Welcome to BioBag’s Community Heroes series! Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier.

This month, we are taking a look at the Four Hands for Healing Light!

Four Hands for Healing Light a small homestead serving the greater Albuquerque area through Railyards Farmers Market Albuquerque and Mile High Farmers Market Albuquerque. Their compost pile consumes about 1 ton of waste annually, keeping organic material from ending up in a landfill. And use hot composting methods to heat their (upcycled material built) greenhouse!

Check out our interview below with William Zamora to find out more!

What led you to start your composting operation?

Zamora: We began our composting adventure in 2016 when we began a garden that did so well we had extra to give to friends and family and finally to keep from throwing food out selling at a farmers market. We already had 3 chickens and I am a homebrewer of ales and wines so I always had left over yeast cakes and organic matter for composting.

Who do you serve, and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?

Zamora: We serve the greater Albuquerque area through Railyards farmers market Albuquerque and Mile High farmers market Albuquerque. We can be found at both markets on Sunday mornings during their seasons or contact us directly @fourhandsofhealinglight (Instagram)

How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?

Zamora: Our small homestead produces hundreds of pounds of compostable organic matter during our heavy composting months mostly in fall but is sustained to some measure all year. 

Please give us one fun fact about you or your business.

Zamora: Our off season income is based on creating hand crafted jewelry (William) and chainsaw wood carvings (Rebekah) all inspired by nature and our love for connecting people with food and flowers. 

Feel free to add any additional information about your operation as you see fit.

Both of us have a long heritage of agriculture and were raised creating with our hands and tending trees plants and veggies. We are proud to be the next generation of growers that have given our time in stewardship of the soil.

We also use an active composting break down effect directly in the soil called Hügelkultur. This is an ancient water saving technique developed independently in Germany and here in the Southwest where water is scarce. It essentially consists of burying wood or cactus or other organics like fresh moss. Then allowing them to break down directly in the soil. There are several way to achieve this some folks use whole logs and some folks use mulch. Some folks dig into the soil and create “forest floor” or “lasagna layer” some folks build upward “humped” or “high” rows on top of solid bedrock. We have done both and have the pictures and videos to confirm the success of the practice. We are just regular folks but we can both steer industry and heal the earth mother. 

If you would like to be featured in a future edition of Community Heroes, please email us at marketing@biobagusa.com.