Miami Nation CASE STUDY

The Miami Nation of Oklahoma, with roots stretching back to the 1800s after relocating from the Great Lakes, is passionately revitalizing their agricultural heritage. Their goal is clear: achieve food security by reclaiming land and reintroducing traditional food sources like meat and pecans, along with cultivating a variety of horticultural crops. Sustainability is at the core of their mission, aligning perfectly with GMT’s Earth Flow system, which closes the loop on waste and enriches land for future generations.

As a federally recognized tribe with a longstanding history in agriculture, the Miami Nation is nearing completion of a new meat processing facility. They needed an innovative solution to manage inedible animal byproducts—specifically offal—in a way that supports their sustainability goals. Their vision was to divert all processing waste from landfills and transform it into a valuable asset, ultimately promoting healthier soil, stronger crops, and enhanced food security.

Initially, they considered turned windrow static pile composting, inspired by visits to farms like Polyface Farm in Virginia. However, as they researched further, they found GMT’s Earth Flow in-vessel composting system to be a highly appealing solution. Its efficiency, clean design, and ease of operation made it an ideal fit, requiring minimal site preparation and operational complexity.

The 40-foot Earth Flow system now installed and actively in use enables the Miami Nation to convert not only their offal but also food scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich compost within a controlled, enclosed environment. This closed-loop process ensures organic waste becomes a valuable resource, supporting their sustainability and food sovereignty goals while enriching their land for generations to come.