The Center for Rural Affairs seeks to provide workshops and demonstrations on the environmental benefits of home composting and watering conservation. This project, which will be extended to the 6,557 residents of Thurston County, Nebraska, and will be conducted at the Center’s office in Walthill, NE, in partnership with the Nebraska Indian Community College in Macy, NE. The CFRA aims to address the unique challenges of home gardeners in this region by offering resources to increase the conservation practices of composting, natural pest control, and limited water waste.

The proposed outcomes from this project include

● Increased utilization of community gardens in Walthill from 15 to 25 and Macy from 18 to 30 people.

● Provide educational conservation workshops on:

● Basic gardening skills.

● Effective watering conservation practices, including water barrels and drip irrigation instead of sprinklers.

● Starting and maintaining a composting barrel.

● Community composting.

● Vermiculture.

● Establish a continuous educational program on conservation practices for gardeners with Nebraska Indian Community College and Little Priest Tribal College.

● Determine a permanent site for a community composting collection and bin program.

By providing these opportunities, the CFRA will promote conservation practices through increasing participants’ use of composting, natural pest control, and efficient watering techniques.