The FEED MKE Pilot Project
Tackling Food Waste, Feeding Our Community
Thanks to funding from a USDA Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreement, the City of Milwaukee's Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO) was able to launch the FEED MKE Pilot Project.
The FEED MKE Project stemmed from "Idea #9: Waste Reduction and Sustainable Consumption" from the Ten Big Ideas outlined in the Milwaukee Climate and Equity Plan. This exciting two-year initiative brought together public, private, and government partners to take on some of our community's biggest challenges: food insecurity, waste reduction, landfill diversion – and environmental impact.
Pilot Project Outcomes
✔ increased access to nutritious food
✔ redistributed 670,956 pounds of surplus food to hungry people
✔ collected, gleaned, and prepared edible food for consumption
✔ used leading industry metrics to track our outcomes
✔ recommended solutions to improve the food system
✔ reduced waste at the beginning, middle, and end of the food cycle
✔ supported ongoing collaborations in the community
✔ composted 730,189 pounds of food waste to improve soil health
✔ kept a total of 1.4M pounds of organic waste out of landfills
✔ reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 3.34M metric tons of C02e
Four Key Objectives We Met in Support of Our Goals
Raised Awareness
Small Actions, Big Impact: Reducing Food Waste Together
Food waste isn’t just about what we discard—it’s about protecting our environment and using resources wisely. FEED MKE raised awareness through podcasts, newsletters, workshops, and public events. Community members were able to get involved and learn practical tips like meal planning, smart storage, creative leftover use, freezing, fermenting, reviving aging produce, and decoding date labels.
FEED MKE programs included 61 public-facing events, 15 educational programs for local schools, 93 businesses educated through our outreach efforts, 13,850 engagements with our newsletters, and 1,082 new volunteer opportunities.
The grant cycle was successful—and the work continues. If you would like to learn more or continue to be involved, please reach out to be connected with our programs.
Built Partnerships
Connecting Surplus Food with Those in Need
FEED MKE united gleaners, growers, restaurants, and grocers with food pantries, soup kitchens, and community groups to fight hunger and reduce waste. Food safety is a top priority—we partnered with the Milwaukee Health Department to ensure all donations meet safety standards. Want to donate, volunteer, or access resources? We’re glad to connect you with organizations that can help.
During the grant cycle, we connected with 101 community organizations engaged in food recovery, created 117 new business partnerships, and helped 104 local organizations launch or expand food recovery programs. For an exmaple of how powerful that is, the food recovered from just one large-scale event held at one of our local conference centers was able to provide food for 1,042 Milwaukee community members at a time when SNAP cuts made food scarcity even more significant. We also supported community grocery efforts through partnerships with organizations including Sherman Park Grocery's senior grocery delivery service—and community fridges in partnership with Metcalfe Park Bridges, Rooted and Rising Washington Park, and The Dominican Center.
Launched the Food Saver Challenge
A Year of City-Wide Action
Launched in April 2025, Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s Food Saver Challenge united Milwaukee in the fight against food waste. Timed to kick off with Food Waste Prevention Week, this year-long initiative connected restaurants, growers, food recovery groups, and residents to make a lasting impact. In partnership with Plastic-Free MKE, it also expanded the Lake Friendly Business Program, helping restaurants and residents reduce single-use plastics.
While the initial project has closed, the food waste site assessments continue through funding from the DNR. If you are interested, please reach out to learn more and get involved or sign up to participate in the next phase of support. For more information about the programs that further fund these ongoing efforts, please explore the Center for EcoTechnology's ReFED-funded resources and review the latest Food Waste Evaluation Study from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Invested in Solutions
Food Recovery & Composting Initiatives
We awarded $190,000 in mini-grants to support local food recovery and composting efforts. FEED MKE Mini-Grant recipients are among those leading the way—expanding food pantry support, gleaning services, donation networks, and composting solutions. They represent a dedicated community of solution providers working to feed hungry people and keep edible food out of landfills.
Recipients include Kompost Kids, Tikkun Ha-Ir (THI) of Milwaukee, The People's Table (formerly Jim Luther New Hope Center), Ebenezer Stone Ministries, My Soul Brew Kombucha, Compost Crusader, Tricklebee Café, The Gathering of SouthEast Wisconsin, Nourish MKE (with The Medical College of Wisconsin), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Office of Sustainability, and Vincent High School of Agricultural Sciences (MPS).
Together, these organizations fed 675,774 individuals, educated 10,307 Milwaukee-area community members on food recovery and food waste prevention practices, taught 5,387 people how to compost, established 18 new composting sites, and gleaned 66,000 pounds of produce that otherwise would have gone to waste.
As part of the grant agreement, the Department of Public Works - Sanitation is also supporting this work by funding the Food Scrap Drop-Off Program. Find out more and sign up at milwaukee.gov/FoodScraps.
Work With FEED MKE and Join The FEED MKE Coalition
Join the FEED MKE Coalition!
The USDA-CFWR grant funded cycle has come to an end, but the Food Excess, Equitable Distribution Coalition (FEED MKE) remains a public-private partnership dedicated to reducing food waste and feeding Milwaukee residents.
We’re expanding our network to bring together even more community members, food recovery agencies, composting advocates, food banks, educators, environmental experts, and climate activists—alongside business owners, urban farmers, hospital and hotel directors, event coordinators, and policymakers.
As we continue grow, we’re hosting more food recovery and community-focused events—and we want you to be part of it!
Everyone is Welcome!
Join us in making a difference. Sign up below to get involved!