Food waste used for campus gardens, compost project aims to help environment and save CMU money

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Chris Venegas loves gardening and refuses to let poor soil affect his crops.

The Manistee senior helped create a project that makes rich, fertilized soil for Central Michigan University’s gardens in a cost-efficient way.

“We (the Student Environmental Alliance) have had this idea for a long time, and we were finally able to make it happen,” said Venegas, the coordinator of campus growth in SEA.

Every afternoon Monday through Friday, SEA members go to Robinson Dining Hall to pick up production waste — such as fruit and vegetable peelings — and take them to a campus garden. The gardens are in front of the Print Services building, by Theunissen Stadium and behind the Student Activity Center.

There, the waste is placed on a compost pile and covered with wood chips, straw, and grass clippings to keep it fresh and break it down into nutrient-rich soil. The gardens grow many different crops, including corn, onions and squash

The project started March 18 and involves only Robinson Dining Hall so far.

Jane Wilsher, food services director at Robinson Residential Restaurant, said the transition has been extremely easy.

“It’s diverting that waste away from a landfill and creating nutrient-rich soil for growing things,” Wilsher said. “It’s been a learning experience for all of us.”

Wilsher said no meat, bones or partially eaten food from student’s plates are taken to the compost pile.

In addition to a free source of soil for the gardens, Venegas said the project will save CMU money.

“It’s cutting down on CMU’s cost for waste shipping to a landfill. All the food we keep out of garbage bins is money that CMU is saving to spend on other things,” Venegas said. “We’d like to see this be successful and spread to the entire campus to really see a drop in the waste quantity.”

More than 1,000 pounds of waste have already been diverted from a trash truck and to the compost pile.

Last year, the gardens donated much of their food to local food pantries and soup kitchens. This year, Venegas said they hope to sell the food to local restaurants and, ultimately, to CMU dining halls.

This revenue, he said, would not only make the gardens, which run on donations and some grant money, self sufficient, but also would help save CMU additional money.

“Selling back to the dining halls would really close the system. The ultimate goal is to save money and save transportation costs,” Venegas said. “Local food has so many benefits.”

While no actual soil will be available for use for at least another month, Lansing freshman Emily Forgrave said she is excited about the project.

Forgrave said it is a step in the right direction to helping the environment.

“I think it’s a great idea because not only is it helping with the landfill problem, it’s also saving money, which is always good,” Forgrave said.