Rural Compost Operations and Compost Use Training Project

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are 300,000 miles of rivers and shorelines that are polluted by sediments, excess nutrients, heavy metals, and detrimental microorganisms that can land your favorite fishing spot on the impaired waters list. Moreover, the US EPA estimates that over 200,000 million people live within 10 miles of impaired waters in the U.S. To help rural communities in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois protect their local water sources from pollutants, the Iowa Waste Reduction Center has implemented a free on-site training opportunity. 

The Iowa Waste Reduction Center will be traveling throughout the Upper Midwest to provide on-site training and technical assistance in seven rural communities to teach attendees, 1) how to compost food waste including best management practices, and 2) how to use the finished product, compost, to protect water sources including rivers, lakes, and groundwater from pollutants and contaminants. Training events will teach attendees the best practices to keep a compost operation healthy and active including classroom lectures and hands-on field exercises. Then the training event will delve into strategies that are proven to protect local water sources from pollutants found in stormwater including compost blankets, filter socks, filter berms, incorporating compost into soils, bioremediation, and finally rain gardens.