BRATTLEBORO-On Thursday, April 30, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., join the Rich Earth Institute and Brightwater Tools for an open house at its offices, 355 Old Ferry Rd., to learn how these two local organizations are working in tandem to harness an abundant source of nutrients in “waste.”
Organizers said in a news release that the ongoing war on Iran is leading to global fertilizer shortages and skyrocketing prices that are threatening farmers’ livelihoods and are putting food systems at risk.
“It’s a vital reminder of the urgency to re-localize our nutrient sources, so farmers can continue to grow the crops that feed our communities,” they said. “By completing food nutrient cycles locally — through practices such as urine diversion, blackwater systems, composting, and food waste digestion—we can build food security, healthy watersheds, and more resilient communities.”
Visitors can tour the U.S.’s first community-scale urine recycling facility, meet their operations and research teams, learn how the system works in practice, and see real-world infrastructure, including urine-diverting toilets and urinals, collection trucks, and pumping equipment.
Brightwater Tools’ processing technologies — including the pasteurizer and freeze concentrator — will also be showcased, along with information about pilot projects in Europe where urine is transformed into a high-quality fertilizer that replaces imported synthetic fertilizers.
For more information, visit bit.ly/862-rich.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.