Progress 04/01/06 to 03/31/09
Outputs
The project had four objectives: 1) assemble a team of professionals with interest in agriculture and organics recycling which will then, 2) conduct a study of the state of organics recycling in PA and of organics recycling programs in the EU, 3) articulate a new vision for organic waste management in PA that reconnects municipal and agricultural sectors and 4) develop local projects that will implement some aspect(s) of this vision. In the first phase of the project a team of 25 professionals from agriculture, organic waste management, regulatory agencies, education/outreach and 3 graduate students was selected from a state-wide pool of applicants. The team is comprised of 3-4 person regional clusters distributed throughout PA: western PA (Pittsburgh area), Central PA (Centre and Lycoming counties), South central (Lancaster County and Harrisburg area), and South eastern (Bucks, Montgomery Counties, suburban Philadelphia). The team was divided into two study groups which each studied the current state of organics recycling in PA and then conducted a study tour of organics recycling programs and systems in Germany and Austria. The study tour was followed by numerous team meetings to work on the development of a vision paper that describes the state of organics recycling in PA and obstacles to advancement, applies lessons learned in the study process, and presents clear goals and strategies for major increases in organic recycling and linking agricultural and urban sectors. This paper has been completed and will be disseminated to a wide audience. The team has also been working to develop regional organics recycling projects that will increase organics recycling in their area and increase linkages with production agriculture. Several such projects have been undertaken. Team members have made numerous public presentations of their findings and vision. The team has also had meetings with the secretaries of PA Department of Environmental Protection and PA Department of Agriculture to encourage these agencies to become more proactive in organics recycling efforts in the state and involving production agriculture in these systems. PRODUCTS: This project resulted in the formation of the Pennsylvania Recycles Organics team, a group of 23 professionals from the fields of production agriculture, waste management and recycling, composting, and education who are committed to working toward increasing recycling of organics residuals in PA. Specific products include the Vision Paper publication and several PowerPoint presentations that emphasize the potential for linking production agriculture and urban sectors for sustainable organics recycling. These can be found on http://environmentalsoils.cas.psu.edu/index.html OUTCOMES: In addition to the Vision Paper Publication team members have initiated several regional projects to increase organics recycling. In the Pittsburgh region, as a direct result of efforts by two team members, 3 colleges and two restaurants have begun source separating and diverting their food preparation wastes to a local composter who markets the compost to organic growers in the region. In the central region of PA, as a result of efforts of 3 team members the borough of State College has initiated a food waste collection and composting study that will first collect from grocery stores and restaurants and then attempt residential collection. Food wastes will be composted. As a direct result of efforts of one team member, a local organic CSA will begin collecting food and vegetable wastes from its restaurant and CSA clients for composting on the farm with leaves from the local township and recycling the compost into farm production. In the SE region of PA one team member, a farmer and composter has greatly expanded his food waste composting activities and is collecting food wastes from grocery stores and hotels in the Philadelphia region. Also in the SE PA region, another team member, an organic vegetable producer will soon begin composting source separated food wastes on her farm and utilizing the compost for her production. In the north central region a team member is in final planing stages for construction of an anaerobic digester at the county landfill. the digester will ferment source separated organic residuals to produce methane. Digestate will be provided to area farmers as a nutrient and organic matter source. In the Lancaster county area a team member has greatly exapanded his manure composting operations and is exporting large amounts of composted manure out of the watershed. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Team has met with the secretaries and staff of the PA Department of Environmental Protection to inform them of the team activities and press for changes in policy and regulation of commercial and on-farm composting activities to streamline and simplify start-up, permitting, and operation. Team is also pressing for changes in grant support for composting operations to allow more equal support for public, public/private partnerships and private operations. Team members have made, and will continue to make presentations on their study and activities at numerous meetings and conferences around the state. These include extension meetings with farmer groups and meetings with recycling and waste management professionals. FUTURE INITIATIVES: The team plans to meet with Mr. Ken Reisinger, PA DEP Director of the Bureau of Waste Management to review with him and his staff the goals, objectives, and strategies outlined in our vision paper. Our hope is to establish an ongoing working relationship with his staff to begin to impliment some of these strategies and goals. Team members will continue to develop regional projects to promote organics recycling efforts and increase linkages between agriculture and urban sectors. One team member is the Deputy Director and Recycling Coordinator for Centre County Solid Waste Authority. The Authority is currently developing a strategic plan with a long-term goal of zero waste. Organic recycling will be a major part of this and the Authority is investigating ways to link municipalities and farms for increased recycling of organic residuals.
Impacts
Future impacts for this project are best summarized in the goal statements of the teams Vision Paper. These are: 1. Reestablish balanced and sustainable carbon cycling at the local level. 2. Reduce disposal of organic residuals by 85% by 2020 and to divert these materials to compost and energy production. The vision paper goes on to articulate clear objectives, strategies and timelines for achieving these goals. The project team is committed to working toward achieving these goals and this work will continue well beyond the funded life of the project.
Publications
- Pennsylvania Recycles Organics Study Team. 2009. A Vision for Sustainable Organic Materials Recycling in Pennsylvania. R.C. Stehouwer and R.E. Graves (Eds.). http://environmentalsoils.cas.psu.edu/index.html
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
Two study tour groups with regional representation in PA have completed their study tours of organics recycling in Germany and Austria. The two groups met four times since the completion of the study tours and have formed a single team. The team is divided into clusters of 3-4 individuals on a regional basis around PA: western PA (Pittsburgh area), Central PA (Centre and Lycoming counties), South central (Lancaster County and Harrisburg area), and South eastern (Bucks, Montgomery Counties, suburban Philadelphia). The team has been working to develop a white paper of their vision for organics recycling in Pennsylvania and has been identifying possible regional projects to advance organics recycling and connections with the agricultural sector. PRODUCTS: A vision paper for organics recycling in PA is in its final draft form and will be finalized before the end of the project. OUTCOMES: The two study tour classes have now formed a single group that is working on advancing organics recycling at the legislative and policy level as well as local and on-farm level. Regionally based groups are identifying potential local projects to promote increased organics recycling an connections with agriculture. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The team had a joint meeting with the Secretaries of PA Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Agriculture along with some high level staff. We were able to share with them an executive summary of our vision paper and discuss with them policy and regulatory hurdles to increased organics recycling. Project participants have made over 50 presentations around the state related to organics recycling and connecting urban and agriculture. Several popular press articles have featured the project. Plans for a project web site are being developed. FUTURE INITIATIVES: The CSREES funded portion of this project will end on March 31, 2009. We expect the initiatives (primarily the local projects) to carry on well beyond this termination date. A final round of regional meetings with team members will be conducted in February and March 2009. The vision paper will be finalized and published, assessments of project outcomes will be made and ongoing or planned local projects will be identified.
Impacts
We expect this project to create a core group of 24 key individuals who will work toward developing a sustainable system for greater organics recycling in PA. Through implementation of recycling projects and outreach to key constituencies in the state we expect the project to initiate key changes in organics recycling in PA that ultimately will greatly increase organics recycling and will link agriculture and urban sectors in a mutually beneficial system.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/06 to 06/30/07
Outputs
The project was promoted to PA's Ag community, Cooperative Extension, Regulators, and Recycling Professionals. Web-based application process was established. Detailed itinerary for study tour was developed with 3 cooperators in Europe. Second class of 11 professionals and 3 graduate students was selected for second study tour. Two days of pre-study tour sessions were held, one in conjunction with the first class to prepare for the study tour. The 12-day study tour in Germany and Austria was conducted with the class of 14 and 2 faculty. The class made 20 site visits in Germany and Austria, heard presentations on organics recycling programs, policies, regulations, and development, and met with numerous individuals with direct involvement in these programs.
PRODUCTS: The first class met three times and produced a draft paper describing their vision for organic waste recycling in PA. The second class completed their study tour in June, 2007.
OUTCOMES: The two study tour classes have now formed a single group that is working on advancing organics recycling at the legislative and policy level as well as local and on-farm level.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Project participants have made over 50 presentations around the state related to organics recycling and connecting urban and agriculture. Several popular press articles have featured the project. Plans for a project web site are being developed.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: The two study tour groups will now form a single group that will work together to finalize a description of their vision for organics recycling in PA. The group will develop specific strategies for advancing their vision at the legislative and policy level as well as at the local level with on farm demonstrations and other local projects.
Impacts
We expect this project to create a core group of 24 key individuals who will work toward developing a sustainable system for greater organics recycling in PA. Through implementation of recycling projects and outreach to key constituencies in the state we expect the project to initiate key changes in organics recycling in PA that ultimately will greatly increase organics recycling and will link agriculture and urban sectors in a mutually beneficial system.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 04/01/06 to 09/30/06
Outputs
The project was promoted to PA's Ag community, Cooperative Extension, Regulators, and Recycling Professionals. Web-based application process was established. Detailed itinerary for study tour was developed with 3 cooperators in Europe. Class of 12 professionals was selected for first study tour. Two days of pre-study tour sessions were held with the class to prepare for the study tour. The 12-day study tour in Germany and Austria was conducted with the class of 12 and 2 faculty. The class made 20 site visits in Germany and Austria, heard presentations on organics recycling programs, policies, regulations, and development, and met with numerous individuals with direct involvement in these programs.
PRODUCTS: The class is actively working on producing a document describing their vision for organic waste recycling in PA.
OUTCOMES: This class, and the class to follow in 2007 will be undertaking projects that impliment
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Presentations are planned by various class members to professional recycling organizations, agricultural organizations, and the PA Department of Environmental Protection.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: A second class of 12 individuals is being recruited and selected for the June, 2007 study tour. This class will work with the first class to refine and further develop the Vision paper for sustainable organics recycling in PA. The two groups will also cooperate on develpment and implemmentation of projects that some aspect of their Vision into practice.
Impacts
We expect this project to create a core group of first 12, then 24 key individuals who will work toward developing a sustainable system for greater organics recycling in PA. Through implementation of recycling projects and outreach to key constituencies in the state we expect the project to initiate key changes in organics recycling in PA that ultimately will greatly increase organics recylcing and will link agriculture and urban sectors in a mutually beneficial system.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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