Like a modern day Johnny Appleseed, Justin Cutter (and partner Nick Runkle) travel the country planting seeds and spreading the word about the benefits of organic, natural food. Unlike Johnny Appleseed, however, they do it from an 18-foot box truck complete with a fully functional greenhouse in the back.
The project, called Compass Green, introduces sustainable agriculture practices to students and adults through presentations and demonstrations given at schools, camps, and organizations across the U.S. The focus is on Biointensive mini-farming, a technique that can produce large crop yields in small spaces.
In 2011, Justin and Nick (also an MUM grad) were looking for an attention-getting way to get people interested in food production issues — and certainly found one. “When we roll into town, people who wouldn’t give a hoot about sustainability or farming say, ‘Why is that guy driving around in a truck with veggies growing in the windows?’” says Justin, 29, a MUM grad in 2006 and co-founder of Compass Green. “That’s our opportunity.”