Fairbanks Food Bank Gets Composter To Encourage More Local Growers

1 week ago

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU) - In bid to promote residents to turn nutrient locally and summation donations, nan Fairbanks Community Food Bank is opening cognition of a Biodigester successful its warehouse.

The machine, which composts nutrient discarded complete 24 hours by heating it to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, is expected to go operational this week. At capacity, 670 pounds of nutrient a time tin beryllium composted successful nan machine.

According to Community Development Director Sam Kirstein, nan Biodigester is meant to execute galore objectives for nan nutrient bank, including keeping nutrient discarded retired of nan section landfill.

“Our landfill does not request to person much nutrient waste,” Kirstein said.

Of nan nutrient received by nan Fairbanks nutrient bank, 10% is waste, she explained.

While nan Biodigester is tin of processing meat, Kirstein said they do not intend to usage it for that intent because nan nutrient slope does not grip capable nutrient to warrant investing successful a shredder for it.

Kirstein discussed nan intended benefits for section growers.

These growers, she said, are going to person nan compost processed by nan Biodigester, sloppy of their standard of operation.

“We tin promote more, much group to turn locally if we tin springiness them a bully product,” Kirstein said.

From businesses to a individual gardener, Kirstein said each are invited to bring their nutrient discarded to nan nutrient slope and person compost.

In nan past year, earthy nutrient donations to nan nutrient slope person slowed, according to Kirstein.

For nan nutrient slope to complete its operations, she said, “I request 5 to 10 tons of nutrient each day, and successful particular, I request astatine slightest 2 tons of nutrient that’s produce, that’s fresh.”

She said this shortage led nan nutrient slope successful June 2024 to temporarily halt its “Food Is Medicine” program, which provides patient nutrient to those pinch a referral from a aesculapian provider.

“We were not getting arsenic overmuch nutrient from our market stores arsenic we had successful nan past. We needed more,” Kirstein explained.

While nan program, which serves 800 group successful nan interior, was backmost up and moving by August, nan statement continues to request further produce.

“We request much nutrient to meet nan needs of nan patients who are needing it, and nan grocers springiness america what they can, but we request to person much section growers truthful that we tin meet nan needs of nan group who are improving their wellness by eating caller food,” Kirstein said.

The Biodigester, according to Kirsten, is intended to promote much group to turn locally.

“If we person compost made from nutrient discarded that we tin supply to growers, you know, and it’s free, if you give, if you stock your nutrient pinch us, we want to make judge that we springiness it to you free, past we dream that that will promote different group to want to turn much and possibly it’ll trim their cost,” she added.

It is also, she said, meant to thief grocers pinch processing their nutrient discarded “so they don’t person to do specified dense sorting location successful their store. We tin do that for them now, and truthful I’m conscionable reasoning it’s a win-win each nan measurement around.”

Kirstein said nan instrumentality costs $133,000, money secured by 5 Lions Clubs successful nan interior successful December, pinch thief from nan Fairbanks North Star Borough, arsenic well.

The nutrient slope plans to clasp a ribbon cutting to showcase nan Biodigester to nan organization toward nan extremity of April.

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