Demonstration of and Education on Small-Scale Biogas Digesters in African-American Communities

Commodities

Practices

Anaerobic digestion is a process that is used by municipal or industrial facilities in the United States to eliminate organic matter from biological waste before release into the environment, or to produce renewable biogas gas as fuel.  However, a third product of this process, plant nutrient-rich effluent, has not been significantly exploited as fertilizer.  We propose to promote the use of small-scale, portable, above ground biogas digesters to provide organic fertilizer at the level of urban and rural households and small farms, by constructing a series of public-facing digesters at Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture, the largest community garden in Atlanta, GA.  These digesters will be the centerpiece and practical embodiment of an educational campaign focused on students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), K-12 institutions, and environmentally engaged community members of all ages in West Atlanta, an economically challenged and underserved neighborhood.  Learners will be made aware of this technology that advances a more circular materials economy, where consumers can create value-added products from waste while simultaneously lowering their carbon footprint and dependance on centralized energy infrastructure.  We anticipate that their increased knowledge of the process will encourage them to want units in their own homes or blocks.  Units will be established at smaller farms in the West and south Atlanta communities, such as Historic Westside Gardens and Patchwork Farms.  There are no American manufacturers of portable biogas units, and the world market is dominated by Chinese, Israeli, and Indian companies.  We will investigate how well the system works in urban environments in the American Southeast, and adjust design of the system and accessories to facilitate its utility and acceptance by the target population.  This project is a pilot in Atlanta that we ultimately hope to expand to urban and rural communities in the Southeast, and that will stimulate the growth of small and medium enterprises for the construction, distribution and maintenance of biogas systems in the US.

1) Construction and management of public-facing demonstration biogas digester

2) Characterization of digester efficiency in terms of elimination of food waste, production of cooking gas, and utility of effluent as fertilizer

3) Workshops for elementary and secondary school students, as well as community volunteers on urban farms

4) Curriculum development and research opportunities for college and university students

5) Promotion of a model for small and medium enterprises for construction, promotion and management of household scale digesters