Diliberto dishes up sustainability project

Last Saturday Ladles of Love set out a sustainability and urban farm programme called “Feed the Soil” at the Sea Point Promenade. This programme is created to address the challenges of urban farmers and community gardens in the Cape Peninsula.

Ladles of Love have partnered with Zero To Landfill Organics (ZTL) who are experts and passionate about recycling organic waste and who will assist by turning the waste collected from suburban households into compost.

“Last year we were trying to figure out how we could do the hand up instead of just the handout and we were investigating sustainability projects and decided to connect with community farmers in the townships, they were struggling with bad soil, vandalism, theft, but the biggest one is compost. They need compost because the soil is bad in those areas,” said Ladles of Love founder, Danny Diliberto.

Mr Diliberto decided to follow the blueprint of their sandwich drive where Ladles of Love has collection points in the city and then distribute the food to those who need it.

“We are encouraging people to buy this organic waste kit and to fill it up with their organic food waste. When the bucket is filled up then they can drop it off at the Queens Park parking lot every Wednesday, and if they donate R25 then they get a clean bucket,” the 52-year old said.

The buckets go to ZTL who will compost the waste and once that is done then the fertiliser will be delivered to township farmers at no charge.

“We also are going to assist township farmers in selling their produce as that’s another challenge for them, so that will also happen on Wednesdays. I’m buying produce from them and using it for the food that we prepare in our soup kitchens. We’re hoping that this sustainability project works.”