Cincinnati’s food waste is a shared problem that calls for a shared solution. Queen City Commons provides food scrap collection service to businesses and residents, and partners with local farms and gardens to turn those food scraps into compost.

Our Calling

We are inextricably connected to the land, dependent on the vitality of the soil to feed us, and the assuredness of water to keep us moving. We are tied together, this land neither yours nor mine, but an accumulation of the weathers, plants, and animals that came before us. We too are swept in this cycle, a part of the history of here. We are players wrapped in the life of the soil, choosing to be in relationship, to give back what has been gifted to us.

We believe humans can be a positive player in our natural world, an integrated member who recognizes the value and breadth of all of nature’s elements – the clay in the soil, the buzzing of the cicada, the breath of the sugar maple, and the play of the robin, bouncing between limbs.

When our modern lives have pulled us further from knowing our relationship to the land, how do we begin to rediscover our connection on a practical level? We believe this begins with our food, with putting our hands to the earth, feeling the hum of the soil life, and choosing to give back.

Composting is a recognition of the cyclical, regenerative nature of life – that all returns to the earth, and from this springs forth new life. Composting is a choice to participate. Once we begin to engage, we create space to see and hear more of how the natural world is calling to us, to be in relationship and say “I am here for you, just as you are here for me.” We learn that there are ways to love and care for the land right in front of us, through the community that manifests itself right on our doorstep – by knowing our neighbors, discovering the personalities of the plants, animals, and soil around us, and honoring the whisper that we feel inside of us, that we are meant for right here and right now.

Our Mission

Harness the energy of Cincinnati's food scraps to rebuild connection with our local foods and soils.

Our Values

Queen City Commons operates on a set of values that centralize community and employee empowerment, integrity and inclusion, and the intentional and sparing use of resources. We continuously work to be engaged, open-minded, and transparent about our practices to ensure that we honor the good in all of our partnerships.