Meet our Fellows

Alexander Clemetson, Together We Compost

Franklin County, Ohio

Called to Care for the Earth

There are two threads that weave through Alexander Clemetson’s life: environmentalism and care-based activism. Whether as a young man in Seattle or living in rural Arkansas or working on a farm attached to his seminary, he has felt called to learn about and care for the earth. So he had some requirements for his social enterprise: what could be done at the community level that had an easy entrance point with high impact, that was sustainable, and could get people involved, while positively impacting the environment?. When talking through ideas with his partner, the one that stood out was composting. And so, in 2020, Together We Compost was born. 

Together We Compost is a compost collection and creation service for individuals and businesses in Columbus, Ohio. TWC’s mission is “to ensure that members of the BIPOC community are afforded the same access to impactful resources and education opportunities” and to reduce food waste through a member-based collection model. While Together We Compost is not the only composting opportunity in Columbus, it is the only one specifically focused on the BIPOC community. Alexander specifically wanted to ensure that everyone in Columbus had the same access. 

Throughout his life, Alexander realized that the environmental activism spaces in the United States were heavily Eurocentric, leading to BIPOC exclusion and feelings of “this is something that doesn’t apply to me, this is only for white folks”, he says. And, even if someone is ready to create something, “The costs for doing the work are so high, and it takes a certain amount of capital access, and a certain amount of social connections to get something going, and understanding how the system works.”

About Alexander Clemetson
Alexander grew up as the son of a pastor. Both his parents were deeply involved in the church community, and growing up this way had a real impact on him. He could see behind the scenes - what was required to consistently engage a community and support them, from his father’s constantly implementing programs with his congregations or his mother’s work with Christian publishing companies. He credits his parents with giving him a mindset of understanding that “what you’re doing is caring for others”, no matter the specifics.

When he went to seminary in 2019, he chose Methodist Theological Seminary in Ohio, where he was able to work on Seminary Hill Farm, a farm operated by the school., Methodist Theological Seminary in Ohio is located on the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio, so the farm was not only providing fresh food for the school community, but for the larger Columbus community as well through a community food and wellness initiative and a CSA (community supported agriculture) subscription program.

Days at the farm were essential to his theological education and his growth as an ecotheologian, studying both practical theology and social justice through the lens of care for the earth. He had gone from befriending farmers and learning about industrial farming to being a part-time farmer himself. Importantly, at Seminary Hill Farm, he was working alongside fellow students and embedded in the Columbus community as well, combining his passion for caring for the earth with community activism. 

These skills and connections were vital to Together We Compost’s creation. Creating Together We Compost as a side hustle while still in seminary was no easy feat. Because no one else in Columbus was specifically focusing on engaging the BIPOC community, “it was kind of like building the plane as you’re taking off,” he describes, between learning zoning codes and getting the necessary supplies, as well as marketing the business. 

Alexander’s family was by his side as Together We Compost came into being. It was in a phone conversation with his sister when she suggested Together We Compost as the name for his social enterprise, and he immediately knew it was perfect. His mother was able to provide some early seed funding, and his father, along with being a thought partner and mentor, even did some collection runs!

And luckily, Alexander is all about iteration and innovation, working to improve Together We Compost as it grows. Together We Compost has partnered with community gardens for drop off, moving to a local urban farm when the quantity was too much for the gardens. After scaling up again, TWC engaged with nearby correctional institutions, bringing their collections there. The facilities have an EPA certified compost facility where incarcerated persons work, giving them work experience and a decent wage, and allowing them to better find employment when they return. Within a year and a half, Together We Compost was collecting from 10-12 commercial clients and over 300 residences on a weekly basis. 

As Together We Compost scaled up, Alexander’s days were jam-packed. Early mornings meant scheduling and driving, and late evenings doing the same. In between, he was working a full-time job as well as adding on some environmental consulting work and some pastoral work at the United Methodist Church for All People. He also is a part-time faculty member at Ohio Wesleyan University. 

So in 2023, Alexander is once again iterating Together We Compost, leaning into the educational and advocacy programming and upcycling possibilities. “What we’ve discovered is that there are a lot of people who are seeking education but don’t really know where to go or how to get involved. And so we’re trying to change the tide on that,” he says. “We’re not only trying to make understanding our impact on the planet more accessible, but also allowing folks to realize that they’re already doing environmentally impactful work by the way that they’re living and the way they’re sustaining and building community.”

This summer he plans to test out upcycling at festivals and markets, as well as plan out programming. “Our hopes are that we’re still able to take products that would otherwise be wasted and turn them into art or anything else that will be impactful for families, communities, businesses, and the environment,” Alexander notes. 

No matter what form it takes, one thing is certain: Alexander will always be a community activist engaging with environmental racism and climate justice. As he believes, “This will continue to be my life work, but that is also so wonderful, because it feels like the direction my soul needs for well being.”

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