Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- June 26, 2007

On-farm composting programs being considered around Pennsylvania (:49)

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Suggested Intro:

EXTENSION SPECIALISTS ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO TURN PENNSYLVANIA'S ORGANIC SOLID WASTE INTO USEFUL COMPOST. AND A RESEARCHER IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS REGIONAL TEST PROGRAMS ARE CATCHING ON AROUND THE STATE. GARY ABDULLAH HAS MORE:

Story:

(:15) A PENN STATE EXTENSION PROJECT TO DIVERT WASTE FROM MUNICIPAL LANDFILL IS GAINING TRACTION IN PENNSYLVANIA. UNDER THE PROGRAM, CLEAN, SEPARATED ORGANIC WASTE IS SENT TO LOCAL FARMS WHERE IT CAN BE COMPOSTED, IN TURN GENERATING EXTRA FARM INCOME WHILE INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY.

(:08) PENN STATE SOIL SCIENTIST RICK STEHOUWER (STAY- HOWER) SAYS THE PROGRAM IS MODELED AFTER COMPOSTING PROGRAMS IN EUROPE, AND SEVERAL PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITIES ARE GETTING ONBOARD:

Stehouwer Actuality:
(:18) "STATE COLLEGE IS STARTING TO LOOK AT SEPARATE COLLECTION OF FOOD WASTES AND COMPOSTING. IN LANCASTER COUNTY, IN WESTMORELAND AND PITTSBURGH AREA, IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE STATE AND LYCOMING COUNTIES…SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME PROJECTS SPROUTING UP IN THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS. MAYBE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS WE'LL START TO SEE SOME THINGS COMING ON LINE."

(:08) STEHOUWER SAYS FARMERS COULD SPREAD THE FINISHED COMPOST ON CROP FIELDS OR SELL IT TO COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPERS OR HOMEOWNERS. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

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Learn more:

PENN STATE PROGRAM ENCOURAGING LARGE-SCALE ORGANIC WASTE RECYCLING, COMPOSTING (from the College of Agricultural Sciences news archive)

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