HEAT C.O.R.E.

 
HEAT Core Logo.png
 

HEAT C.O.R.E. (Compostable, Organic, Raw, Energy) relies on using organic food waste to regenerate healthy produce. Food waste is collected from local restaurants and educational institutions and processed into feed. HEAT C.O.R.E. will produce organic fruit and vegetables, provide societal education on the aquaponic and composting process, and donate the harvested food.

OUR MISSION

C.O.R.E is the nonprofit sister of HEAT Culinary. It is an extension of the culinary arts which reuses waste from cooking to create compost and feed as we create new, delicious foods. 

California is threatened by water shortages and a changing climate, and no one wants to contribute to landfills. The goal is to convert our restaurant food waste into usable and valuable products. 

Regenerating leftover food creates multiple opportunities. Nikki Dailey is a top chef and teacher and Gretchen Ingmanson is an experienced aquaponics farmer. This food waste will not enter landfills, but rather be:

  1. Cooked into animal feed

  2. Composted

  3. Used as fuel

The animal feed and composted material will be used to grow soil-based produce. These materials, along with compost tea—a concentrated topical compost that enhances plant and tree health—will be available to the public for purchase.

Some of the animal feed will also be used to feed Carp and Channel Island Catfish in an aquaponics system. This system will grow and supply greens and herbs to the local restaurants which supply the food waste. Aquaponics is a system of growing foods with reduced water usage and increased produce yield. Fresh fish are a wonderful harvest from an aquaponics system as well.

A final goal is to educate via the farm. Nikki Dailey is an experienced teacher of culinary arts and Gretchen Ingmanson has worked with the public on horticultural endeavors. Waste reuse, composting, aquaponics, and water optimization are valuable skills for the future of our region. Demonstrations, classes, tours, and food events are important and fun ways to generate interest and education for all ages, whether it be elementary school children, the elderly, or anyone in between. Our ultimate goal is to show that our production can exist on any scale, including in a backyard.

Please sign up for our newsletter to receive more information.