From Where I Stand
the art and science of re-design
Hello from Charlotte, North Carolina!
I read the following poem on a brass ‘sheet’ below a large brass sculpture of books at The Green, a pocket garden across the street from the convention center. The poem was written by emerging poet and writer Molly Strawn.1
From where I stand I see the world
You
Him
Her
Them
From where I stand I see this earth
Colorful skies
Amber plains
Unique buds
Wind and rain
From where I stand I see our planet
Diamond boa
Furry chincilla
Glimmering dolphin
Mighty gorilla
From where I stand I see our home
Many faces
Excessive motivation
Liberty and Freedom
Free education
By Molly Strawn
From where I stand, a photographer who loves compost,
I see layers of energy from head, heart and hands.
It’s impossible to stop listening, learning and looking at the all of it.
Yes. Enter. Dive in. Make Do.
Because any great re-design involves a magical mixing and mingling of art, science, funding and people, showing up, one day, one bucket at a time.2
From where I stand, I see complex geometries and clarity of purpose.
I am food scraps. I am mulch. I am soil.
Let’s do this!
With gratitude for you being you,
Lyn
I have had the most inspiring few days here in Charlotte, NC attending the ReFED Food Waste Summit 2026. The images in this post come from a site visit we did on Tuesday afternoon at the Denali Food Waste Recycling facility just outside of the city. Formerly known as Wallace Farm, Denali North Carolina transforms food waste, green waste, and other organic materials into over 40 different high-quality compost, mulch and soil products. Trevor, our tour guide, is the fifth generation of his family to work on and with this piece of land.
Upon return from this adventure, I took a break and walked to The Green, a pocket park just a block away from the hotel. In addition to two large bronze towers of books, there are literary references throughout. I appreciated the educational signage, telling visitors about the importance of tree canopies to reduce the heat island effect and the value of pollinator plants. It was an inspiring juxtaposition.
Dana Gunders, president of ReFED opened the conference with a motivating talk about the ‘Great Re-Design’ of the food system, where nothing is wasted because a web of collaborators innovate new ways of thinking about and working with our nation’s food waste.
This is the 10th anniversary of ReRED, which is cool, because it’s also the 10th anniversary of my choosing photography to express what’s beautiful and possible when we cultivate a relationship with the food, soil and our waste.
I remain committed to Robin Wall Kimmerer’s statement that when we work to heal the land, the land heals us. That reciprocity, as revealed in compost, nourishes the soil and the soul.
Questions:
How can organizations that are part of the food system eco-system maintain the soul of their work, even as they scale-up or out?
How do we balance aerobic processing of food waste to support healthy soil with the use of anaerobic processing of food waste for energy? Is there a conflict or is there enough to go around?
What an astonishing and rewarding sounding conference! Can’t wait to hear more