Around Town

‘Something Small Can Create Something Bigger’: New Canaan Duo Launches Food Waste Recovery Program

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Mariana Ferreria, a recent New Canaan High School graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree this year from Boston College, had been looking last winter for “a side passion project” before going to Spain later this summer as a Fullbright scholar. Ferreira approached Robin Bates Mason of Planet New Canaan, who connected her with 2022 NCHS graduate izzy Kaufman. Kaufman had already launched a composting program at Greenology, where she worked. “I had Izzy explain what she did at Greenology and I was like, ‘That’s crazy because I was thinking of doing the exact same thing for other restaurants in town,’ ” Ferreira recalled. “So we decided it was perfect partnership and from there we started designing what ‘NC FWRD’ is now.”
Short for “New Canaan Food Waste Recovery & Diversion,” NC FWRD is pilot program designed to fully fund and support restaurants that are interested in diverting their food waste.

Around Town

Quiet Heroes of New Canaan: Izzy Kaufman

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James Marks didn’t hire New Canaan High School senior Izzy Kaufman at Greenology—she’d been working for a predecessor fresh foods provider in the shop, located at the corner of Main Street and East Avenue. But he says now, “I wish I could have more of her.”

One of the most impressive things the teen has done at the organic, plant-based and natural foods provider is establish a successful food scraps program. 

WIth support from Marks, Kaufman established a program where the local Oak Forest Farm picks up scraps every day from Greenology—and it’s already seen about 2,000 pounds collected. “We have quite a bit of food scraps making juice, all the pulp and rind that’s left over,” Marks told NewCanaanite.com. “We easily fill a garbage can of that stuff.”

Asked what Kaufman is like as a worker (Marks launched Greenology is November 2020), he said “fantastic.”

“If she wasn’t in school she’d be a manager right now,” he said. “I’d have her managing a shift.