; (ii) meetings and other activities of the committees established under that subparagraph; and (iii) the types and volume of assistance and services provided to farmers in counties in which county committees are established under that subparagraph. (2) Increasing community compost and reducing food waste (A) In general The Secretary, acting through the Director (referred to in this paragraph as the Secretary ), shall carry out pilot projects under which the Secretary shall offer to enter into cooperative agreements with local or municipal governments in not fewer than 10 States to develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans. (B) Eligible entities and purposes of pilot projects Under a cooperative agreement entered into under this paragraph, the Secretary shall provide assistance to municipalities, counties, local governments, or city planners, as appropriate, to carry out planning and implementing activities that will— (i) generate compost; (ii) increase access to compost for agricultural producers; (iii) reduce reliance on, and limit the use of, fertilizer; (iv) improve soil quality; (v) encourage waste management and permaculture business development; (vi) increase rainwater absorption; (vii) reduce municipal food waste; and (viii) divert food waste from landfills. (C) Evaluation and ranking of applications (i) Criteria Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish criteria for the selection of pilot projects under this paragraph. (ii) Priority In selecting a pilot project under this paragraph, the Secretary shall give priority to an application for a pilot project that— (I) anticipates or demonstrates economic benefits; (II) incorporates plans to make compost easily accessible to agricultural producers, including community gardeners; (III) integrates other food waste strategies, including food recovery efforts