Projects
Composting
Miller Farm proposed to build a new three bin compost system at the site of the Miller Farm for Sustainability Studies to expand our waste diversion and soil creation/restoration programs. This system will serve the Dining Services at Earlham College, residential locations on and off campus, manure from the Earlham College Equestrian Center, garden waste from the Miller Farm experimental and production gardens, and garden waste from the Miller Farm-Amigos Community Garden.
History of compost at Earlham College
Composting at Earlham College has gone through several iterations since its inception approximately seven years ago. Previously located at the former Miller Farm location at 1405 Abington Pike, it was a smaller 3 bin system constructed out of untreated lumber. During the 2015-2016 academic year, campus food waste production and reclamation improved drastically, resulting in 9,680.1 pounds of food waste being diverted into composting programs. This drastic increase, combined with the sale of the property where the previous compost facility was located, has led us to seek to create a new and improved composting facility.
Description of new system
Our goal is to create a new compost system that will be able to handle the same, or even increased amount of food waste as processed in the former system. We also hope to incorporate manure from the Earlham College Equestrian Center into our composting, to increase output and to help control carbon-nitrogen and moisture levels in the new system. This facility will be constructed out of steel reinforced concrete, with a dirt area in front and a dirt or semi-permeable surface road leading to the site. The bins will be 8’ wide, 9’ long, and 5’ 4” high.
