Nutrient Management Section of Farm to Plate Strategic Plan Published

With the passage of Act 148 and the impending implementation of a new Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) – the daily nutrient budget for a body of water – for Lake Champlain, Vermont is on the cusp of a dramatic and comprehensive shift in the way its citizens will relate to and manage nutrients. Vermonters throw away upwards of 60,000 tons of food scraps per year, but Act 148 stipulates that all food scraps will be diverted from landfills by 2020 via source reduction, food rescue, food for animals, composting, and energy production.

Written by Jake Claro, Farm to Plate Network Coordinator, Chapter 3, section 7, Nutrient Management, analyzes the challenges and opportunities posed by universal recycling of food scraps and renewed pressure for improving on-farm nutrient management.

The Food Cycle Coalition is developing strategies to develop the necessary infrastructure and engage the public on this major transition away from waste management toward nutrient management.