USUE Students are ready to compost

By Camille Hudson and Dale Gagon

USU Eastern students Dale Gagon and Camille Hudson have teamed up with USU Extension
Assistant Professor Steven Price to bring composting to campus.
Proposals to start a composting project in Price are in the early stages, but Gagon and Hudson say that
they believe students are environmentally conscious and ambitious enough to embrace the idea.
USU Extension, a branch of Utah State University, provides research-based programs intended to
improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities throughout Utah.
Price is in charge of the Agriculture and Natural Resources extension program. He is also the Carbon
County Extension Director and is actively involved in the local 4-H program. He is knowledgeable about
other composting sites throughout Utah and is excited to establish sustainable behavior on Eastern’s
campus.
Composting is the aerobic decomposition of organic material by microorganisms that keep nutrients
in the soil without the addition of fertilizers and other environmentally harmful chemicals. It has
become more popular as a way to reduce waste and improve soil quality. Cities such as Ogden and Salt
Lake have composting facilities that keep organic waste from entering the landfill.
Gagon and Hudson saw the need for composting at the Eastern campus. They studied the current
behaviors of students and decided it was time to create more sustainable behavior. If the project
is successful, USU Eastern will commit to the idea of composting and continue down a path that reduces
its environmental footprint.
Gagon and Hudson say that if USU Eastern’s student body can commit to composting,
environmental behaviors will spread throughout the community.
“We look forward to seeing the students as well as many community members adopt composting
and implement sustainability in their individual lives,” Hudson says.