From establishing the state’s first county sustainability office in 2002—one of the first in the country, in fact—to pioneering green building incentives long before they were en vogue, Sarasota has a too-often-forgotten history of protecting the landscape that drew most of us here in the first place.

But while policy provides the framework, it’s the grassroots innovators who do the heavy lifting. Sustainable action in Sarasota is a symbiotic network of passionate individuals and devoted organizations that resembles the very natural systems—from mangrove fringes to fungal mycelium—that define our region.

Two of these organizations have focused on “closing the loop”—transforming consumption into creation, a critical step in building a sustainable world. One took what was wasted and turned it into soil; the other rescued what was overlooked and put it back on plates. Sunshine Community Compost and Community Harvest SRQ have worked on different angles of the same problem, often side by side. 

Until now.

In a recently announced merger, the groups have formed Sunshine Community Harvest, a unified nonprofit dedicated to cultivating and advancing a resilient, local food network that nourishes our community and planet. “Food system challenges such as waste, soil degradation, food insecurity and climate pressures are deeply interconnected,” says vice-chair Anne Miller. “They demand integrated, community-powered solutions. This merger allows us to meet those challenges with greater coordination, scale, and innovation.”

For those hip to the local ecosphere—the proudly scrappy corner of our community where you know your watershed, maintain your green thumb through the heat of summer, and sustainability is a way of life rather than a buzzword—this is big news. And for those who aren’t, it’s worth getting up to speed. 

Last fall, a joint task force was formed to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration, with the boards of both organizations voting unanimously to merge in February of this year. That opens up opportunities for further collaboration with neighborhoods, schools, farms, businesses and local governments. 

Since 2017, Sunshine Community Compost has been transforming garbage into black gold. While many assume food waste breaks down in landfills, it doesn’t—and in fact, more food reaches landfills than any other material, with 30-40 percent of the food Americans buy going uneaten. Through community drop-off stations, compost bin distribution, hands-on demonstrations and educational workshops, Sunshine Community Compost has been making composting accessible while building soil literacy. Transforming perceived “waste” into nutrient-rich compost has a wide range of benefits, including food and soil security, water quality and reduced emissions, while also freeing up space in existing landfills and inspiring a deeper connection to the planet and the community. 

Community Harvest SRQ—originally Transition Sarasota—has spent more than 15 years bridging the gap between abundance and need. By "rescuing" surplus produce from local farms, farmers markets and residential trees, the nonprofit fights food waste and insecurity. They’ve fostered a number of local programs, including Eat Local Week and the Eat Local guide, an annual event and comprehensive digital resource to promote eating and growing food locally in Sarasota and Manatee counties. From offering gleaning opportunities (where volunteers gather, pack and deliver excess fresh food from farms to local food banks and pantries) to picking fruit from backyard trees that would’ve otherwise gone to rot, the organization has worked to ensure local bounty reaches those who need it most.

“This is a moment of intentional evolution,” says board chair Sam Valentin. “By joining forces, we are creating an organization capable of deeper impact, broader reach, and greater long-term resilience. Merging reduces duplication, increases efficiency and allows us to leverage shared expertise for the good of our region.” 

Community members can support this next chapter by volunteering, joining compost hubs, partnering on programs or donating—especially in the upcoming Giving Challenge April 15 through 16—to help expand capacity. Sunshine Community Harvest is currently interviewing for its first executive director and will be announcing new leadership soon. Its website is coming soon at sunshinecommunityharvest.org.