Bishop Paiute Tribe Food Sovereignty Program
Food Sovereignty is the exercise of community self-determination to build food systems that sustain our people, through our collective effort. Composting, by recirculating nutrients into a regenerative food cycle, is a foundational means of nurturing our land and increasing the bounty and resilience of our gardens.
The Bishop Paiute Tribe Food Sovereignty Program was established in 2015 under the Environmental Management Office. An independent department since 2023, our team grows high quality food in two reservation gardens (the Cultural Center Garden and Elders Garden), hosts educational programming and events (technical workshops, cooking classes, a summer community market), and supports local food and agricultural producers as possible.
Compost Initiative
The Food Sovereignty Program (FSP) processes food scraps through a three-bin Aerated Static Pile (ASP) system built in 2025. This system allows for rotational maturation of piles, with one pile generally available for the addition of fresh food scraps and organic material.
The Food Sovereignty Program collects over 750lbs of food scraps each month. Currently, food scraps are collected from:
- Community Drop-Offs
- Casino Kitchen
- Elders Kitchen
- Yuhubi Nobi Gas Station Deli
Even with the addition of the three-bin system last year, community interest and participation in the composting effort means that the Food Sovereignty Program continues to reach compost capacity each month! While business scaling operations are still in the works through Sierra Compost, FSP is adding additional mesh cylinder piles for compost to mature, freeing up space for further collection and processing.
The People Behind the Work
Milo Vella
Eduah Schwenk
News & Updates
Interested in learning more about Bishop Paiute Tribe Food Sovereignty Program’s composting program and supporting similar community composting efforts?
Contact the Food Sovereignty Program at fsp@bishoppaiute.org and Timothy England at tim@thcacc.org.
Upcoming Events
Food Waste Prevention, Recovery, and Redistribution Task Force
Join the Eastern Sierra collaborative task force to advance local food recovery, review SB 1383 requirements, and more!
Community Chipping Event
FREE community chipping event — bring your home green waste! This event is open to all Eastern Sierra communities.
Compost Operator Training Course
Brought to you by the Compost Research & Education Foundation, this course is comprehensive instruction on the art and science of compost production, use, and marketing.
International Symposium on Animal Mortality Management
The symposium serves as an opportunity to learn about managing animal mortalities, products, and by-products; research; and education programs