Mizzou Advantage grant would fund MU composting system
The compost program would pertain to two Mizzou Advantage initiatives.
Published Nov. 16, 2010
The MU Bradford Research and Extension Center submitted a seed grant proposal Monday to Mizzou Advantage to receive funds for a composting system.
The proposal pertains to two out of the five Mizzou Advantage initiatives, Sustainable Energy and Food for the Future. Mizzou Advantage has $1.5 million in funds to give.
“What we’re trying to do is get the dollars to start the compost facility and the whole thing will fall in place,” said Tim Reinbott, MU Bradford Research and Extension Center Superintendent.
The composting system has many components. It will take food wastes from campus dining and combine them with animal bedding and manure from the horse farm to create compost to grow vegetables. These vegetables will then be sold back to campus dining.
“Horse bedding and manure is a perfect compliment to food waste,” Reinbott said.
Reinbott said 250 tons of food waste is generated per year from campus dining.
Currently, CDS must pay the city to bring waste to the landfill. MU Bradford Research and Extension Center gives as much of the manure away as they can and the rest goes to a landfill.
This new composting system will use the waste and manure, cutting down on the amount sent to the landfill.
“I think long term it can pay for itself and in some ways reduce some cost,” CDS Executive Chef Eric Cartwright said.
Right now, only a small amount of produce for the dining halls comes from Bradford. Cartwright said CDS does have a relationship with the local farmers and gets a greater percentage of produce from them.
“Our long-term goal is that we can get some systems in place and make Bradford a larger part of that,” he said.
The system will also utilize vegetable oil waste from CDS to create bio-diesel fuel for the delivery trucks, tractors and power generators involved in the composting and vegetable cultivating process.
Reinbott said students would be involved and the system could lead to opportunities in research and marketing. Students could get involved with classes through MU or be paid for work projects.
“MU students can run this whole thing,” Reinbott said.
The Missouri Students Association endorsed this proposal with a resolution in its support.
“I think it’s a really great program and it’ll help the environment,” MSA Student Affairs Committee Chairman Everett Bruer said.
Bruer said they are looking to engage the Greek Houses with the composting system.
“We’re just looking for student support,” he said. “It’s a great way for students to get involved.”
If accepted, the new compost system would have a greater impact than just for the MU community.
The compost is organic and has less of a carbon footprint as compared to commercial fertilizers, which are currently being used on the farm.
The carbon footprint will be lessened further do to the use of bio-diesel.
“In essence you would have a zero carbon footprint,” Reinbott said.
The compost could eventually be sold under the MU label to local farmers, he said, and that is where the student marketing would come into play.