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The last time we spoke with Monica was back in August. The on-campus composting project she launched began with 10% of the dining hall waste, and quickly shot up to 45%. Since then, she has been focusing on ways to get that number to 100%, including building an on-site storage shed and hiring more helping hands.

As of this week, her focus and tenacity has paid off – Monica successfully organized the funds and purchase of a compost shed for the MIU campus dining hall! The shed will allow for 100% composting on campus, which prevents a separate truck from making a trip to pick up our compost. This is exciting news, and we have even more to report from the world of Monica.

Monica Tractor MIUSince graduating from the MIU Sustainable Living Program, where she studied with Elaine Ingham, Monica’s dedication and passion have attracted some well-deserved attention. As a certified Master Gardener and compost specialist, Monica was invited to speak on November 5th at an event hosted by Women, Land & Legacy of Southwest Iowa in Glenwood. The event featured other experts on soil health, composting and water catchment such as Doug Graves (Bodega Victoriana, Owner), and Kevin Seevers (Watershed Improvement Project, Coordinator).

This event was only half of Monica’s adventure that weekend.  Part two was the result of Monica’s drive and ingenuity for soils and composting.  Word has been spreading around the MIU Sustainable Living department about how she had used the money she earned for speaking at the WL&L event in Glenwood to pay for admission to the 2-Day Women Food and Agriculture Network Conference in Davenport.  I had a chance to catch up with her and gather some details on the events.

Monica recalled, “The drive from Glenwood to Davenport is about five hours, but it was kind of on my way back to Fairfield, so I just went with it!” When asked about her speech at the Glenwood event, she was happy to clearly break down the basic points. “It’s all about the Soil Food Web, and the vital role that microbes play in the composting process,” She continued, “When people think about the important role of these micro-organisms, they usually think of the flower instead of the root.”When listening to Monica speak, it is easy to imagine her addressing an audience, and her understanding of the priorities in her field becomes obvious. “The most important thing I want people to walk away with,” she says, “is the feeling that composting and soils knowledge is easily accessible.”

In addition to the big news about the compost shed, Monica let me know that her hard work toward building MIU’s compost operation has inspired the university to include the compost department in their 501(c)3 non-profit account budget.  This will also allow projects the opportunity to receive donations. Access to the account will multiply the power the compost program will wield on-campus, and in the community. Monica also recently attended a tractor safety seminar, and held her own microbe workshop on campus for a group of 26 people.

Monica Workshop MIU

Chris Vasques is currently working on his BA in Sustainable Living with a focus on Community Building and Psychology. Chris has been a musician for the last 20 years and has developed professional skills in writing, marketing, and design.