Tulalip Tribes EcoRegion; Food & Nutrient Master Plan
Snohomish County, Washington
Filed In: Commercial, Green Infrastructure, In Design / Unbuilt
Initiated by our living building “[NPK]greenhouse” design, the Tulalip wanted to implement a sustainable agriculture component for their community and businesses. The project has grown to include a master plan of their ‘nutrient cycle’; food, compostable waste, agriculture, biomass energy and new agri-businesses. The project has started to link regional resources such as extension and community college courses, a farming based drug and alcohol rehab center and brewery /commercial food recycling program. And, to insure clean healthy fisheries the Tulalip Tribes, with NW Chinook Recovery Board and the Sno/Sky Agricultural Alliance developed “Qualco Energy” at the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers.
Qualco Energy converts animal waste, trap grease and other pollutants into 1.2 megawatts of energy through anaerobic digestion, and provides new compost and soils for the surrounding degraded flood plain
The creation of the nutrient master has begun the tribe’s transformation of building sustainably to sustainable living. Their commitment to ‘sustainability’ is now also metered in health benefits to the tribal membership and to the region. It is a transformative project for anyone who is part of this large scale EcoRegion.