Composting Practices Sprout in Orono

Orono students took their classroom lessons outdoors Tuesday, getting down and dirty on a perfect day for planting. 

Third grade teacher Lindsey Huotari’s class was among them. Huotari is a faculty leader in an ongoing composting initiative in the Orono School District and said yesterday’s planting was something kids had been looking forward to for days.

“It’s great to see them so excited like this,” she said from beneath a wide-brimmed gardening hat.

Kids planted dozens of beets, carrots, pumpkin and other seedlings under the supervision of teachers, parents and volunteers. All had a chance to plant and cycle through special project stations ringing the garden.

From her position in food services, Kris Diller has been another driving force in Orono’s compositing commitment.

“The cool thing about this is that the kids recycle our compostable food,” she said. “Now we have the full circle.”

Composting at Orono schools has been going on for the last three years. The district’s youngest students are more familiar with routines than high school kids, and second graders are teaching their parents about how to compost.

“If we start it at this age, think about how much that grows,” Diller said. “They’re not going to know anything different. They will have been doing it since kindergarten. They will be planting with the soil they created.”

So what pushed the Orono School District to incorporate compost practices into their curriculum? Diller says there’s a simple reason.

“It’s the right thing to do,” she said. “I can only do so much as one person, and that’s why I was so excited about the grant.”

Tuesday’s planting in Orono was one of several taking place throughout the Metro area thanks in large part to “Community Power Grants” appropriated by Hennepin County. Paul Kroenag, a supervising environmentalist, was in Orono yesterday representing the county.

The veggies kids planted this week are now taking root in raised garden beds called “The Little Acre,” invented by a local woman from North Arm Bay.

Cindy McDonnell said “The Little Acre” allows for a complete garden just about anywhere and after making its debut earlier this year is currently available at several outdoor specialty stores.

In addition to composting, Orono is helping set a state precedent by pivoting toward purchasing natural, organic and biodegradable wrapping of food served in the cafeteria. Everything is evaluated and ordered with an eye toward composing.