Supporting sustainable practices in the food stream through research, education, and collaboration. The Brass Tacks Initiative was founded on a mission to support sustainable practices in the food stream through research, education, and collaboration. We work with businesses, schools, families, and individuals to keep food out of the landfill. We believe the only way to do this is by researching best practices and new methods of reducing and reusing food waste, collaborating with the companies who are producing the waste to find alternatives to the landfill, and making sure that current and future leaders are equipped with the education needed to make sustainable impacts in their community.