Press Releases

MIAMI, FL — August 27, 2026 — Fertile Earth has received the 2026 Zero Waste Miami Business Award from Debris Free Oceans, recognizing the company’s work to reduce waste and find better uses for South Florida’s leftover food.

We’re particularly happy about this one.

Fertile Earth began in 2008 with a handful of composting worms living under founder Dr. Lanette Sobel’s kitchen sink in Miami Beach. There were no collection trucks, municipal projects or grand plans for changing South Florida’s waste system. There were just some worms and the idea that food scraps shouldn’t be thrown away.

Eighteen years later, the idea is essentially the same. The operation has just gotten considerably bigger.

Today, Fertile Earth operates a growing fleet of collection trucks and has become South Florida’s largest composting and organics recovery company, serving businesses, schools, municipalities and institutions across the region.

Along the way, the mission has also expanded. Fertile Earth works to send food to its highest and best use: edible surplus food to people whenever possible, other eligible food to animals at local farms and sanctuaries, and what can no longer be eaten back to the soil through composting.

The Zero Waste Miami Business Award recognizes businesses working to advance a more circular, less wasteful South Florida. For Fertile Earth, it is a welcome bit of encouragement for an experiment that started under a kitchen sink and is still very much a work in progress.

“We started with worms under a kitchen sink and a stubborn belief that food scraps shouldn’t be thrown away,” said Dr. Lanette Sobel, founder and CEO of Fertile Earth. “To receive this recognition from Debris Free Oceans is a welcome bit of encouragement for work that is still very much a work in progress.”

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About Fertile Earth

Fertile Earth is a South Florida composting and organics recovery company founded in 2008. The company collects and recovers food and other organic materials from businesses, schools, municipalities and institutions throughout the region, with a simple goal: put food to its highest and best use — feeding people, feeding animals and feeding the soil.

For more information, visit www.FertileEarth.net.

Media Contact

Fertile Earth
abel@fertileearth.net
786-232-3018

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PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL — July 31, 2026 — Businesses, institutions, schools, and other commercial food generators in Palm Beach County now have a new opportunity to divert eligible pre-consumer food scraps through a Food-to-Food Recycling Program. Fertile Earth is the latest company in the county to qualify and receive authorization from the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County to collect eligible food scraps and deliver them directly to participating animal farms for use as feed. By creating a new pathway for eligible food scraps, the program supports both local agriculture and the development of a stronger circular economy throughout the region.

Fertile Earth’s program represents an important step to reduce food waste, support local agriculture, and expand practical sustainability initiatives in Palm Beach County by directing surplus food to its highest and best use before disposal.

“Our goal has always been to help communities recover the greatest possible value from surplus food,” said Dr. Lanette Sobel, CEO of Fertile Earth. “We’re honored to have been granted this authorization for the Food-to-Food Recycling Program to help Palm Beach County businesses recover valuable food resources while supporting local farms.”

Participating businesses may recycle eligible pre-consumer vegan food scraps, including produce trimmings, bread, grains, fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based food materials. Meat, dairy products, flowers, compostable bags, disposable serviceware, and other non-approved materials are not accepted through the program.

For more than 18 years, Fertile Earth has partnered with businesses, municipalities, schools, farms, restaurants, supermarkets, sports venues, and institutions throughout South Florida to develop practical food recovery and organics recycling programs that reduce waste while supporting environmental stewardship.

Businesses interested in participating in Fertile Earth’s Food-to-Food Recycling Program are encouraged to contact Fertile Earth for additional information.

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About Fertile Earth

Founded in 2008, Fertile Earth is South Florida’s largest commercial composting company, serving businesses, municipalities, schools, farms, and residents throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and the Florida Keys. Through food recovery, animal feed partnerships, and composting, the company helps transform surplus organic materials into valuable resources while promoting sustainable waste management, environmental education, and healthier communities.

For more information, visit www.FertileEarth.net.

Media Contact

Fertile Earth
abel@fertileearth.net
786-232-3018

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL — May 11, 2026 — Fertile Earth is announcing a new training opportunity for farmers and agricultural teams: an Agricultural Compost Production One-Day Short Course, with an optional half-day hands-on training the following day.

The workshop is designed to help growers improve soil health, reduce fertilizer dependency, strengthen on-farm resilience, and better manage organic waste streams through composting and vermicomposting practices.

“With the rising cost of petroleum, the cost of fertilizers is rising, and along with it, food prices,” said Dr. Lanette Sobel, CEO of Fertile Earth.

“At the same time, Miami-Dade County is experiencing a waste management crisis, and over 50% of our waste stream is organic material that could be composted and transformed into non-synthetic fertilizers. This workshop will equip farmers with the tools to better manage compost operations on the farm, strengthening resilience, improving profit margins, and supporting environmental stewardship.”

The course will combine classroom instruction, field demonstrations, and practical applications tailored to South Florida agricultural conditions.

Day 1: Agricultural Compost Production One-Day Short Course

• Date: May 22, 2026
• Time: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
• Location: Lucy’s Farm — 15802 SW 200th St, Miami, FL 33187
• Cost: $300 for the first participant from each farm; $190 for each additional participant from the same farm
• Includes: Coffee, water, light breakfast, and lunch

Day 2: Optional Half-Day Hands-On Training

• Date: May 23, 2026
• Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
• Starting Location: Fertile Earth — 15150 SW 264 Street, Homestead, FL 33032
• Concluding Visit: Lion Farms — 14950 SW 212th St, Miami, FL 33187
• Cost: $150 for the first participant from each farm; $90 for each additional participant from the same farm
• Includes: Coffee, water, and light snacks

Instructors

The course will be led by:

• Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
• Dr. Lanette Sobel
• Dr. Daphne K. Sugino Souffront of Florida International University, who will lead the vermicomposting component in collaboration with Lion Farms.

Registration

For full course details, schedule information, and ticket registration, visit the Agricultural Compost Production Workshop page.

Charles LaPradd, Agricultural Manager at Miami-Dade County, joins as a county guest presenter on compost regulations.

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About Fertile Earth

Fertile Earth is South Florida’s commercial composting company — Miami’s Composting Experts — serving restaurants, venues, offices, schools, municipalities, and farms across Miami-Dade and the region since 2008. We collect food scraps, process them into nutrient-rich compost and soil amendments, and help partners meet zero-waste and sustainability goals with reliable, professional service.

Media Contact

Fertile Earth
community@fertileEarth.net
786-232-3018

HOMESTEAD, FL — April 15, 2026 — In conjunction with Earth Week Miami, Fertile Earth is proud to announce the launch of the “Amazing Redlands!” Bus Tour Series, a one-of-a-kind immersive experience celebrating the rich agricultural heritage, sustainability innovation, and tropical beauty found in Miami-Dade.

The guided bus tour offers guests an exclusive, behind-the-scenes journey through some of the area’s most unique farms and agricultural destinations — blending education, flavor, and inspiration into a single unforgettable day.

Guests will enjoy

• Visits to four innovative and sustainable local farms
• Educational tours and workshops
• A look inside cutting-edge agricultural and eco-living spaces
• Earth Day Festival during the third stop at Lion Farm
• Caribbean cuisine lunch
• Insight into composting, soil health, and regenerative practices
• A curated, intimate group experience with expert guides

Inaugural tour April 25, 2026. Visiting these four farms:

• Fertile Earth: South Florida’s Composting Experts.
• Earth-Ling Farm: A holistic, educational farm with stunning architectural elements.
• Lion Farms: A premier local sustainable farm, leaders in vermicomposting, organic/gourmet mushrooms, and research.
• AGRi Retreat: A tropical oasis in the heart of the Redlands.

Event Details

• Date: April 25, 2026
• Time: Bus leaves at 10 AM
• Location: Redland Agricultural District, Miami-Dade County
• Departure: AGRi Retreat, 16920 SW 172nd Ave, Miami, FL 33187
• Tickets: $149 · Limit 20 passengers
• Ticket link: Shop tickets
• What to bring: A hat, a water bottle, maybe a swimsuit and towel, your appetite, and a friend or two

Download video

High-resolution download: Google Drive link

Media Contact

Abel Klainbaum
Fertile Earth
15150 SW 264th St, Homestead, FL 33032
Office: (786) 232-3002 Ext 7
Cell: (786) 232-3018
FertileEarth.net

MIAMI, FL — March 11, 2026 — This Earth Day, students from Miami-Dade Public Schools (M-DCPS) will be repurposing old Fertile Earth composting containers (aka “toters”), and turning them into vibrant educational works of art. The toters will be displayed in front of schools, as the students celebrate both composting and repurposing, in “The Art of Compost.”

The contest is an addition to the ongoing Miami-Dade County Composting pilot program with Fertile Earth, and merges STEAM education with civic action. Student art teams will interpret the science of decomposition and the beauty of the “Cycle of Return,” turning organic food scrap collection bins into public symbols of environmental stewardship.

This year’s theme, “Nurturing Nature: The Cycle of Return,” challenges students to visualize the journey from food scraps to nutrient-rich soil. From the microscopic world of microbes to the work taking place at Fertile Earth.

“Our goal is to make composting fun and visible,” said Dr. Lanette Sobel, founder and president of Fertile Earth. “By moving these bins from the cafeteria loading docks to the front of the schools, we are showing parents and the community that M-DCPS students are leading the charge in reducing landfill waste and keeping our Earth beautiful.”

Key Dates

• Design and execution phase by Student Art Teams: March 3 – April 10
• Submission deadline: April 15
• Public display and voting period: April 16 – April 21
• Winners officially announced (Earth Day): April 22

Photos of finished toters will be uploaded to Fertile Earth’s social media and will be made available to the press. Community voting will take place on social media (@FertileEarth using hashtags #FertileEarthDay2026 and #MDCPSComposts) from April 16, 2026 to April 21, 2026.

The finalist will be announced by a surprise guest artist. Winners will be celebrated with a headline feature in the Fertile Earth Monthly Newsletter, a “Sustainability Spotlight” on the M-DCPS website, and a dedicated social media “Winner’s Circle” blast.

Every participating school will receive digital recognition in honor of its commitment to environmental science.

About Fertile Earth and the M-DCPS Pilot

Fertile Earth is currently in a year-long composting pilot program with seven schools participating from Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The partnership has also yielded other programs, including the “Pumpkin Smash,” aimed at collecting pumpkins during Thanksgiving, and a program of educational field trips.

Media Contact

Email: community@fertileearth.net
Phone: (786) 232-3772

Download this press release (PDF)