Issue 4 • June 2005 • EPA530-N-05-001

Tribal Composting Nourishes

land and tradition

Backyard composting

—the benefits start

and stay at home

Kids worm up to 

vermicomposting

Turning fish and

food waste into

resources
The Tribal Voice 

Worms Reduce Waste and 

Nourish Bodies and Soils. . . . . 2 

feature: 

composting 

Backyard Composting: 

Cultivating the Many 

Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

Scaling Obstacles: Turning 

Fish Waste into Resources. . . . 9 

Cherokee Commitment to 

Quality Creates Premier Food 

Waste Compost . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

Unique Gardens Dig Deep 

Into Cultural Roots. . . . . . . . . 15 

Students and Teachers Worm 

Up to Vermicomposting . . . . 17 

Salt River Landfill’s Green 

Waste Composting Beats 

the Heat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 

Composting Garbage 

and Sludge—An Alaskan 

Solution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

Resources . . . . 25 

contacts . . . . . 26 

Kids Page . . . . . 27 

United States Environmental 

Protection Agency 

Solid Waste and Emergency 

Response (5306W) 

www.epa.gov/tribalmsw 

In this issue: 

Welcome to the Tribal Waste Journal 

(TWJ). Each issue features a different 

waste-related topic and presents related ideas, approaches, and activities 

successfully employed by tribes and 

villages. The Tribal Voice, an opinions 

forum, and an activity-packed Kids 

Page also appear in each issue. The 

TWJ is published annually. The Tribal


Voice


Worms Reduce Waste 

and Nourish Bodies 

and Soils 

Bordered by Canada to the North and Glacier 

National Park to the West, the Blackfeet 

Indian Reservation covers more than 1.5 million stunning acres of plains, rolling hills, and mountainous forests in northwestern Montana. Despite its 

vast size, the Blackfeet were able to rally their 10,000 

reservation residents to help turn a small EPA grant into 

a big benefit in terms of reducing waste, giving back to the Earth, and 

nurturing the community. 

Harnessing the creativity and energy of 

all of its community members, including 

school children, elders, an herbologist, 

and organizations like the Headstart 

Program, helped the tribe get their vermicomposting program off the ground. We 

spoke with Gerald Wagner, director of 

the Tribal Environmental Office and 

Mary Ellen Flamand, solid waste coordinator, about their approach to vermicomposting. The following are 

excerpts from our conversations: 

TWJ: Why did you choose to promote vermicomposting versus other 

types of composting? 

Mr. Wagner: Through a waste 

stream analysis, we found that a 

large portion of our waste stream 

was food wastes. Because of our 

harsh weather—long, cold winters 

beginning in October and lasting 

through late-April or early-May— 

vermicomposting is good because it 

can be done indoors under the 

kitchen sink or in a back pantry. 

The red wigglers are great! They 

consume more than their body 
3 Tribal Waste Journal 

The Tribal Voice 

weight everyday. They just eat, eat, 

eat! Also, you don’t have to turn 

the waste. The worms do all the 

work and the end result is nutrient 

rich compost and worm tea, which 

can be used in gardening. 

TWJ: How does vermicomposting 

fit into your comprehensive solid 

waste management plan? 

Mr. Wagner: Vermicomposting is a 

great way to get tribal members into 

a recycling mindset and into the 

habit of separating wastes. With 

vermicomposting, they are already 

separating out food scraps, so then 

separating aluminum, glass, plastics, 

and cardboard would be a logical 

next step. We are in the process of 

closing our current dump site and 

opening a new transfer station. As 

part of the transfer station, we are 

planning an outdoor composting 

operation. Composting is one part 

of our comprehensive solid waste 

management plan and will help us 

reduce the amount of waste passing 

through our transfer station, which 

will reduce our disposal costs. 

TWJ: How did you get the community involved? What was the community’s reaction? 

Ms. Flamand: When we started 

our vermicomposting project, we 

wanted to work with small children 

to teach them about composting 

and get them excited and involved. 

We coordinated with the Blackfeet 

Head Start program in Browning to 

collect their food scraps for the 

worms. At first, the staff was reluctant, but once we met with them 

and the project progressed they 

became really excited about it. We 

only collect about a pound of food 

scraps each week from the Head 

Start, so it is primarily an educational effort, but we feel it is 

worthwhile. 

Vermicomposting is a great 

way to get tribal members 

into a recycling mindset and 

into the habit of separating 

wastes. With vermicomposting, they are already separating out food scraps, so 

then separating aluminum, 

glass, plastics, and cardboard would be a logical 

next step. 

—Gerald Wagner, director, 

Tribal Environmental Office, 

Blackfeet Indian Reservation 

Program and a local restaurant. He 

uses the worm castings as a soil 

amendment. We have also been 

working with Wilbur and the college to promote the construction of 

community hot houses to help with 

family gardens. 

TWJ: How did you fund your vermicomposting initiative? 

Biosolids

ing

bins can function indoors or 

—Nutrient-rich liquid 

Composting 

Terminology 

—Treated and 

processed sewage sludge. 

Biosolids are nutrient-rich 

organic materials that can be 

safely recycled and applied as 

fertilizer to sustainably improve 

and maintain productive soils 

and stimulate plant growth. 

Vermiculture/vermicompost-

—Using worms to break 

down organic matter into 

nutrient-rich compost called 

castings. Vermicomposting 

outdoors, but cannot process 

animal products or grease. 

Worm tea

generated during the vermicomposting process. 

Windrow—Long, narrow piles 

of organic materials typically 

arranged in rows. Frequent 

turning of windrows aerates 

the piles and helps maintain 

the desired temperature and 

oxygen levels. 

Ms. Flamand: 

We’re also 

encouraging 

tribal members 

to grow their 

own foods. 

Diabetes is a 

major health 

issue on the 

reservation. We 

hope that by Tribal members “feeding” the 

growing health- Blackfeet Community College worms. 

Mr. Wagner: We 

got our start when 

our EPA Tribal 

Coordinator for 

Montana, 

Stephanie Wallace, 

contacted us about 

available funding. 

She had been 

reviewing our comprehensive solid 

waste management 

ful foods in family gardens, people will improve 

their eating habits and their health. 

We share this goal with Wilbur 

Fish, the Blackfeet Community 

College (BCC) Extension Agent 

and herbologist. Wilbur runs the 

greenhouse at BCC that now has 

two giant worm bins that use food 

scraps collected at the Head Start 

plan and saw our 

plan for a vermicomposting program. From this, we 

received a $20,000 grant. The fact 

that we already had a solid waste 

coordinator on staff helped us to 

immediately start our program. We 

hope that the continued support of 

the tribe and college can help us 

keep the program going. 
4 

The Tribal Voice 

Tribal Waste Journal 

Garth and Radium Woolf with their composting science fair projects. 

I also gave about 10 composting 

presentations in five of the seven 

communities on the reservation. 

The training focused on diverting 

food scraps from the waste stream, 

with vermicomposting as one 

method we discussed. I tried to 

make the presentations fun. I used 

humor, funny pictures, and stories 

whenever I could. For the kids, I do 

interactive skits that get them 

involved and excited. 

One meeting of elders, attended by 

a mother and her son and daughter, 

inspired them to create science fair 

projects. Garth Woolf (14 years old) 

developed a project for the Middle 

School Science Fair. I gave him a 

five-gallon plastic container, the 

worms, and instructions on how to 

build a vermicomposting bin which 

he built by himself. His 12-year old 

sister, Radium, also entered a project in the science fair. Building on 

her brother’s work, she used the 

worm castings and compost from 

Garth’s vermi bin to fertilize a plant 

and compare its rate of growth to 

another plant that did not get any 

compost. Adrian Wagner, Gerald’s 

son, took his vermicomposting project to the State Science Fair in 

Missoula. 

TWJ: What other vermicomposting 

projects have you done? 

Ms. Flamand: We wanted to help 

enhance the BCC greenhouse, so we 

used money from another grant we 

received to purchase design plans and 

build a “high-tech” worm bin box. 

The bin was 8 feet long by 4 feet 

high by 2 feet deep. We chose this 

particular design because it offered a 

controlled environment for the 

worms, but also because its height 

meant you didn’t have to bend over a 

lot when taking care of the worms. 

Some of us have lost touch 

with looking after the environment. We have become 

a throwaway society. We 

are trying to re-educate and 

teach tribal members that 

they are responsible for the 

waste they generate. The 

EPA grant we received has 

helped us get back to things 

we used to do—turning our 

waste into something good. 

—Mary Ellen Flamand, 

solid waste coordinator, 

Blackfeet Indian Reservation 

Initially, we placed the bin inside 

the greenhouse, but it was too hot 

and the worms were drying out. 

Placing it outside lead to the worms 

and waste being over ventilated and 

dried out again because of the high 

winds on the reservation and the 

bin’s design. Based upon the shortcomings and lessons learned from 

this first worm bin, Wilbur Fish and 

a colleague designed and built a new 

indoor/outdoor composting system. 

This system can handle a large 

amount of compostable materials 

and uses worms, hay, and food scraps 

to generate a nutrient-rich compost 

for use in the BCC greenhouse. The 

new design really fits our needs and 

environment and the castings and 

tea have produced spectacular results 

in the greenhouse. 

TWJ: Does composting have any 

historical or traditional roots for 

your tribe? 

Ms. Flamand: Some of us have lost 

touch with looking after the environment. We have become a throwaway society. We are trying to 

re-educate and teach tribal members 

that they are responsible for the 

waste they generate. The EPA 

grant we received has helped us get 

back to things we used to do—turning our waste into something good. 

Years ago, we used every part of the 

animal. I remember one elder 

telling me how she used to fashion a 

hardened bladder bag into a bowl to 

cook meat. She placed the meat, 

water, and hot rocks in the bladder 

bowl and boiled her meat. We have 

been trying to encourage people to 

think about these types of things 

again and even return to some of 

these practices. 

TWJ: What advice do you have for 

other tribes considering composting? 

Mr. Wagner: You can’t do this on 

your own. You really need everyone 

involved. That is what we’ve 

done—involved everybody, including children, elders, and the community college. You also need the 

tribe to buy into the program. Any 

composting project needs to be 

pushed and funded as part of an 

ongoing recycling program. It is 

hard to sustain a program such as 

this without a steady source of 

financial support. 

The mention of any company, product, or process in this publication does not constitute 

or imply endorsement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 
5 Tribal Waste Journal 

Cultivating the Many Benefits 

Backyard composting ties perfectly into home gardening—garden 

clippings can be composted, and the compost can be applied to the 

“You 

have noticed 

that everything an 

Indian does is in a circle, 

and that is because the 

Power of the World always 

works in circles, and everything tries to be round...” 

Black Elk, Oglala 

Sioux Holy Man 

Backyard Composting:


Returning dead material to the Earth to provide fodder 

for new growth is central to the “circle of life” concept. Backyard composting—composting food scraps 

and plant clippings at home—provides an opportunity for 

people to play a role in continuing this cycle by returning 

valuable nutrients to the soil. At the same time, it saves money 

in disposal costs—a real benefit for tribes that subsidize waste 

disposal—and diverts unnecessary waste from the waste stream. 

garden as a soil amendment, especially in areas with poor soil quality. By gardening in conjunction with composting, tribal members can grow healthy, low-cost produce and revive gardening skills often lost to the younger generation. 

The Fond du Lac, Ho-Chunk, and Oneida Nations have had tremendous success with backyard composting 

programs without a huge financial investment. Here are their stories. 

Backyard composting takes many counties in Wisconsin, conducted a Getting Off the Ground 

shapes and forms, and tribes home gardening and composting 

approach it in myriad ways. The workshop for a small group of tribal To begin a community backyard 

Fond du Lac Tribe, located in families. Ho-Chunk’s project composting program, most tribes 

northeastern Minnesota, provided focused on home gardening, with undergo three main steps: 

200 vermiculture bins and 200 composting as an important element • Planning 

to introduce nutrients into the soil. • Securing funding 

• Education 

• Approach tribal council for 

funding 

• Find a local expert 

• Provide ongoing support/troubleshooting 

• Publicize the program 

• Connect to tribal 

tradition/other activities 

tips 

s t a r t i n g

FOR 

A B A C K YA R D 

C O M P O S T I N G P R O G R A M 

Planning involves determining the 

number of tribal members you want 

to involve in the early stages, 

whether you want to purchase bins, 

and how you will educate communi- backyard composting bins to com­ ty members and publicize your proj­ munity members free of charge to ect. Tribes often start by presenting allow them to begin composting at the idea of backyard composting to home. Likewise, the Oneida Tribe, the tribal council to solicit funding in neighboring Wisconsin, offered for start-up expenses. For the Fond bins to tribal members at a dis- du Lac Tribe’s Environmental counted rate. Oneida’s recycling Program, backyard composting bins coordinator, Diane Jourdan, is work- were an easy sell to the Reservation ing toward a Master Composter cer- Business Committee (RBC) because tificate and teaches a home of the money they would save. composting class to community Waste sorts had demonstrated that members on Earth Day. The Ho- food scraps comprised roughly 15 Chunk Nation, which has a non- percent of the reservation’s waste reservation status and spans 15 

Feature: composting 
6 

Feature: composting 

Tribal Waste Journal 

stream; therefore, the tribe could ongoing composting program of an 

lower its disposal costs by diverting adjacent county as a resource. The 

food scraps to compost bins. The Fond du Lac tribe tapped the 

Environmental Program sup- knowledge of local expert Ellen 

plemented funding from Sandbeck, author of a book 

the RBC with General about reducing the use of 

Assistance Program toxic substances in daily 

(GAP) grant funding. 

The Oneida tribe 

received a grant for its 

vermicomposting project, but 

activities. Nathan 

Reinbold, Fond du Lac’s 

environmental education 

outreach coordinator, says he 

for backyard composting, the tribe 

simply purchased composting bins 

and sold them at a discount to tribal 

members. 

An invaluable resource to most 

tribes when beginning a composting 

program is the wisdom of a local 

expert. The Oneida tribe was fortunate to have a composting guru in 

its recycling coordinator, Ms. 

Jourdan, who also relied upon the 

educated himself through Cornell 

University’s composting Web site, 

which contains comprehensive 

composting guides, curricula, and 

case studies. 

For the Ho-Chunk tribe, getting 

started was a matter of getting connected. Ho-Chunk’s project focused 

on home gardening, and the tribe 

brought in an expert to conduct a 

one-day home gardening workshop 

A Day of Growing 

The Ho-Chunk tribe’s one-day gardening and composting workshop consisted of hands-on instruction from expert Mike Flynn on how to plant a 

garden, integrate organic soil amendments, and compost food scraps to 

generate soil amendments and reduce waste. The class was held at the 

house of a tribal family that volunteered its garden for 

the demonstration. 

Mr. Flynn taught the class 

at an introductory level, 

which was perfect for the 

families, most of whom 

had no gardening experience. In addition to his 

strong base of scientific 

knowledge, Mr. Flynn’s 

humor and stories made 

composting exciting to 

many who had never considered the idea. After the 

class, the participating families shared a meal together. 

In the future, Ho-Chunk hopes 

to offer the same class to more 

families, and to offer similar classes in seed saving, food preservation, and canning—specifically of traditional foods such as squash and Indian corn. 

for Ho-Chunk families. EPA’s 

Region 5 office connected the workshop coordinator, Lisa D’Angelo, 

with Mike Flynn of Milwaukee, an 

urban gardening instructor. The 

tribe was also fortunate that Ms. 

D’Angelo is an organic gardening 

expert. (One resource that Ms. 

D’Angelo recommends for those 

interested in home gardening is 

Organic Gardening magazine.) 

Tribes that do not know of a local 

or tribal expert might consider the 

assistance of a university or state 

extension service. These institutions 

often have experts available for volunteer projects, and also offer information and technical assistance. 

Contacting regional EPA or state 

environmental agencies can also be 

helpful, as is networking with county employees and other tribes with 

composting programs. 

Spreading the Knowledge, 

Spreading the Word 

The keys to maintaining a strong 

backyard composting program in 

your community are: 

• Conducting upfront education 

• Providing ongoing support 

• Maintaining publicity and 

awareness about the project 

Teaching community members how 

to compost can be accomplished in 

a group format or on a one-on-one 

basis. For example, Diane Jourdan 

of Oneida teaches a class on home 

composting each year on Earth 

Day. Each student receives a free 

composting bin and learns how to 

use it during the class. Likewise, 

the Ho-Chunk workshop brought 

many people together to learn in a 

community setting. In contrast, 

Mr. Reinbold of the Fond du Lac 

Tribe spends 10 minutes with each 

community member when he or 
7 Tribal Waste Journal 

Feature: composting 

she picks up a free bin, explaining 

how the bin works and what materials can and cannot be added. He 

also gives participants a food scrap 

collection bucket that can be 

stored under the kitchen sink until 

the contents can be transferred to 

the bin. 

After providing tribal members with 

an initial lesson, offering ongoing 

support and help pinpointing and 

correcting problems is critical. For 

Ms. Jourdan, this continuity was 

achieved by providing her phone 

number for people to call for questions or comments about their bins. 

When people described problems, 

Ms. Jourdan could often explain 

solutions. Participants in the HoChunk gardening workshop reported on their progress when they saw 

Ms. D’Angelo at the clinic, and she 

visited the families to see the 

progress of their gardens. 

Mr. Reinbold uses the Fond du Lac 

Environmental Program’s monthly 

newsletter and the monthly tribal 

newspaper to discuss common composting bin problems and how to 

avoid them. He also uses these 

newspapers as a tool for publicizing 

the program, and informs residents 

Students learn how to compost at the Oneida Tribe’s Turtle 

Elementary School. 

that they can pick up free composting bins. 

Publicity can occur both formally, 

through outreach efforts, and informally, through word-of-mouth. For 

the Ho-Chunk gardening project, 

word-of-mouth was the main conduit by which news and interest in 

the project spread. People told others about their gardens, and many 

more families expressed an interest 

in participating. Ms. D’Angelo 

keeps a list of families that saw their 

neighbors gardening and would also 

like to learn. 

Other ways to publicize your backyard composting program and motivate people to participate include 

distributing information at fairs and 

community events or creating a 

composting Web page. You can also 

consider maintaining a demonstration organic garden, providing 

books to interested community 

members, providing gardening cushions, or creating creative T-shirts, 

such as Fond du Lac’s—“Compost: 

because a rind is a terrible thing to 

waste.” Another important idea for 

making the program a success is to 

incorporate a social element. For 

Ho-Chunk, the families who 

attended the workshop ate together 

afterward. Ms. D’Angelo commented that incorporating this social element was very important to the 

success of the project, as this is 

highly valued by the tribe. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

plant trimmings. 

Backyard composting can be 

approached in several ways: 

Use a basic 5-gallon bucket with a lid 

Purchase or build a compost bin outside of the home 

Trenching: Rake yard debris into a pile and add food scraps 

Backfilling: Dig a trench and fill it with compostable materials 

Materials commonly added to backyard compost piles include fruit 

and vegetable scraps, peels, and rinds; coffee grinds and tea bags; 

bread products; and yard wastes such as leaves, grass clippings, and 
8 

Feature: composting 

Tribal Waste Journal 

Give BIA a Call 

inancial needs. 

Need Funding? 

Looking for funding for a solid 

waste project? Try calling your BIA 

Regional Environmental Scientist. 

That’s what Nathan Reinbold, environmental education outreach 

coordinator of the Fond du Lac 

Reservation, did to get $40,000 to 

finance the creation of a large scale 

composting operation. After speaking with Herb Nelson, the BIA 

Midwest Region regional environmental scientist, he submitted a letter explaining the project and outlining the tribe’s f

Mr. Nelson explains that the 

Environmental Management 

Program’s operating budget covers 

the program’s operating expenses 

and salaries of BIA’s 12 regional 

environmental scientists and provides BIA’s contribution to the 

Interagency Tribal Open Dump 

Cleanup Project. Any leftover funds 

are divided equally amongst the 

BIA regions to be awarded to tribes 

for environmental projects. Each 

region typically gets between 

$300,000 and $350,000 annually. 

Awards to individual tribes are generally less than $30,000, but there 

are very few restrictions on how 

the money can be used by a tribe. 

Mr. Nelson recommends calling 

your BIA regional environmental scientist in the early fall to learn about 

the availability of funds and how to 

apply. The awards process follows 

the federal budget cycle, so applications typically need to be submitted 

to BIA by October 1 each year. 

Application requirements may vary 

by region, but in many cases a onepage letter outlining what the project would entail, how much is being 

requested, how the money will be 

spent, and a project time line is 

enough. “If you can spread your 

project out over 2-years, you 

increase your chances of getting 

funded,” advises Mr. Nelson. 

Connections 

In addition to diverting organics 

from the waste stream, home 

composting and gardening often 

tie into tribal tradition. As Mr. 

Reinbold points out, composting 

fits with the Fond du Lac 

Environmental Program’s motto: 

“It is our duty to protect the 

environment and those creatures that cannot protect themselves for future generations.” 

For the Ho-Chunk tribe, whose 

program focuses on home gardening and composting, the 

project creates a specific demonstration of the circle of life. The 

compost is an important component of the gardening project, 

because the soil in the area has 

a high sand content—people 

will say that the soil is so poor 

that you cannot have a garden. 

Therefore, it is necessary to 

teach gardeners how to incorporate organic wastes such as peat 

moss, grass clippings, and compost 

to enrich the soil. Teaching home 

gardening revives skills from the 

grandparents’ generation that 

younger people say they would like 

to develop. 

Through a ripple effect, news of HoChunk’s home gardening and composting project has made its way to 

the tribe’s historical society. Says Lisa 

D’Angelo, “The project connects to 

the work of the historical society— 

which strives to revitalize all aspects 

of Ho-Chunk culture, including diet, 

language, and traditions—because it 

connects to the tribe’s history as an 

agricultural, as opposed to a huntergatherer, tribe.” Home gardening 

gives people access to inexpensive, 

organic vegetables—a benefit 

emphasized by Ms. D’Angelo, who 

works for Ho-Chunk’s Black River 

Falls Health and Wellness Center. 

Gardening also encourages people to 

be more active and helps families 

work as units. 

Students from the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School show off their compost and 

one of its contributors. 
9 Tribal Waste Journal 

Scaling Obstacles: Turning


Fish Waste into Resources


The Tlingit National Anthem is a testament to the 

determination and perseverance of the Tlingit people, 

who currently inhabit Southeast Alaska. According to 

the anthem, the Tlingits once lived far from the ocean in a 

region now known as Yukon Territory. After hearing that fish 

were abundant in the Pacific Ocean, they decided to journey from the interior of the continent to the coast. The journey was long, arduous, and riddled with obstacles, including 

a giant glacier. A group of daring women traveled under the glacier via a stream and urged the others to follow. Thus the Tlingit people prevailed and arrived at the ocean’s edge, where food was plentiful. 

The Tlingit people of Kake, a small village located on Kupreanof Island, 150 mile south of Juneau, possess the 

determined spirit of their ancestors. This tenacity enabled them to open a composting operation despite 

obstacles such as lack of technical expertise, inadequate equipment, and a harsh climate. The persistent villagers overcame many of these challenges to get “fish and chip” composting off the ground, relying on an 

abundant supply of raw materials and patience to beat the odds. Bob Mills, Kake’s composting manager, 

believes that his team will soon raze the final barrier to success—breaking into the retail market—and the composting operation will become profitable. 

In 2001, faced with the collapse of 

the island’s timber operation, Sam 

Jackson, the CEO and president of 

Kake, decided to pursue composting 

as an economic development project. 

He recognized that the fish waste 

generated by the village’s cold storage 

company could be combined with the 

slash and downed timber left behind 

by loggers to create nutrient-rich 

compost. In addition to having the 

right raw materials for compost, 

Kupreanof Island is speckled with former log clearing areas, open spaces 

that are far from the village and ideal 

for large, odorous windrow piles. 

Putting all the pieces together, Kake 

seemed to have the key ingredients 

for a successful composting operation. 

A Learning Curve 

When Mr. Jackson asked Bob Mills, 

who was a logging manager at the 

time, to run the nascent composting 

program, Mr. Mills’ initial response 

was, “What’s composting?” After 

hearing the details, Mr. Mills 

accepted the challenge, although he 

had no prior experience with composting. Kake gave Mr. Mills a 902 

Cat front loader and a dump truck 

to get started. 

“Composting is like learning 

to swim. You can read 

about it or listen to someone explain the process, but 

you really learn by doing it.” 

Bob Mills, composting 

manager, Kake 

Initially, Mr. Mills used the dump 

truck to haul salmon and crab carcasses, bones, and guts from the processing facility in Kake to the remote 

log clearing areas, where he combined the waste with sawdust from 

Silver Bay Logging Company in 

piles stretching 200 feet long. After 

finding composting recipes on the 

Internet, Mr. Mills solicited advice 

from the Alaskan Wood Utilization 

Center and consultants. Despite conducting background research, Mr. 

Mills discovered that he was not prepared for the field. “Composting is 

like learning to swim,” he said. “You 

can read about it or listen to someone explain the process, but you really learn by doing it.” The first few 

piles did not produce a quality final 

product. Mr. Mills experimented 

with the moisture content of the 

compost piles and varied the ratio of 

fish waste to sawdust, tweaking the 

recipe, until he achieved success. 

Training Trials 

The initial recipe setback motivated 

Mr. Mills to attend a composting 

class to avoid future problems. He 

traveled to the state of Washington 

for a five-day Compost Facility 

Operator Training sponsored by the 

Washington Organic Recycling 

Feature: composting 
10 

Feature: composting 

Tribal Waste Journal 

(L) Making fish and chips: workers add fish waste to the prepared wood waste 

windrows. (R) Ships unload their catch at the Kake processing plant. 

Council (WORC). “I thought the 

class would be a breeze,” said Mills. 

Instead he found himself surrounded 

by scientists, seasoned compost 

operators, and instructors who used 

words such as “thermal treatment” 

and “bulking agents.” Mr. Mills 

studied morning and night, and the 

instructor helped him master the 

material by defining new terms. On 

the fifth day, Mr. Mills passed the 

final exam with flying colors. 

During the training, Mr. Mills realized that he had made some mistakes 

during his first few months as composting manager, and he learned how 

to correct them. He discovered, for 

example, that his compost piles were 

too moist, creating anaerobic conditions that stymied the decomposition 

process. He remedied the situation 

by increasing airflow through the 

piles and placing tarpaulins on them 

to minimize rain infiltration. 

Investing in the Future 

Mr. Mills approached the village and 

explained that he needed more 

equipment for the composting venture. Recognizing that the project 

possessed tremendous economic 

potential, Kake invested more than 

$1 million in new equipment, purchasing a 2200 Cat backhoe, a 16­

foot Scarab turner, and a bagging 

machine. Workers use the backhoe 

to dig a long ‘V’ down the center of 

each row of sawdust or wood chips 

before adding fish waste. The Scarab 

turner is essential to the operation— 

imagine turning 200- foot-long piles 

by hand! The bagging machine 

enables workers to package the product for sale. Although Kake needed 

this equipment to succeed, heavy 

machinery is expensive, and the village was forced to close its cold storage operation, temporarily, to 

support the composting enterprise. 

Although fish waste and wood 

abound on Kupreanof Island, logging 

debris must be chipped before Kake 

can use it in compost piles. During 

the first year, Mr. Mills purchased 

sawdust from a logging company 

located 100 miles south of the island 

because he could not chip the wood 

scattered about the island. He conducted an Internet search and located Bobby Wolfer, a businessman in 

the state of Washington who sells 

tubgrinders. Mr. Mills called Mr. 

Wolfer regularly for a year, cultivating a relationship with him. 

Eventually, Mr. Wolfer visited Kake 

to inspect the composting operation. 

The visit convinced Mr. Wolfer that 

Kake could succeed, and he worked 

with Mr. Mills to transport a tubgrinder, which cost approximately 

$470,000, to Kupreanof Island. 

Taking the Market’s Pulse 

Mr. Mills used a value-added producer grant from the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture’s Rural 

Development Service to hire 

Aadland Marketing. Kake used this 

firm for past projects, so Aadland 

Marketing employees were already 

familiar with the village’s culture 

and goals. In fact, Kake approached 

Aadland Marketing’s Greg Galik for 

help with the grant application. Mr. 

Galik worked closely with Mr. Mills 

and other representatives from Kake 

to draft an 80-page proposal for a 

marketing feasibility study that 

would allow the village to determine 

the price of its product, identify 

ideal product packaging, and create 

a promotion strategy. Kake requested 

$77,000 and received $47,327, 

which it matched. 

Kupreanof Island is along a major 

shipping route between Juneau and 

Ketchikan. Ships traveling north 

from Seattle carry supplies to 

Anchorage and return with empty 

containers. Aadland Marketing contacted several shipping companies 

and discovered that Kake could move 

its compost to Washington state 

(where demand for quality compost is 

high) in these empty containers for 

only a small fee. Next, Mr. Galik 

organized focus groups in Washington 

and provided samples of Kake’s compost to gardeners and landscapers, 

who agreed that the product was 

loamy with a pleasant earthy smell. 

They liked the idea of compost generated from natural materials free of 

chemicals, so Aadland Marketing 

encouraged Kake to get its product 

certified as organic. The focus group 

participants also felt that “Totem 

Soils” was the perfect name for Kake’s 

compost and that it should be packaged in attractive 12-quart bags. 

In addition to organizing focus groups, 

Aadland Marketing urged Kake to get 

its product tested for pathogens, metals, and general quality. Although 

Kake does not compost human waste, 

the village chose to follow EPA’s 
11 Tribal Waste Journal 

Feature: composting 

biosolid composting regulations to 

ensure a vector and pathogen-free 

final product. Laboratory tests confirmed that Kake’s compost is highquality potting soil, although Mr. 

Galik pointed out, “Kake’s windrows 

are young and compost is like a fine 

wine. It becomes more valuable as it 

gets older.” Aadland Marketing suggested that Kake publicize these test 

results to demonstrate the quality of 

its product. 

Aadland used the information 

obtained from the focus groups and 

product testing to create effective 

marketing brochures and a Web site 

for greenhouse operators and retailers. 

Mr. Galik and Mr. Mills are developing relationships with some of these 

individuals and hope to obtain several contracts before the next growing 

season. In 2003, Kake established 

4,000 linear feet of windrows and 

composted 6 million pounds of fish 

waste, although Mr. Mills believes 

the operation could easily be expanded because fish waste is abundant in 

Southeast Alaska. Fish processors 

throughout the region are searching 

for alternatives to dumping this waste 

into local bodies of water, where it 

ing proper moisture levels in comdisturbs ecosystems. Mr. Mills 

hopes to obtain a contract with a 

large retailer that demands large 

quantities of compost from its suppliers. If Kake secures a contract 

with this type of company, composting on Kupreanof Island could 

mitigate a regional environmental 

problem in addition to providing 

jobs for locals. 

Local Challenges 

While Mr. Mills waits to hear 

from retailers, he must continue to 

maintain the compost piles and 

meet local challenges. Bears, fluctuating rainfall, and odors are 

ongoing challenges facing the 

operation, and Mr. Mills must 

address them to keep the 

windrows intact and village residents content. For example, bears 

harass workers as they turn the 

compost piles. Mr. Mills does not 

have the funding to erect fences 

around the windrows, so he must 

chase away the bears on foot. 

Climate also presents an obstacle. 

Southeast Alaska experiences a 

rainy season in the fall and winter 

and a dry season in the spring and 

summer, which makes maintaincomplex and time-consuming, but 

U.S. Department 

of Agriculture’s 

Value-Added 

Producer Grants 

When Bob Mills needed funding to 

hire a marketing firm, he turned to 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 

(USDA’s) Rural Development 

Service for assistance. USDA offers 

value-added producer grants, which 

tribes and villages can use to develop and implement marketing plans 

for value-added agricultural products 

such as compost. As Mr. Mills discovered, the grant application is 

can yield great rewards. The average 

grant award is $170,000, although 

applicants can request up to 

$500,000, and grant recipients must 

match 100 percent of the funds. 

USDA publishes the value-added 

producer grant application deadlines and funding levels in the 

Federal Register and announces 

this information on its Web site 

at <www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/ 

coops/vadg.htm>. For a list of 

state office contacts, visit 

<www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/ 

coops/vadgstateoffice.html>. 

post piles difficult. During the 

summer, Mr. Mills must add water 

to the windrows, and during the 

winter, he must cover them with 

tarpaulins to keep them dry. 

Eventually, he would like to obtain 

funding for a warehouse to keep the 

curing piles out of the elements and 

away from bears. 

Trucks loaded with fish waste used to 

pass through Kake, traveling from the 

fish processing plant to the compost 

site, until residents complained of the 

associated stench. Mills asked the 

truck drivers to circumvent the village, adding several miles to the trip, 

but appeasing community members. 

Despite such obstacles, Mr. Mills 

remains confident that Kake’s composting operation will be successful. 

He believes that gardeners will 

request the premium Totem Soil 

when they learn about it. He also 

hopes to begin accepting fish waste 

from other processing plants in 

Southeast Alaska. While Mr. Mills 

waits for Totem Soil to gain popularity, he provides advice to others 

interested in composting. In 2004, 

for example, he attended a wood utilization convention in Anchorage 

and delivered a presentation on 

Kake’s project with a message of 

hope. “It’s been a struggle,” said Mr. 

Mills. “But I’m glad we’re doing it.” 
12 

Feature: composting 

Tribal Waste Journal 

Cherokee Commitment to 

Quality Creates Premier Food 

Waste Compost 

J

ust as quality compost requires the proper mixture of raw materials, individuals working for the 

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ composting 

operations must possess the perfect blend of technical expertise, business acumen, and cultural knowledge. The Cherokee run two successful large-scale 

composting operations—one for food scraps and 

one for biosolids—at the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina. The tribe credits 

well-trained composting operators with saving them thousands of dollars in tipping fees annually. By selling compost to tribal members at bargain prices, these 

employees have also encouraged community members to return to the tribe’s 

agricultural roots through gardening. 

To reduce waste disposal costs, the Cherokee began composting biosolids from its wastewater treatment plant 

in 1995 and expanded its operations to collect food residuals in 1997. Today, the tribe composts approximately 72 tons of food waste and 96 dry tons of biosolids per month. The food waste, collected from seven local 

restaurants, including three within Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, sells for $35 per ton, while the biosolids compost garners $15 per ton. 

Considered a landmark program, the tribe’s composting operation has been lauded by EPA and other organizations. 

The tribe, however, needs to look no further than its customers to recognize its success. “Our repeat customers say 

our compost is the best in the world,” says Ritchie Bottchenbaugh, a composting supervisor for the tribe. 

The End Product Begins professional training to ensure they Long, obtained certifications through 

with Training have the know-how to create a the Carolina Composting Council 

superior product. and the Solid Waste Association of 

As with all types of composting, North America (SWANA), both of 

developing an expertise in large- which they highly recommend. They 

scale composting is a hands-on, keep their certifications current by 

trial-and-error process. However, as “It took a little while to get attending annual workshops. Mr. 

John D. Long, former composting people to use and want our Long also attended the Better 

manager, emphasizes, “There are products. Now we can’t Composting School at the University 

so many technical things you need of Maryland, of which he speaks 

to know to compost properly and keep the stuff.” highly. The tribal composting manproduce a quality product— —John D. Long, former agers emphasize that many beneficial 

carbon/nitrogen ratios, moisture composting manager, Eastern training opportunities exist—the 

levels, temperature—you need Band of Cherokee Indians challenge is to secure the necessary 

training to get and keep all of this resources to attend them. Inquiring 

straight.” The tribe’s commitment about scholarships is one strategy to 

to producing a high-quality compost The Cherokee’s composting and recy- reduce the financial barriers. 

product begins with its staff. The Cherokee now share with others Compost managers look for highly cling managers, including Mr. T. 

motivated employees and require Trejo, Mr. Bottchenbaugh, and Mr. the expertise they have gained 
13 Tribal Waste Journal 

through training and experience. 

In August 2004, the tribe hosted a 

Carolina Composting Council 

certification course funded by EPA 

Region 4. In addition, Mr. Trejo 

developed a comprehensive guide 

replete with photographs, Composting 

Made Simple, which EPA distributes to 

other tribes to help them develop similar large-scale composting programs. 

Representatives from several tribes in 

the region, including the Seminole 

Tribe of Florida and the Mississippi 

Band of Choctaw Indians, have also 

visited the composting facilities. 

The Composting Nitty Gritty 

The Cherokee emphasize the importance of training because there is 

much to know. Turning food residuals into a nutrient-rich soil amendment involves many steps, numerous 

measurements, and more than a 

month’s time from start to finish. 

The tribe’s food residuals composting program begins at the restaurants, where restaurant employees 

manually separate kitchen wastes 

and remove contaminants such as 

plastic and glass materials. Tribal 

utilities employees collect the food 

wastes as many as two or three times 

per day to maintain a positive relationship with the restaurants. After 

collection, employees transport the 

containers of food waste to the 

tribe’s waste transfer station and 

weigh them to maintain accurate 

records for documentation and 

reporting requirements. They then 

mix the food residuals with wood 

chips and sawdust—derived from 

chipping community members’ yard 

trimmings in a Duratech tub 

grinder—as well as shredded waste 

paper from tribal office buildings. 

The wood chips and paper serve as a 

source of carbon, and the wood 

chips also create spaces for aeration. 

The tribe uses a front-end loader to 

mix the materials, then places the 

mixture in windrows—long piles 

that measure 100 feet long, four feet 

high, and six feet wide. The piles are 

turned once on the first day, then 

three to four times per day for the 

remainder of the windrow process. 

The piles must remain at a constant 

temperature above 135°F for 15 

days, a standard that the Eastern 

Band of Cherokee generally exceeds. 

After approximately four weeks in 

the windrows, the new compost is 

transferred to a covered storage area 

for curing and screening. 

The tribe uses a different composting 

method to compost biosolids—composting approximately 96 dry tons per 

month—with additional modifications 

to destroy pathogens, reduce moisture, 

and address the specific nature of the 

waste. Unlike food residuals composting, biosolids composting is guided by 

federal regulations under the Clean 

Water Act (40CFR Part 503). 

to a quarter inch size. To ensure the 

quality of its compost, the tribe sends 

samples for nutrient and metals testing to an EPA accredited facility. 

The Tribe’s Business Acumen 

While composting provides numerous benefits, the primary reason the 

Cherokee decided to begin a largescale composting program was to 

save money. As Mr. Long says, “We 

got started composting out of necessity.” When the federal municipal 

solid waste landfill regulations 

became effective in 1991, the tribe 

was one of many communities 

across the United States required to 

close their landfill. In response, they 

constructed a waste transfer station 

and set the goal of recycling as 

much as possible to reduce waste 

transportation and disposal fees. 

Thus, composting was a smart business proposition for the tribe. 

Feature: composting 

center of each bed of chips, 

and air is forced into and 

out of the pile through the pipe to 

help ensure that conditions do not 

become anaerobic, which would 

release odor and attract vermin. 

The tribe exceeds EPA’s time and 

temperature requirements for biosolid composting to ensure that all 

pathogens are destroyed. The piles 

require 13 to 15 days to reach 146°F, 

and the temperature is maintained 

for 15 days. Then, the compost is 

placed in a curing pile until the 

moisture level drops to 30 percent or 

less. After the compost moves 

through the curing pile, it is screened 

Biosolid waste is first dewaThe Cherokee use their own compost to improve 

the landscape around tribal office buildings. 

tered and chemically treated 

at the tribe’s wastewater 

treatment plant, then composted on a bed of wood 

chips using a fan-forced aerated static pile method in a 

roofed, partially walled 

building. A perforated plastic pipe runs through the 

When the Cherokee decided to begin 

the food residuals composting program in 1997, they applied for and 

received a three-year project grant for 

$133,500 from EPA. The grant 

required that the tribe match 5 percent of the funding, but the tribe 

matched 122 percent, using the funding to purchase equipment, prepare 

the site, hire an extra staff member, 

and develop the composting guide, 

Composting Made Simple. The operational expenses are now approximately $180,000 per year, and the program 

comes close to breaking even by selling the final product. 
14 

Feature: composting 

Tribal Waste Journal 

Out of Sight, Out of Mind 

Odors are a common problem for large-scale composting operations, “especially early on when you 

are learning and perfecting your process,” states 

Mr. Long. The Cherokee initially experienced odor 

problems because the compost piles were not 

receiving enough oxygen. When they switched 

from a front-end loader to a windrow turner to 

turn the piles, the odor problem was virtually eliminated. However, neighboring community members 

continued to complain. To solve the problem, compost operators planted bamboo between the station 

and neighboring property, and the complaints died off. 

Explained Mr. Long, “If people see your process and it 

looks like it should smell, then people will complain about 

it smelling. If they can’t see it, then they don’t know or 

think that there is anything to complain about.” He emphasizes that locating the facility away from homes when possible allows you 

to address odor concerns before community members complain. 

Tribal council members have been 

very supportive of the composting 

program because they recognize the 

cost savings and benefits. As Mr. 

Long explains, “We had to go before 

the tribal council and show the actual numbers from our pilot project to 

demonstrate the cost savings. It is 

like going to a bank for a loan—you 

need to show them something concrete. Once we showed the council 

our numbers, it was a no-brainer.” 

Another factor the tribe considers 

critical to their success is the strong 

rapport they maintain with the local 

restaurants that generate the food 

waste. Mr. Bottchenbaugh keeps an 

open line of communication with 

the restaurant managers, speaking to 

them nearly every day. He stresses 

the importance of being flexible 

with the restaurants and responding 

to their needs. Tribal utilities 

employees generally pick up the 

food scraps two or three times per 

day, but if the restaurants request 

more than three pickups, the composting employees gladly oblige. 

The tribe sells most of its compost 

to residents, tribal roads divisions, 

and other tribal programs that pick 

up the product at the transfer station. While the Eastern Band of 

Cherokee has not bagged its compost, it has begun marketing it to 

organizations off the reservation. 

Mr. Bottchenbaugh is talking to 

Harrah’s about purchasing compost 

from the tribe, and he is also working with the North Carolina 

Department of Transportation, 

which is interested in using composting berms to replace silt fences. 

Word-of-mouth has carried the testament of the high quality of the 

Cherokee compost throughout the 

community. Local organic farmers 

rave about the high nutritional value 

of the compost, and the tribe has 

collected letters from enthusiastic 

customers. The owner of Cherokee 

Daylily Gardens attests, “In all our 

years of growing daylilies, we have 

never experienced this rate of reproduction.” As Mr. Long summarizes, 

“It took a little while to get people to 

use and want our products. Now that 

people have seen the results they get 

with our compost and realized the 

nutrient value of the food waste 

compost, we can’t keep the stuff.” 

A Return to Tradition 

Above and beyond the practical 

benefits of composting, its practice 

has a history within Cherokee tradition. As Mr. Bottchenbaugh 

describes, “My grandpa says that he 

can remember his grandma throwing food waste in a pile of leaves 

and rolling it around.” Mr. Long 

adds, “As a farmer, I have composted all of my life, I just didn’t know 

it at the time. When we cleaned out 

the animals’ stalls, we piled the 

straw and manure and let it decompose. Then we spread it on our 

fields. We were composting, we just 

didn’t call it that.” Thus, composting offers the added value of bringing the tribe back in touch with its 

roots. In addition to composting, 

tribal members were traditionally 

farmers—growing vegetables such as 

corn, potatoes, beans, and squash. 

Tribal employees believe that gardening is good for the community 

because it reacquaints people with 

this agricultural tradition. 

To encourage tribal members to garden, the tribe has given away free or 

discounted compost. The tribe’s 

extension office recently worked 

with the Chief to provide community members with coupons for compost to promote gardening. All 150 

coupons issued by the office were 

redeemed. People came to pick up 

the compost at the transfer station, 

and at the same time the tribe gave 

away gardening kits. 

As the program moves forward, Mr. 

Bottchenbaugh is pleased with this 

additional benefit for the tribal 

community. “The composting 

coupons benefit more than just the 

transfer station’s bottom line,” Mr. 

Bottchenbaugh said. “The 

Cherokee people have a rich history of farming, and the composting 

coupons encourage them to get 

back to gardening.” 
15 Tribal Waste Journal 

I

Unique Gardens Dig Deep Into Cultural Roots 

n addition to reducing waste and generating a valuable soil 

amendment, composting contributes to the revival of traditions and the preservation of cultural knowledge. HoChunk Nation’s project demonstrates that tribes can use 

composting to reconnect with their agricultural roots. The 

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which once relied on 

agriculture for survival, distributed coupons for free compost 

to tribal members to encourage the rediscovery of home gardening. But some tribes are taking the cultural component of 

composting and gardening projects to the next level. For example, 

the Mashanantucket Pequots and the Pomo Indians of Redwood 

Valley Rancheria are cultivating endemic species to restore lost arts and historical knowledge. 

A garden roof atop the 

Mashantucket Pequot Museum and 

Research Center offers environmental, aesthetic, and cultural benefits. 

Many garden roofs contain “green” 

features, such as compost piles, but 

the Pequot’s roof serves a greater 

purpose. The museum borders a 

swamp filled with rhododendrons 

that provided refuge to the Pequots 

during King Philip’s War. To preserve this historical site and create 

an idyllic setting for special events, 

the tribe decided to install the garden roof, which reduces runoff into 

the swamp and contains decks and 

paths for meetings and receptions. 

Initially, the Mashantucket Pequot 

tribal council envisioned gardens 

with plants native to the Northeast 

and hired experts to develop a collection. The tribe, however, had 

trouble with these contractors and 

replaced them with tribal maintenance employees who lacked knowledge of native plants. As a result, 

the garden morphed from a collection of indigenous species to a 

haven for non-native ones. 

The green roof continues to evolve 

as the Pequots find ways to meet 

new challenges and increase the 

potential for cultural education. 

Tribal members hope to replace 

many of the exotic species with 

native ones and plan to populate 

garden beds with plants that their 

ancestors used for food, medicine, 

and other purposes. The gardens 

will include species such as Indian 

hemp, which is used to make rope, 

and blood root, which is used to 

treat blood ailments. Despite some 

obstacles, such as minor leaks in 

the roof, the museum staff remain 

committed to maintaining the roof 

and improving public access to 

ethnobotanical information. 

(L) Sedge beds being prepared for transplanting the white root sedge plants. (R) Rows of white root sedges growing. 

Feature: composting 
Tribal Waste Journal 16 

Feature: composting 

The children of Redwood Valley 

Rancheria enjoy the fruits of their 

labor by harvesting the pumpkins 

grown using the tribe’s compost. 

Like the Mashantucket Pequots, 

the Pomo Indians of Redwood 

Valley Rancheria discovered a way 

to connect gardening with cultural 

restoration. The tribe received a 

social economic development grant 

from the Administration for Native 

Americans (part of the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services) to develop a white root 

sedge garden. Historically, Pomo 

Indians wove baskets from the roots 

of white root sedge plants. 

Although white root sedge grows 

naturally along streams and rivers 

near Redwood Valley Rancheria, 

tribal members cannot access the 

plants because the tribe does not 

own riverfront property. In the grant 

application, the tribe framed the 

garden as a heritage preservation 

and economic development project—tribal members would use the 

white root sedge to create traditional baskets and sell baskets, roots, 

and entire sedge plants to generate 

revenue. 

To prepare the garden for the sedge 

plants, tribal members dug trenches, 

and applied a small amount of compost, then added 6 to 8 inches of 

clean sand to imitate the natural 

terraces where white sedge usually 

grows. Ironically, it is important 

that the compost is below the sand 

so that only the deep nutritional 

roots of the sedge plant reach it. 

The shallow roots, which are harvested for the baskets, turn dark 

when they are in nutrient rich soil 

such as compost. Basket makers prefer the roots to be light, as they decorate the baskets with dark 

materials and the decorations stand 

out better against a light foundation. 

In addition to helping the tribe 

revive the lost art of basket making, 

the white root sedge garden generates environmental benefits. White 

root sedge plants can filter pollutants from runoff and stabilize soil 

along highways and near parking 

lots, protecting streams and rivers. 

The tribe already moved dozens of 

plants from the garden to the edge 

of the parking lot of the tribe’s new 

education building. In addition, the 

California Department of 

Transportation purchased some of 

Redwood Valley Rancheria’s sedge 

plants for a bioremediation project 

along a highway. These pilot projects enabled tribal members to 

determine the conditions white root 

sedge requires to thrive. The tribe 

plans to apply this information to 

future projects, market the sedge 

plants to new customers, and prove 

that economic development and 

cultural revival can complement 

one another. 
17 Tribal Waste Journal 

Students and Teachers 

Worm Up to 

Vermicomposting 

You’ve heard of guinea pigs and hamsters as school pets, but have you ever 

met teachers who welcomed worms into 

their classrooms? Staff and students at Oneida 

Nation’s Turtle Elementary School proudly care for 

thousands of worms that process food scraps and old 

newspapers into valuable compost. Cafeteria workers set 

aside food scraps for the worms during food preparation, and 

science teachers help students feed and care for the worms. 

The Oneida Nation of Wisconsin is not the only tribe to recognize the power of red wigglers (Lumbricus rubellus), 

which can eat half of their body weight in 24 hours. Deanna Himango and Nathan Reinbold, of the Fond du Lac 

Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s Natural Resources Division, implemented a vermicomposting program on the 

reservation. This program started at the local Ojibwe School and expanded to 200 households. Mr. Reinbold estimates that approximately one in three families living on the reservation composts, using either an indoor worm 

bin or a traditional outdoor bin. As a result, the tribe saves thousands of dollars on waste management each year. 

• Obtain support from participants prior to purchasing 

worms 

• Establish a reliable method for 

collecting food scraps 

• Keep food scraps free of contaminants 

• Routinely feed worms 

• Monitor bin progress 

• Use the harvesting process 

and the final product to cultivate interest in composting 

throughout the community 

tips 

v e r m i -

c o m p o s t i n g

FOR 

F R O M T R I B E S 

Locating funding for a vermicomposting program, educating appropriate staff, setting up worm bins, 

and establishing a consistent feeding 

routine takes time, but now the programs at both Turtle Elementary 

School and Ojibwe School are selfsufficient. The schools no longer 

receive grants or outside sources of 

funding for vermicomposting, but 

their worms continue to multiply, 

and each year, the schools compost 

more organic waste. Between 2000 

and 2002 alone, Ojibwe School 

composted approximately 5,200 

pounds of food, saving the tribe 

$3,300 in hauling fees. 

Garnering Support 

Obtaining support for a vermicomposting program from participants 

prior to setting up bins is critical. 

Ms. Himango held worm committee 

meetings at the Ojibwe School 

to convince cafeteria staff, 

administrators, and science teachers 

that worms make good indoor companions, despite their reputation as 

slimy outdoor critters. At the meetings, Ms. Himango explained that a 

properly maintained worm bin has a 

pleasant earthy odor. She also 

pointed out that vermicomposting 

would save the tribe money and 

conserve landfill space. Although 

the meetings allayed many fears, it 

took the enthusiasm of children to 

fully convince adults that vermicomposting was a worthy venture. 

“Initially the yuck factor made some 

faculty members reluctant to participate,” said Laura Manthe, the vermicomposting program coordinator. 

“But they came around quickly 

when they saw how excited the kids 

were about the project.” 

The projects at Turtle Elementary 

School and Ojibwe School demonstrate that vermicomposting is not 

Feature: composting 
Tribal Waste Journal 18 

Feature: composting 

An Oneida Turtle Elementary School student 

works with one of the 30 containers used in their 

collection bins to 

ensure that meat, 

bones, and dairy products do not contaminate the worm food. 

Fond du Lac’s Ojibwe 

School operates a similar food scrap collection 

system. Each day, third 

graders termed “worm 

wrigglers” obtain a copy 

of the lunch menu, 

highlight the items 

worms can eat, place 

the menu near a red bin 

for food scraps, and 

oversee the collection 

process. 

The Key to 

Happy Worms 

Though worms are not 

picky eaters, they 

vermicomposting bins periodically 

rather than every day. Teachers 

often take care of feeding the 

worms, involving the students when 

time allows. Alternatively, students 

at Turtle Elementary School feed 

their worms every day, as the 

process takes less than 15 minutes. 

Connecting with the 

Community 

In addition to reducing waste hauling fees, a vermicomposting program can strengthen bonds in the 

community and generate interest in 

composting by fostering communication between children and adults. 

At Turtle Elementary School, students use a screening table to separate the worms from their castings. 

Then they mix the worm castings 

with soil and spread them over 

raised garden beds, where they grow 

fruits and vegetables such as raspberries, squash, potatoes, and broccoli. The students enjoy weeding 

the garden and caring for the plants, 

as the teachers turn these activities 

into social events. Each fall, the 

vermicomposting project. 

for everyone. Initially, children and 

a few progressive adults were the 

only community members excited 

about worm bins. Their enthusiasm 

was contagious on Fond du Lac 

Reservation, where a number of 

children convinced their parents to 

compost. 

Keeping Food Scraps 

Contaminant Free 

When Ms. Manthe proposed a 

vermicomposting program at Turtle 

Elementary School, some faculty 

members argued that the students 

would not be able to remember 

which food scraps to collect for the 

worms. It took only three days, 

however, for the children to master 

their new roles in the cafeteria. 

Kindergartners through eighth 

graders collect food scraps in 5-gallon red bins each day during lunch. 

The older students weigh the scraps, 

load the red containers onto a 

wagon, and feed the worms, burying 

extra scraps in an outdoor compost 

pile. These children monitor the 

require a blend of nitrogen-rich food 

scraps and carbon-rich bedding 

material to remain happy. The 

worms at Ojibwe School and Turtle 

Elementary School thrive because 

teachers and students ensure that 

they eat a balanced diet. 

At both 

schools, 

worms receive 

food yearround. 

At Ojibwe 

School teachers have discovered a way 

to reduce the 

amount of 

time spent 

caring for 

the worms— 

food scraps 

are stored in 

a refrigerator 

and added Students from the Fond du Lac Band’s Ojibwe School pour 

to the composting “tea” for sale to community members. 
19 Tribal Waste Journal 

Selecting and Setting Up a Worm Bin 

Indoor composting bins range from the homemade variety to special three-tiered systems. Although the Fond du 

Lac Environmental Department distributes recycled-content plastic bins to community members, it uses four large 

metal troughs for vermicomposting at Ojibwe School. The Oneida Tribe uses 30 25- gallon plastic containers for 

the Turtle Elementary School Project. 

Any vermicomposting bin must include a cover, as worms like dark, moist environments. Also, worms like to feed 

near the surface, so a bin should not be too deep. Holes near the bottom of a vermicomposting bin allow nutrient-rich liquids from the decomposing waste to drain. 

After selecting a bin of the appropriate size, the next step is to shred bedding material such as newspaper, computer paper, or leaves into small pieces, soak them in water, and spread them around the bin. Worms ingest grit 

and store it in a digestive organ called a gizzard, where it is used to grind up food; therefore, it is important to 

sprinkle a gritty substance such as crushed oyster shells, sand, or soil throughout the bedding material. 

The final step in setting up a worm bin is adding the worms. Most experts suggest using red wigglers (Lumbricus 

rubellus) or brandling worms (Eisenia foetida), which can be purchased from worm farms or garden supply catalogs. After giving the worms a chance to adjust for a few days, food scraps can be added. 

children harvest the organically 

grown produce and prepare dishes 

for a community feast. Adults bring 

venison, buffalo, and other treats. 

At Ojibwe School, worm wrigglers 

bring messages about composting 

home to their parents. In addition, 

students at the school sell their 

worm castings and “tea”—the nutrient-rich liquid generated during the 

composting process—to community 

members at Earth Day fairs and 

other events. The children package 

the castings in take-out containers 

affixed with labels that explain how 

to use the compost. They assume 

ownership of the program and gain 

experience running a “business” 

while educating the community 

about the benefits of composting. 

Mr. Reinbold and Ms. Manthe 

credit vermicomposting with 

reducing waste management costs, 

increasing childrens’ self-esteem, 

and encouraging interaction 

between the generations. With such 

an impressive track record, worms 

could become permanent fixtures in 

classrooms across the country. 

Feature: composting 
Tribal Waste Journal 20 

Feature: composting 

Located just east of Phoenix, Arizona, the Salt River Reservation is home to 

approximately 6,000 enrolled members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian 

Community. With an average annual precipitation of less than 10 inches per 

year and an average high temperature of above 100°F during the summer, the 

Salt River Reservation might seem to be a less than ideal location for a large 

scale composting operation. Yet despite the hot, dry Arizona climate, the Salt 

Salt River Landfill’s Green 

Waste Composting Beats 

the Heat 

Don’t think you can compost in arid climates? 

Think again. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa 

Indian Community composts nearly 3,000 tons 

of yard trimmings and commercial landscaping waste 

each month! 

River Landfill still manages to produce a high-quality product that makes its 

way onto the shelves of local nurseries, hardware stores, and home improvement centers. 

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa 

Indian Community’s green waste 

composting program is located at its 

permitted Subtitle D landfill. 

Owned and operated by the community, the Salt River Landfill is 

run as an autonomous enterprise. 

The community built the landfill for 

two purposes—to manage the reservation’s municipal solid waste and 

to generate revenue. In fact, the 

majority of the waste received at the 

landfill comes from neighboring 

Mesa, Gilbert, and Scottsdale. As 

part of its contract with these communities, the landfill also accepts 

green waste, which consists of yard 

trimmings and landscaping wastes 

(e.g., grass clippings, tree trimmings, 

shrub trimmings) from both residences and commercial businesses, 

including landscaping companies. 

The Salt River Landfill operators 

began the green waste program in 

1996 in an effort to reduce the volume of materials landfilled. As green 

waste takes up a significant amount 

of landfill air space, separating and 

managing it separately extends the 

operational life of the landfill by several years. Both the community and 

landfill operators felt that composting 

the green waste made sense economically, operationally, and environmentally. “It was just the right thing to 

do,” explained Frank Velazquez, assistant general manager of the landfill. 

Initially, a front-end loader broke 

apart incoming loads of green waste 

which were then hand-sorted by a 

four- man crew to remove contaminants. The sorted green waste was 

then ground in a tub grinder and 

placed in open-air piles to compost. 

Landfill staff monitored the temperature of the piles using hand probes 

and turned them regularly with the 

landfill’s front-end loader to ensure 

proper aeration. The finished product was then shipped to a local 

mulch manufacturer that mixed in 

amendments, and bagged and sold 

the final product. 

Not completely satisfied with the 

quality of its finished products, the 

landfill operators decided to switch 

from using simple piles to composting 

in windrows. While this decision 

resulted in a more uniform final product, it also required additional equipment and increased operational costs. 

Challenges: Climate and 

Contamination 

As might be expected, the greatest 

challenge facing Salt River PimaMaricopa Indian Community’s 

green waste program was the area’s 

climate. The hot, arid climate 

quickly dries the chipped material, 

short-circuiting the composting 

process and making compost piles 

and windrows a potential fire hazard. To address both these issues, 

the landfill staff installed a fire 

hydrant system at the dedicated 5­

acre composting area. The hydrant 

system allows workers to spray the 

compost piles as needed to maintain 

the proper moisture levels to sustain 

the decomposition process. The system also doubles as a fire suppression system in case of a fire. 
21 Tribal Waste Journal 

Another major problem was the contamination of incoming green waste 

with inappropriate materials such as 

painted or chemically treated wood. 

“If the community is not making a 

whole-hearted effort, one single bag of 

nongreen material can ruin entire 

batches of product,” laments Mr. 

Velazquez. “Even nontoxic contaminants, such as plastics, glass, and other 

trash, can degrade the quality of the 

compost, creating an unaesthetic, 

even dangerous, final product.” 

To minimize contamination, the program managers work with the communities of Mesa, Gilbert, and 

Scottsdale to educate their residents 

about the types of waste acceptable 

for composting. Mr. Velazquez noted, 

“Mesa has an excellent program; it 

purchased special 90-gallon containers for its residents specifically for 

green waste. That has helped cut 

down on some of the contamination.” 

Changing Hands 

After six years of successful composting, the landfill managers 

assessed the entire landfill and composting operation and decided that 

they were diverting a disproportionate amount of time and resources to 

the green waste program. At the 

same time, the green waste program 

was reducing the volume of waste 

disposed in the landfill and generating an environmentally beneficial 

and useful product. Not wanting to 

end the program the landfill managers and tribe concluded that it 

made more sense economically and 

operationally to let the experts handle the composting operation. 

To this end, the community hired a 

recycling company from Houston, 

Texas, to assume control and daily 

operation of the green waste program. “They are a very professional 

group,” said Mr. Velazquez. “They 

brought in their own equipment and 

personnel and completely took over 

operation of the green waste composting program. They streamlined 

operations and now produce a very 

high quality compost material.” 

Currently, the green waste program 

is a break-even endeavor. The minimal tipping fee for incoming green 

waste charged by the landfill offsets 

the expense of paying the contractors to run the green waste program. 

Though not generating revenue, the 

program’s real value is in saving 

space at the landfill—which translates into longer landfill life and 

continued revenue—and meeting 

the community’s goal of trying to 

recycle as much as possible. 

Compost’s Future in the 

Arid West 

“It seems that everyone in the 

Midwest and East have great green 

waste programs, and 

that mulch and compost 

are used heavily in 

these areas,” observes 

Mr. Velazquez. “In comparison, mulch and 

compost are not used as 

much in the West.” He 

attributes this to the 

arid climate, the relatively few number of 

trees, and the abundance of rock and gravThe drop-off location and windrows at the Salt el in the area, which 

River Landfill makes rock mulch the 

• Educate yourself on all aspects 

of the composting process 

• Consult with local composting 

experts 

• Ensure access to water to 

maintain proper moisture levels in piles and prevent fires 

• Work with your community to 

prevent contamination of 

source materials 

• Consider all the benefits of a 

green waste program, not just 

profitability 

tips 

a r i d

c l i m a t e s

FOR 

C O M P O S T I N G I N 

more common choice for landscaping. Although using compost as a 

ground cover has not caught yet in 

the region, Mr. Velazquez, his subcontractor, and a few others in the 

field have high hopes for the 

increased use of this product in the 

West in the near future. They 

believe that as the cost of landfill 

space continues to increase, separating and composting, mulching, or 

grinding organic materials will 

become more common. “My overall 

message is that there is hope,” 

opines Mr. Velazquez. 

For other tribes considering green 

waste composting programs in any 

region—arid, humid, or even arctic—Mr. Velazquez offers this advice, 

“Educate yourself. Learn and understand the decomposition process by 

taking courses, such as SWANA’s 

composting course; reading composting periodicals; and consulting with 

experts, especially local professionals 

with experience composting plants 

common to your region under local 

climatic conditions.” 

Feature: composting 
Feature: composting 

Tribal Waste Journal 22 

Composting Garbage 

and Sludge—An Alaskan 

Solution 

Climate, geography, and geology often combine to create seemingly insurmountable 

challenges for waste management in Alaska. 

The village of Haines, located in southeast Alaska, like 

many communities, faced a limited number of waste 

management options—all prohibitively expensive. 

Fortunately, Haines Sanitation, Inc. (HSI) devised a 

creative and innovative approach to solve the village’s 

solid waste management problems: in-vessel municipal waste composting. 

HSI, under the leadership of company president, 

Lynda Walker, and vice president, Tom Hall, is composting the village of Haines’ municipal solid waste and 

sewage sludge through a large-scale, aerated in-vessel operation. This municipal waste composting treats 

unseparated garbage and sewage sludge from the village’s wastewater treatment plant to create an inert material suitable for use as landfill cover. 

Ms. Walker and Mr. Hall strongly 

believe in this process and hope to 

work with other villages in the near 

future to develop a customized system to meet their needs. “Spreading 

mixed compost or using it as a cover 

material for an existing open dump 

is a much better option than throwing untreated garbage and honey 

bucket waste on the tundra or into 

surface water. The health and environmental benefits will justify the 

costs to the villages.” Ed Emswiler 

from Alaska Department of 

Environmental Conservation 

(ADEC) agrees, “It is a much better option than open dumping and 

much of the burning currently taking place in Alaska. HSI has 

demonstrated the technology 

works—now we just need to get out 

there and test it.” 

HSI turned to municipal waste composting as an affordable method for 

managing the village’s waste after 

exploring several other options. 

HSI’s first option was to bring its 

“Municipal solid waste composting is an option that 

needs to get on the table in 

Alaska. Its major advantages 

are its ability to stabilize 

garbage, control disease 

and vectors, and manage 

and decontaminate sewage 

sludge.” 

—Ed Emswiler, Alaska Department 

of Environmental Conservation 

landfill into full compliance with 

the Subtitle D landfill requirements. 

This approach was immediately 

rejected as being too expensive. HSI 

then tried shipping waste to Seattle 

for disposal. After paying more than 

$200,000 in one year and charging 

community members more than $40 

per month for a one can per week 

garbage pickup, this was also abandoned as too costly. 

It was at this point that HSI decided to pursue composting. Over the 

next two years, HSI spent approximately $500,000 designing, purchasing components, building, and 

perfecting its municipal waste composting system. The entire system, 

with the exception of the computer 

monitoring and control system, was 

built using off-the-shelf components 

and electronics. A significant portion of this sum was spent perfecting 

designs and addressing engineering 

and operational problems as the system was built. With this experience, 

Mr. Hall believes he could now 
23 Tribal Waste Journal 

Feature: composting 

HSI’s final compost product curing in windrows. Not even 

mid-winter freezing temperatures slow the process down. 

and other disease vectors. 

The process 

destroys organic compounds 

that can leach 

from untreated 

waste and contaminate 

drinking water 

supplies or 

valuable fishing waters. 

“Our compost 

will not leach 

awaiting ADEC approval to use the 

final compost as cover material at 

its Class III landfill. Mr. Hall is confident they will receive approval. “It 

makes an excellent cover material 

as it compacts well and can support 

plant growth,” he explains. 

The Process 

HSI’s mixed waste composting combines most of the municipal solid 

waste generated by the Haines community and sewage sludge from the 

community’s wastewater treatment 

plant. Some materials such as construction and demolition (C&D) 

debris and other large items are separated and taken directly to the 

landfill. The materials collected 

through the community voluntary 

recycling program are, likewise, 

managed separately and not composted. 

The first step in the process is 

shredding the garbage and mixing it 

with the biosolids from the wastewater treatment plant. The shredding and mixing takes place in a 

mixing trommel, a 12-foot diameter 

by 30-foot long, knife-lined rotating 

drum. After spending two hours in 

the mixing trommel, the waste/ 

sludge mixture is ready to be placed 

in the digester. 

Using the proper carbon-to-nitrogen 

ratio (i.e., waste to biosolids) is 

reduce the cost of developing a new 

system for a village to between 

$300,000 and $350,000, including 

all freight costs. 

While this price is still high, HSI 

believes the potential improvements 

to village health and the environment justify the expense. Mr. Hall 

also points out that the process 

could potentially use fish waste or 

honey bucket waste (i.e., raw 

sewage) in addition to, or in place 

of, biosolids. “We just need to try it 

and work out the engineering,” 

explains Mr. Hall. 

Advantages of Composting 

While cost savings is the major 

motivator in HSI’s composting, volume reduction, waste stabilization, 

and the generation of a usable product are other major benefits of 

municipal solid waste and sewage 

sludge composting. By reducing the 

volume of the 1,100 tons of waste it 

treats each year by about one-third, 

HSI’s process will nearly double the 

life of the current Class III landfill 

(permitted for inert wastes only), 

according to Mr. Hall. 

The composting process also effectively neutralizes organic materials 

in waste and sludge that attract 

birds, rats, foxes, dogs, bears, insects, 

or attract animals. We have not had any problems with bears, and the ravens are 

really not happy with us,” reports 

Mr. Hall. The decomposition 

process also decontaminates sewage 

sludge, making it safe for disposal— 

an important health consideration 

for many Alaskan villages. 

HSI’s finished compost also can be 

used as landfill cover material. 

Adequate volumes of suitable cover 

material are extremely hard to find 

and expensive to procure in many 

parts of Alaska, particularly in 

remote tundra settings. HSI believes 

that the large amounts of decontaminated, inert compost that its 

process generates presents a low-risk 

alternative to expensive imported 

cover materials. At this time, HSI is 

EPA 503 Requirements 

The Subpart D (pathogen and vector attraction reduction) requirements 

of 40 CFR Part 503 regulations were developed for the land application 

or disposal of biosolids (sewage sludge). For biosolids to be applied to 

lawns and gardens as a soil amendment, they must meet the Class A 

Pathogen and Vector Attraction Reduction Guidelines. These guidelines 

require that temperatures be sustained during the biosolid composting 

process at 55° Celsius (131° Fahrenheit) or greater for at least three days 

if in-vessel or static aerated piles are used, or 55° Celsius or greater for 

at least 14 days if aerated windrows are used. There are no federal 

composting requirements, but many composters use the 503 regulations 

as guidelines for their composting operations. 
24 

Feature: composting 

Tribal Waste Journal 

ice (USDA 

A Million Dollar Alaskan 

Opportunity—Denali Commission 

Solid Waste Programs 

In 2004, the Denali Commission received a $1 million appropriation from 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development off

RD) to address deficiencies in solid waste disposal sites which threaten to 

contaminate rural drinking water supplies (under the FY 2004 Omnibus 

Appropriation Bill (H.R. 2673 Sec. 764)). This funding provides the Denali 

Commission and its partner organizations an opportunity to identify innovative solutions to technical and logistical challenges of traditional handling of municipal solid waste (MSW). The appropriation authorizes the 

Denali Commission to fund pilot projects incorporating emerging technologies to improve local management options. To date, Denali 

Commission has allocated $842,870 of the $1 million FY04 funds to 13 

separate projects, including several composting projects. 

For FY05, USDA RD appropriated another $1.5 million for the Denali 

Commission Solid Waste Program to distribute. While the initial FY04 was 

considered a single-year funding opportunity, the 2005 funding signals 

the possibility of continuing investment by USDA RD. 

To learn more about the Denali Commission’s Solid Waste Program and 

funding opportunities please contact: Cindy Roberts at 907 271-3018 or 

email to croberts@denali.gov. A list of the current award recipients and 

application information is available on the Web at <www.denali.gov/ 

Program_Documents.cfm?Section=Solid%20Waste> 

(i.e., high enough to kill the beneficial microorganisms responsible for 

the decomposition process), the 

computer regulates the flow of air 

into and out of the vessel. If temperatures become too high, more air 

is pushed through the vessel in 

order to cool the compost. 

Conversely, air supply is reduced 

when temperatures are too low. 

The computer system also records 

in-vessel temperatures over time to 

demonstrate that each batch meets 

the EPA 503 temperature requirements. Odors from the decomposition of the waste are controlled by 

passing air exhaust through a wood 

chip and sawdust biofilter. 

After the 14-day digestion period, 

the compost is removed from the 

vessel and passed through a rotating 

two-inch screen. This screening separates the larger particles (mostly 

glass, plastic, and cans) from the 

compost. The large-sized waste is 

taken to the landfill and buried as 

inert municipal waste. The screened 

compost is then placed in curing 

bins for 14 days. After curing, the 

final product is ready for use. In 

2003, HSI produced approximately 

400 tons of usable compost and 

landfilled 300 to 400 tons of 

screened, inert material. 

crucial to achieving maximum have finally found the proper propor- Due to its unsegregated nature, the 

compost efficiency and ensuring the tions and can consistently produce compost contains small shards of 

process is self-sustaining within the compost of the desired quality. glass, plastic, metal, and other items 

digester. HSI uses an aerobic com- that can pose a safety hazard. 

posting process, so proper water and HSI staff monitor and control air Occasionally, needles end up in the 

and moisture levels within the compost when community members air concentrations also are critical. digester with a computer control When all of these ingredients are throw them in the trash instead of

system. To maintain desired mois- taking them to the community
 in the proper proportions, the 


composting/digestion process ture levels, water is periodically health facility for proper disposal. 

generates temperatures sufficient to added, mostly derived from previous Because the compost frequently 

sustain decomposition and meet EPA batches of compost. Because it is a contains these dangerous items, HSI 

closed-loop system, no water is dis- workers wear protective safety gear 503 Pathogen Reduction and Vector charged from the system to pollute (e.g., gloves, boots, and aprons) Attraction Requirements. During the the environment.
 first two years, HSI experimented when handling it.


with different waste, sludge, air, and To keep temperatures within the


water ratios. Mr. Hall believes they digester from getting too high 

25 Tribal Waste Journal 

resources


Publications

Appelhof, Mary. Worms Eat My 

Garbage: How to Setup and Maintain 

a Vermicomposting System. 

Kalamazoo, Michigan: Flower Press, 

1982. <www.wormwoman.com> 

U.S. EPA. Biosolids Technology Fact 

Sheet: In-Vessel Composting of 

Biosolids (EPA832-F-00-061) 

<www.epa.gov/owm/mtb/invessel.pdf> 

U.S. EPA. Biosolids Technology Fact 

Sheet: Use of Composting for 

Biosolids Management (EPA832-F-02-

024) <www.epa.gov/owm/mtb/ 

combioman.pdf> 

U.S. EPA. Composting Yard 

Trimmings and Municipal Solid 

Waste (EPA530-R-94-003) 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ 

compost/cytmsw.pdf> 

U.S. EPA. Fact Sheet: Cover up with 

Compost (EPA530-F-02-002) 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ 

muncpl/ghg/f02022.pdf> 

U.S. EPA. GreenScapes Brochure (for 

large land-use applications) (EPA530-

K-03-003) <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/ 

non-hw/green/pubs/brochure.pdf> 

U.S. EPA. GreenScaping Your Lawn 

and Garden (brochure for homeowners) (EPA530-K-03- 002) 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ 

green/pubs/home-gs.pdf> 

U.S. EPA. Waste Prevention, 

Recycling, and Composting Options: 

Lessons from 30 Communities 

(EPA530-C-01-002) <www.epa.gov/ 

epaoswer/osw/cdoswpub.htm> 

Web Sites

Better Composting School, sponsored by the University of Maryland/ 

Maryland Cooperative Extension 

<www.agnr.umd.edu/users/Bioreng/ 

recyclegreen.htm> 

Cooperative State Research, Education, 

and Extension Service (CSREES), 

U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

<www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/ 

index.html> 

Cornell University/Cornell Waste 

Management Institute Composting 

Web site <cwmi.css.cornell.edu/ 

Composting.html> 

greenroofs.com 

<www.greenroofs.com> 

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities 

<www.greenroofs.org> 

Green Roof Plants 

<www.greenroofplants.com> 

U.S. Composting Council

<www.compostingcouncil.org/index.cfm> 

U.S. EPA Composting Web site 

<www.epa.gov/compost> 

U.S. EPA GreenScapes Web site 

<www.epa.gov/greenscapes> 

U.S. EPA Jobs Through Recycling: 

Organics Web page 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ 

recycle/jtr/comm/organics.htm> 

U.S. EPA Waste Management in 

Indian Country 

<www.epa/gov/tribalmsw> 

Solid Waste Alaskan Network 

(S.W.A.N.)—Composting 

<www.ccthita-swan.org/Tutorials/ 

composting_final.cfm#9> 

Solid Waste Association of North 

America composting certification. 

<www.swana.org> 

Washington Organic Recycling 

Council (WORC) composting training 

<www.compostwashington.org> 

Funding

U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Value-Added Producer Grants 

<www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/ 

vadg.htm> 

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

Environmental Management 

Program grants—contact your BIA 

regional environmental scientist 

Denali Commission Solid Waste 

Program <www.denali.gov/ 

Program_Documents.cfm?Section 

=Solid%20Waste> 

Related Resources

Annual Native American Permaculture 

Design Course Permaculture—permanent (Agri) culture—is the harmonious 

integration of landscape and people, 

providing food, energy, shelter, and 

other needs in a sustainable way for 

all species. It is a holistic approach 

based on traditional practices. For more 

information contact: 

Traditional Native American


Farmers Association


Phone: (505) 983-2172 


or (505) 412-0336


E-mail: tnafanm@yahoo.com 


or teszu@aol.com 


The National Gardening Association, 

a nonprofit organization established to 

help gardeners, has a series of articles 

on the many uses of native plants. 

Native Plants as Food 

<www.nationalgardening.com/ 

special/tmi/article3.asp> 

Native Plants as Medicine 

<www.nationalgardening.com/ 

special/tmi/article4.asp> 

Native Plants for Fiber, Dyes, 

and Other Uses 

<www.nationalgardening.com/ 

special/tmi/article5.asp> 

Periodicals

BioCycle Journal of Composting 

& Recycling. JG Press Inc. 

<www.jgpress.com/biocycle.htm> 

Composting News. <www.recycle.cc> 

Worm Digest. <www.wormdigest.org> 

resources 
26 

contacts 

Tribal Waste Journal 

CONTACTS


The Tribal Waste Journal would like to thank everyone who shared their stories and experiences for this 

issue. Interviewee contact information is provided below for those who are interested in learning more 

about specific tribes’ programs. 

Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet 

Indian Reservation of Montana 

Browning, Montana 

Gerald Wagner 

406 338-7421 

gwagner@blackfeetnation.com 

Mary Ellen Flamand 

406 338-7421 

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians 

Cherokee, North Carolina 

Richie Bottchenbaugh 

828 508-2633 

T. Trejo 

828 497-1833 

John D. Long 

828 497-1825 

johnlong@nc-cherokee.com 

Fond du Lac Reservation 

Cloquet, Minnesota 

Nathan Reinbold 

218 878-8023 

nathanreinbold@fdlrez.com 

Haines Sanitation, Inc. 

Haines, Alaska 

Lynda Walker 

Tom Hall 

907 766-2736 

HSIWalker@aptalaska.net 

Ho-Chunk Nation 

Black River Falls, Wisconsin 

Jim Dunning 

715 284-7548 

jdunning@ho-chunk.com 

Lisa DiAngelo 

888 685-4422 

LDAngelo@ho-chunk.com 

Kake Tribal Corporation 

Kake, Alaska 

Bob Mills 

907-785-3221 

bobmills@starband.net 

www.totemsoil.com 

Mashantucket Pequot Tribe 

Mashantucket, Connecticut 

Jason R. Mancini 

860 396-6802 

jmancini@mptn-nsn.gov 

Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin 

Oneida, Wisconsin 

Diane Jourdan 

920 497-5812 ext. 164 

djourdan@oneidanation.org 

Laura Manthe 

lmanthe@oneidanation.org 

Redwood Valley Rancheria 

Redwood Valley, California 

Chuck Williams 

707 485-0361 

gytribalepa@pacific.net (c/o Gregg 

Young) 

Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian 

Community in Arizona 

Scottsdale, Arizona 

Frank Velazquez 

480 941-3427, ext. 20 

fvelazquez@srlandfill.com 

Alaska Department of Environmental 

Conservation 

Ed Emswiler 

907 465-5353 

Ed_Emswiler@dec.state.ak.us 

To be placed on our mailing list or submit ideas or success stories, send an e-mail to 

Janice Johnson, creative director of the Tribal Waste Journal, at <johnson.janice@epa.gov>. 
Ki

dsPage

tips. Consider sponsoring a 

dumping incidents. 

Elephant and 

Of the EPA Tribal Waste Journal 

Calendar Contests 

Compost Crops 

After your kids have put in all the hard work and effort composting 

yard trimmings or food scraps in their backyard and vermicomposting bins, here is a great exercise to demonstrate the usefulness of 

compost. Using two similar garden plots—one with a bucket of 

compost mixed into the soil and one without—kids can compare 

compost’s influence on the plants’ rate of growth. Over a 4 or 5 

week period of watering, weeding, and measuring the plant growth 

for each of the plots, kids can compare the size and appearance of 

the plants in both plots. They can also dig up one plant from each 

plot and compare the root structures of both plants, and dig 

around in the soil and examine and compare differences between 

the soil texture, moisture content, and presence of worms or other 

insects. When the vegetables are ripe, harvest and have a feast! 

For additional information about this activity, visit 

<http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/kids/quest/pdf/37crops.pdf>, 

or order a free copy of The Quest for Less: Activities and Resources 

for Teaching K-6 (EPA530-R-00-008) from EPA’s National Service 

Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) at 1-800-490-9198. 

Want a way to deliver your 

waste management or environmental message 12 months of 

the year? Create a calendar and 

fill it with recycling, composting, and other waste reduction 

poster or photography contest 

for students as artwork for the 

calendar to get kids excited 

and involved. The Red Lake 

Band of Chippewa Indians held 

a poster contest for middle 

school students. More than 40 

students submitted posters with 

a pollution prevention and protecting the environment theme. 

Red Lake Department of 

Natural Resources staff selected the 12 winning posters for 

use in the calendar and distributed more than 500 calendars 

to tribal members. 

The White Earth Band of 

Chippewa Biology Department 

also produced a calendar to 

increase environmental awareness within the community. 

The calendar featured photographs of scenic areas on the 

reservation, such as a local 

landing at sunset and native 

wildlife, and contained environmental quotations in 

Ojibwa from famous chiefs. 

The tribe packed the back 

page of the calendar with 

information on its solid 

waste ordinance and ways for 

members to report illegal 

“Worms are 

more powerful 

than the African 

more important 

to the economy 

than the cow.” 

—Charles Darwin 

june 2005

®

kids/index.htm> 

education/middle_school/ 

index.k2?did=2016§ionID=2016> 

index.html> 

Composting and Other Waste Reduction Web Sites for Kids 

FirstGov For Kids <www.kids.gov> is the 

U.S. government interagency Kids’ Portal 

developed and maintained by the Federal 

Citizen Information Center. It provides 

links, grouped by subject, to federal kids’ 

sites along with some of the best kids’ 

sites from other organizations. Included 

are links to numerous composting, vermicomposting, and recycling sites. 

healthfinder , <www.healthfinder.gov> 

developed by the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, is an excellent resource for finding government and 

nonprofit health and human services information on the Internet. Among the links to 

more than 1,500 health-related organizations’ Web sites, are links to numerous 

environmental health sites, including several composting and recycling sites. 

Composting 

EPA’s Planet Protectors Club for Kids 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/ 

Kids Recycle! Composting 

<www.kidsrecycle.org/composting.php> 

Recycling: Make a Compost Heap for 

Your Garden (World Wildlife Fund) 

<www.panda.org/news_facts/ 

homework_help/projectidea.cfm?pjid=1> 

Reduce Waste—If Not you, Who? 

(Minnesota Office of Environmental 

Assistance) <www.reduce.org> 

Vermicomposting 

Ask the Answer Worm! 

<www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/ 

education/squirm/skworm.html> 

As the Worm Turns: Worm Composting 

at Portland Public Schools 

<www.pps.k12.or.us/district/depts/ 

fam/enviro/wormturns.shtml> 

Kids Recycle! Vermi-composting 

<www.kidsrecycle.org/worms.php> 

National Institute of Environmental 

Health Sciences (NIEHS) Kids’ Pages: 

Vermicomposting (Making Good 

Use of Garbage!) 

<www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/worms.htm> 

The Adventures of Herman: 

The Autobiography of Squirmin’ Herman 

the Worm <www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/ 

worms/index.html> 

Worm Away Your Cafeteria Food Scraps 

(North Carolina Cooperative Extension 

Service ) <www.bae.ncsu.edu/ 

people/faculty/sherman/worms.html> 

Gardening 

Junior Master Gardener 

<www.k2demo.com/jmg/ 

University of Illinois Extension: My First 

Garden: A Guide to the World of Clever 

and Fun Gardening 

<www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/firstgarden/ 

Handmade Recycled Paper Planters

Here is an activity that lets kids close 

the loop on used paper by creating 

recycled paper planters out of used 

newspaper. Begin by soaking small 

pieces of shredded newspaper and 

pulping the paper fibers with a hand 

egg beater until it looks like mush. 

Then mold the pulp to the inside of a 

plastic cup-shaped container or soda 

bottle with the top cut off, squeezing 

out as much water as possible. Let the 

pulp dry completely for the next 

three days. Carefully remove the 

handmade recycled paper planter 

from its mold, and it is ready for use! 

The planter can be transplanted in 

the ground where it will decompose 

and provide nutrients to the plant as 

it takes root and grows. You can further close the loop by using compost 

from classroom vermicomposting or 

backyard bins and planting the 

seedlings in school or home gardens. 

For additional information about this 

activity, visit <http://www.epa.gov/ 

epaoswer/osw/kids/quest/pdf/ 

29plant.pdf>, or order a free copy of 

The Quest for Less: Activities and 

Resources for Teaching K-6 

(EPA530-R-00-008) from EPA’s 

National Service Center for 

Environmental Publications 

(NSCEP) at 1-800-490-9198. 

churned 

Compose Your Own 

Composting Song 

Have your kids write lyrics about 

composting, recycling, or any 

other environmental issue. They 

can rewrite the lyrics to one of 

their favorite songs or compose 

their own music and lyrics. The 

Compost Song is a great example: 

The Compost Song: “Take 

Me Out to the Compost” 

(Sung to the tune of “Take Me Out 

to the Ball Game”) 

Take me out to the compost 

Take me out to the pile. 

Add some soil and a few good 

worms 

I don’t care if I’m turned and I’m 

‘Cause it’s root root root for the 

microbes; 

If they don’t live it’s a shame. 

For in two, four, six weeks, I’m out 

in the old garden. 

—Pam Ahearn, Waits River School, 

East Corinth, Vermont