The owners of Table to Farm Compost say their invoices submitted to federal grant programs are now being processed after they contacted local, state and congressional representatives – along with The Durango Herald – to warn of impending layoffs.
The thawing of previously frozen federal funds allows the La Plata County composting business can rehire one of two employees laid off due to the funding shortfall. Three management-level positions will remain unpaid, said co-owner Taylor Hanson.
Co-owner Monique DiGiorgio said Table to Farm is “incredibly grateful” for the swift response from elected officials. The offices of Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Jeff Hurd contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers $2.4 million in grants awarded to the business.
Nick Bayer, Hurd’s chief of staff, said the congressman’s office has been inundated with requests for help to access frozen federal funding and has been actively advocating on behalf of those constituents.
“We're just so thrilled that our two grant programs appear to be back on track, and we're very grateful, and we just hope that the USDA continues to see the importance of these types of programs,” DiGiorgio said.
It was an uncomfortable thing, she added, for the business to come out and publicly announce its strife. However, the community outpouring of support was “really heartening and really helped us move forward.”
Still, Table to Farm’s owners are wary of what the future might hold and are proceeding with caution. The sudden loss of federal funding upon which the business relied was an inflection point of sorts, Hanson said, and leadership is examining how to run the business more efficiently as they look toward expansion.
The ultimate goal remains to provide compost pickup service for all of Durango.
“There's still uncertainty, but Table to Farm is well-positioned to suit our community's needs going forward,” Hanson said.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
