Since last June, Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) has been working with the 45th Street Composters to negotiate with the owner of a vacant lot in Sunnyside to use the lot for composting. The property owner, Harry Otterman, agreed to allow the composters to use the lot if SCS was involved. Last week, the negotiations were finalized and SCS signed a one-year lease for the lot on behalf of the 45th Street Composters.
On Saturday, October 17, the 45th Street Composters held a plant swap, their first official public event since the lease signing. The lot, located at 45th Street and Skillman in Sunnyside, Queens. will be open every Saturday from 9:30 am – 1 pm so that local residents can drop off food scraps to be composted. In addition to composting, there are plans for additional garden-related programming in the spring and summer.