SISTER BAY, Wis. — A Door County couple said they’re doing their best to save the environment.

Char and Dan Fatke run Mighty Wind Farms in Sister Bay. Two years ago, they started collecting food scraps from restaurants along the peninsula to bring back to their farm.

“It’s great because we know where it’s going to and how it’s going to help on the farm,” Char Fatke said.

The food waste is no longer wasted, she said. That means the scraps avoid the landfill.

There’s another purpose for their efforts. They use the compost to cover their fields for growing crops.

Once back on the farm, Char and Dan Fatke dumped the scraps onto existing piles of compost. He then used a tractor with a front-end loader to mix the new compost with the old.

He then topped the pile off with a combination of wood chips and chicken manure. He continued mixing the elements before letting the pile cook in the sun for several months before using it to cover their fields.

Char Fatke said the results are better soil, and better yields.

“In just a matter of two years, they grow so much better, they’re bigger, the produce is better,” Char Fatke said. “It’s easier to work with, the soil. Overall, I highly recommend this for anyone who has the ability to do this.”

The Fatkes’ said they can’t imagine farming any other way and encourage all who can to do the same.