As a kid, I remember saving food scraps from the garbage and putting them into a pit in the backyard. We never did anything to improve that pit of scraps, and as a result, there was never a good finished soil amendment, AKA compost. We could add sweet, earthy, beautiful compost to our garden to build soil health and produce more food. It was just less waste going to the landfill, which was good, but it could have been so much more.
I started The Compost Chick, a women-owned business, to help the planet, community, and soil. I have recruited the help of chickens and goats. They eat food scraps, which reduces feed costs, reduces reliance on imported feed, and removes food scraps from landfills. We get nutritious eggs and goat milk. The resulting manure can be added to other compostable materials to create excellent compost. Small gardens grow more local vegetables and fruits, and everyone wins.
Last winter, I completed a Community Composting Certification on best practices and how to create the best recipe for soil improvements. I have also devoured all the YouTube videos on the subject. I started an Instagram page, @thecompostchick, with tips on composting. Then, some residents and a cafe asked if I would process their food scraps, and a “scrap pickup” business was born. Seeing a business opportunity, I continued my education.
This last spring, I graduated from CO.STARTERS Core, a 10-week business start-up class offered by the North Eastern Oregon Economic Development District and Reinventing Rural. This program takes entrepreneurs like me from idea to launch and helps us focus on getting the business off the ground. My company has over 90 customers, including homes, restaurants, small schools, and the Eastern Oregon University cafeteria.
I focus on a closed-loop system that collects food scraps. Members get the finished compost back, keeping things local for our community and ensuring less food in our landfills and more compost for gardens.
I am located in North Powder, Oregon, in the frontier region of North East Oregon, with a population of around 500. My company collects food scraps from Baker City to Elgin on various days. I drive a 2007 Chevy extended cab truck with racks on the side. I am maxed out of space with the truck, and when the larger 32-gallon bins are empty, I nervously drive on the freeway, hoping they don't fly out. My first upgrade will be an enclosed cargo van. This will offer more space, keep everything contained, shelves would leave us with more room for more customers.
This $14,000 loan will make my business more efficient and effective. It will allow me to purchase expensive equipment, which will reduce labor costs and help the business expand. It will keep more food waste out of our landfills, feed more chickens and goats, and provide more wonderful compost, making our world a little better.
Please help fund my dream to help out the community and decrease waste at the same time.
Adding to basket
Funded
A loan helped an Oregon-based composting business upgrade equipment, reduce landfill waste, and support local gardens.
Liz's story
This loan is special because:
More about this loan
Business Description
The Compost Chick is a curb-side food scrap pick-up service that returns finished compost to its members in the warmer months of the year. I focus on a closed-loop system that collects food scraps. Members get the finished compost back, keeping things local for our community and ensuring less food in our landfills and more compost for gardens. The business reduces food waste in landfills and creates high-quality soils for future crops.
I am located in North Powder, Oregon, in the frontier region of North East Oregon, with a population of around 500. For now, the business runs on a city lot in North Powder, Oregon, where food scraps are processed into soil. My company collects food scraps from Baker City to Elgin on various days. I drive a 2007 Chevy extended cab truck with racks on the side. I am maxed out of space with the truck, and when the larger 32-gallon bins are empty, I nervously drive on the freeway, hoping they don't fly out. My first upgrade will be an enclosed cargo van. This will offer more space, keep everything contained, and shelves would leave us with more room for more customers.
Mechanizing tote handling and washing will reduce labor costs, and a heated pressure washer for customer buckets and larger business bins will increase efficiency, cleanliness, and smell.
My second purchase will be a heated pressure washer and racks to improve tote handling and washing. This will significantly reduce labor costs, and an improved process for cleaning customer buckets and business bins will increase efficiency, cleanliness, and smell.
Check us out on Instagram: @thecompostchick
What is the purpose of this loan?
I am applying for a Kiva loan to help my business grow and become more efficient. A cargo van will increase capacity and decrease materials flying out the back of the truck. I will be able to add and better serve more customers. I will also buy a heated pressure washer to clean out large bins and 5-gallon buckets without having to use harsh chemicals and keep warm in the winter.
A heated pressure washer will also help remove things that can be really stuck on, like sourdough starter, butter, yogurt, and “stuff.”
About 86% of the loan will go toward a used Cargo Van; and the remaining 14% will go toward the heated pressure washer.
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
In the case of partner loans, many of our Lending Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Lending Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by lenders, they will have to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Lending Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
Funding model
What does "Partner covers currency loss" mean & how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Yes" means the Lending Partner will cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation
"Partial" means that the Lending Partner has opted to cover losses only up to 10%. If the U.S. dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, those losses will be passed onto lenders.
"No" means that the Lending Partner is not covering any currency losses and all losses will be passed onto lenders.
"N/A" means the Lending Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Lending Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Lending Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
We also encourage you to read the following articles if you are interested in further educating yourself on the topic: Microfinance 101 (https://www.kiva.org/microfinance), Top 10 things to know about microfinance (https://www.kiva.org/blog/top-10-things-to-know-about-microfinance), Microfinance interest rates explained (https://www.kiva.org/blog/whats-up-with-microfinance-interest-rates)
What is a risk rating?
The Lending Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Lending Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Lending Partner section of every loan. Lending Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Lending Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Lending Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Lending Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Lending Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Lending Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
About The Compost Chick
Lenders and lending teams
Country: United States
Trustee: Foundry Collective
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
Why are you endorsing Liz?
We known Liz for a couple of years. She went through the our business programs. She has been learning more and more about composting and how to make the technical parts of her business. The Union County Chamber of Commerce named her the Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023.
Tags
Loan tags help lenders find loans that match certain areas of interest.
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
In the case of partner loans, many of our Lending Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Lending Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by lenders, they will have to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Lending Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
Funding model
What does "Partner covers currency loss" mean & how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Yes" means the Lending Partner will cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation
"Partial" means that the Lending Partner has opted to cover losses only up to 10%. If the U.S. dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, those losses will be passed onto lenders.
"No" means that the Lending Partner is not covering any currency losses and all losses will be passed onto lenders.
"N/A" means the Lending Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Lending Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Lending Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
We also encourage you to read the following articles if you are interested in further educating yourself on the topic: Microfinance 101 (https://www.kiva.org/microfinance), Top 10 things to know about microfinance (https://www.kiva.org/blog/top-10-things-to-know-about-microfinance), Microfinance interest rates explained (https://www.kiva.org/blog/whats-up-with-microfinance-interest-rates)
What is a risk rating?
The Lending Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Lending Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Lending Partner section of every loan. Lending Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Lending Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Lending Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Lending Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Lending Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Lending Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
Trustee: Foundry Collective
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
Why are you endorsing Liz?
We known Liz for a couple of years. She went through the our business programs. She has been learning more and more about composting and how to make the technical parts of her business. The Union County Chamber of Commerce named her the Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023.
You are opting out of using Free Trial.
You have selected to not use your Free Trial and will be prompted to pay for this loan using your own money.
Agree Use a Free TrialShoot! This loan is ineligible.
Your free credit can't be applied to this loan. If you would like to make a loan to this borrower anyway, you will have to use your own money.
Lend Anyway Find an Eligible LoanYou cannot use your Free Trial to support this loan.
Free Trials cannot be used to make loans during their private fundraising period on Kiva. If you would like to lend to this borrower anyway, you will have to use your own money.
Agree Find an Eligible Loan