques. These establishments would be our partners as well as our customers. In exchange for their food scraps, they will receive produce or rich worm compost. They may also donate their scraps and receive a commemoration on a community garden.
Our main customers would be community members looking for quality locally grown produce and quality sustainability and nutrition education at an affordable cost. Our goal is to be an inclusive organization that does not turn anyone away. We will look for trade, volunteer and sliding scale options for those who may have little to give.

Aside from growing organic crops, a major profit streams will result from “Vermi-composting” which uses red wiggler worms to transform food waste into high quality fertilizer. The worm castings and the live worms themselves can yield high profit.

The rate at which red wiggler worms can create the finest organic fertilizer is amazing. One pound of worms can eat 3.5 pounds of food waste per week, or 0.5 pounds per day. Nearly 100% of the weight in is retained. In one day, 1 pound of worms can make 0.5 pounds of worm castings, which is the most superior plant fertilizer. Most kitchen/ restaurant waste or table scraps, any vegetables, grapefruits, orange rinds, apple peels, lettuce and cabbage, celery ends, spoiled food from the refrigerator, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells are all suitable worm meals. No meat or dairy products can be fed to a worm bin. Worms can double their full mature population in 6 months.

The engineering research facility that Pueblo Permaculture President, Meral Sarper, currently works for has over 200 employees and a full cafeteria. She has worked with the chef and will receive a large amount of food scraps for free.
- Pre consumer food scraps for worms and all other scraps for general composting
- Overall about 21 pounds a week of compostable food
- Coffee grounds about: 10 pounds a week
To meet the rest of the food scrap needs, we will look into more partnerships.
Possible Partners:
- Daily Grind Coffee: They are currently starting community garden, and Meral Sarper is a volunteer for this project.
- Solar Roast Coffee
- DC’s on B street
- All Subways in Pueblo
- Mr. Tandoori’s Urban Bar and Grill
- Puukaow Thai
- Pho Basil and Pho 65
- All Starbucks’ in Pueblo
- Souper Salad

Closing Summary:

Pueblo Permaculture will be a dynamic business. Always open to change, as long as it is for the greater good. Our foundation and cycle of Sustainability Education, Nutrition, and Community Gardens will greatly impact Pueblo positively. We inspire Pueblo citizens, of all ages, to see their part in creating regenerative sustainability.