AMES-An August 24 tour near Ames will demonstrate how cities and farms can
work together to put sludge to work as a resource while reducing pollution.
The "Town and Country" tour runs from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ames
Wastewater Pollution Control Facility southeast of Ames and is open to the
public at no charge.
The picturesque strips of poplars, corn, soybeans and switchgrass found at
the Ames facility are the site of a five-year demonstration of how to use
sludge to fertilize these crops while using trees and switchgrass as
biomass to reduce facility energy bills.
Through this innovative system-one of only a handful in the nation-the
wastewater facility uses the 2,000 dry tons of sludge it generates yearly
to boost growth in the tree and crop strips. These biomass crops in turn
help keep sludge contaminants from reaching water supplies.
Use of a shuttle departing from the Scheman Continuing Education Building
at Iowa State University to the site is encouraged; reservations can be
made by calling the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture by noon
Thursday, Aug. 24, (515) 294-3711.
This tour is sponsored by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture,
Iowa State University, city of Ames, Iowa Energy Center, ISU Extension,
Iowa Department of Natural Resources, U. S. Department of Energy and U. S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
-30-
Anne Larson, Comm. Specialist
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
126 Soil Tilth Building
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-3120
ealarson@iastate.edu
(515) 294-0626
FAX: (515) 294-9696
Leopold Center Web Page:
http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/leopold/Leopold.html