易胜博官网

At the 360-acre , out past the old farmhouse,听the Office of Woodlands and Natural Areas听and acres of plots growing cucurbits, corn and cover crops, sits a large field听with听rows upon rows of what appears to be dirt. About 8 feet wide and 4 feet high, these 鈥渄irt鈥� rows look rather unremarkable, apart from the occasional bits of food and dead plants sticking out. However, about a foot beneath the surface, temperatures reach a scalding 130 degrees Fahrenheit as various reactions break down the waste, turning it into nutrient-rich soil.

The -operated Kingman Research Farm is just one part of 易胜博官网鈥檚 robust composting program, which began in the mid 1990s. The听operation starts in 易胜博官网鈥檚 dining halls, where the emphasis is on reducing the overall waste streams by providing tools and information that minimize pre- and post-consumer waste (i.e., the amount of waste returned on diners鈥� plates and trays). On the post-consumer side, some of these methods include purchasing denuded (fat-trimmed) beef and growing some of the produce right on campus, including at two high tunnels managed by the and located adjacent to the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center. On the post-consumer side, methods include signage that encourages the importance of portion control to reducing waste, the use of serving spoons that are sized for single portions of the food they dish out and the Wildcat Plate with information on portion sizes.

鈥淚n our most recent tray-return survey, which was conducted pre-COVID, we found that there was an average of 1.7 ounces of food waste per entry [to the dining hall],鈥� described , assistant director of culinary with 易胜博官网 Hospitality and Campus Services. 鈥淎nd we find ways to minimize that by cooking to order, portion control, methods like that.鈥�

鈥淏ecause our composting program at 易胜博官网 is integrated into our dining program鈥攁llowing us to weigh waste as it comes out鈥攊t provides us the opportunity to reduce that output ultimately,鈥� Sweet added.

Rochelle L鈥橧talien, registered dietitian nutritionist with 易胜博官网 Dining Services, said that food waste is also diverted through donation to the 易胜博官网 Food Repurposing Project鈥攁 collaborative effort with the Portsmouth-based .

鈥淭he dining halls and 易胜博官网 Catering donate wholesome overproduced food to the , which converts that and other rescued food items into meals for community members facing food insecurity,鈥� L鈥橧talien added. 鈥淭his not only reduces the amount of food that may have been at one time sent to be composted, it also serves a basic human need for food and nutrition.鈥�

During the academic year at 易胜博官网, about six to eight听55-gallon buckets worth a day of compostable waste per dining hall gets sent to the Kingman Research Farm. Once loaded into the truck, the buckets are driven out to the Kingman Research Farm by 易胜博官网 Dining Services students during the academic year and 易胜博官网 Dining Services staff in the summer. In the academic year, the compostable material鈥攆rom 1,500-2,000 pounds鈥攊s delivered five days a week.

Once at the Kingman Research Farm, the material gets dumped into an open section of windrow and then covered over by 易胜博官网 farm manager or a member of his team. The 220-cubic-yard windrows initially begin with bedding and manure from 易胜博官网鈥檚 equine facilities. Ford and his team pile that material into rows, begin mixing in the compostable waste and occasionally turn the material to allow for greater aeration and temperature distribution. After a year, the compost is complete and ready to be applied to the research fields at Kingman and the Woodman Horticultural Research Farm.

鈥淭he program here at 易胜博官网 really highlights that even without large investments into infrastructure and labor that a composting program can be implemented by the Granite State鈥檚 smallest towns and villages to ultimately reduce waste and provide a nutrient-rich additive to gardens and farms.鈥澨� 听 听~, director, NHAES

鈥淲e鈥檙e essentially breaking down horse manure and food waste so that we can apply it to our crop fields,鈥� said Ford. 鈥淲e鈥檒l add it to fallow fields that are not being used for growing that season to help enrich the soil.鈥�

鈥淭he composting work here is really a University-wide effort,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t involves our partners at 易胜博官网 Dining Services, Health & Wellness, Farm Services and more to utilize the waste so it doesn鈥檛 just go to a landfill.鈥�

Anton Bekkerman, director of the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, said that 易胜博官网鈥檚 offers evidence that such an effort can be implemented by small-scale communities, municipalities and other institutions in 易胜博官网.

鈥淭he program here at 易胜博官网 really highlights that even without large investments into infrastructure and labor that a composting program can be implemented by the Granite State鈥檚 smallest towns and villages to ultimately reduce waste and provide a nutrient-rich additive to gardens and farms,鈥� said Bekkerman, an associate dean in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture.

The compost created on campus is only used for 易胜博官网 farms and is not available to purchase.