The Compost Question

Within the last few months there has been an increasing interest in composting on campus. The questions about our community's food waste have been flying and it's about time some of them got answered. If you're one of those oh so environmentally friendly members of our community just chomping at the bit to learn about the compost process then read on.

First off, rest assured the food waste generated in the dining hall and kitchen is not simply being thrown away. It is being used on the campus farm. The food scraps you put in the compost bin in the dining hall is combined with leaves to create compost for garden beds. Food waste from the kitchen is used to feed two pigs on the farm. And how does this process happen? Check out the map bellow to see where your food waste has been going twice daily.

1. The compost path starts in Withey Dining Hall when you put your food scraps in the compost bin or when Chartwells staff puts compostable material in the compost tote in the kitchen.

2. Chartwells staff takes dining hall waste to the garbage room, where volunteers pick it up each morning from the loading dock.

3. This dining hall waste is taken to the lower acre. Here the food scraps are mixed with leaves and will later be used as compost on the farm’s garden beds.

4. Kitchen waste is taken to the farm to feed two pigs. The empty compost tote from the previous trip is taken back to Withey to be reused by kitchen staff for the next day’s waste.

It's a lot of work but volunteers have made it happen. Be sure to thank these folks the next time you see them: Chartwells Dining Services, Green Mountain Farm Crew, Bio Enviro Club, The Sustainable Living Floor, Kenneth Mulder, Eleanor Tison, Keith Barrett, Katherine McAuley, Alaina Killion, Allison Sasso, Amanda Dickinson, Ashely Staron, Caitlin Berry, Caitlin Crossland, Christina Melendy, Elisa Morales, Garnet Morgan, Hannah Yetwin, Jacqueline Petroski, Jessica Lutrus, Jessica Martin, Jill Bunge, Keith Surbey, Kyla Jaquish, Lindsay Furbish, Nelson Ongiti, Olesea Cojohari, Peter Jerdo, Rebecca Tellar, Rebecca Steinhauer, Wai Phyo Myint, Wyatt Goodrich, Yesenia Gonzalez, Nancy Laughlin, Siobhan Peters, Elijah Morrill, Joe Brown, Rachel Emus, Danielle Orkin, Brendan Comiskey, Amber LaPointe, Robin Lewis, Elechi Kadete, Christae MacAlpine