Saint Francis Retreat Centre Composting Journey

A simple composting system is helping Saint Francis Retreat Centre in Hillsborough close the loop on food waste while living their Franciscan values of caring for the earth. With support from Compost Collective Facilitator Adam Ben-Dror, the team has set up a low-maintenance bokashi and productive swale system that turns kitchen scraps into garden compost and fresh bananas.

About Saint Francis Retreat Centre

Operated by the Order of Friars Minor, the centre follows in the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi. Nestled within three hectares of peaceful, park-like surroundings, it welcomes individuals and groups of all faiths for retreats, prayer, conferences, and workshops. With a dining hall that can cater for up to 40 guests, the centre runs a busy commercial kitchen and with that comes a steady stream of food scraps.

The Journey

Adam was contacted by Hector, a volunteer in the Friary garden, who invited him to visit the property. After walking the whenua together, they developed a plan to create a composting system that worked in harmony with the land.

Adam had previously learned about productive swale composting at a hands-on workshop run by Richard Lee from EcoMatters and at a visit to the City to Farm project. The method involves digging shallow trenches otherwise known as swales, along the land’s natural contours to capture and hold rainwater, allowing it to slowly soak into the soil. When filled with, fermented bokashi food scraps and mulch (leaves and bark chip), the swale becomes a living sponge that retains moisture, makes compost, builds fertile soil and grows heavy-feeding subtropical plants with spongy roots such as bananas, babaco, pawpaw.

The Composting System at Saint Francis

Each day, food scraps from the kitchen are collected in 10-litre buckets and emptied into sealed 90 litre wheelie bins stationed just outside. A scoop of bokashi zing is added each time, and the mix is compacted using a stamper built by Groundskeeper Phil Lovrin. Once full (typically every 2-3 weeks) the bin is moved near the swale to ferment.

After this pickling phase, the contents are mixed with dry brown leaves and added to the productive swale in the garden. Though it’s only covered by coffee sacks, the acidic nature of the bokashi process keeps smells at bay and deters pests. Covered with coffee sacks to hold in moisture, the swale quietly goes to work enriching the soil and supporting plant growth. The system cycles through three bins – one collecting, one fermenting, and one ready to be emptied, ensuring a continuous process with minimal fuss. The tops of the bins are lined and sealed with foam and clips are used to prevent flies. A layer of wood chips at the bottom helps soak up excess liquid.

The Impact

While the system hasn’t added much to the team’s daily workload, it has dramatically reduced their waste.

“Instead of putting the food scraps into the landfill bin, we now put them in the bokashi bin,” says groundskeeper Phil Lovrin.

Their landfill bins used to be full each week, but now they’re almost empty. The kitchen now fills one 80-litre bin of food scraps every three weeks, diverting around 106 kg per month or 1.3 tonnes annually from landfill.

Previously, a standard compost bin was used, but it could only take fruit and veg scraps and required a rat trap nearby. The bokashi system now allows them to compost all food waste – including meat, bones, and dairy, without pest issues or odours.

Learnings and Advice

When Adam checked in on the system after setup, his only recommendation was to aerate the swale occasionally with a garden fork — otherwise, it was running smoothly, a testament to how simple and effective the system is. Phil was surprised at how easy it was to establish and maintain, encouraging others: “Just give it a go. Read the literature and learn as you go.”

Looking Ahead

Next, Phil plans to experiment with an above-ground compost heap in their existing banana grove. It will bring new learning opportunities as they continue to build resilience and self-sufficiency on-site.

We look forward to seeing where this composting journey leads them next.