Take Your Desk to the Top of the Pile

Brad Matuska '95
Biology Major
Co-founder/owner, Mississippi Topsoils
Cold Spring, Minn.
More information: www.mississippitopsoils.com

Also pictured:
Erik Hansen '00
Biology Major
General Manager, Mississippi Topsoils
Cold Spring, Minn.

Learning in China

"One of my most significant learning experiences while at CSB and SJU was my study abroad program in the People's Republic of China. It was such an eye-opening experience in so many ways, but one of my most important learning experiences had nothing to do with the classroom. I was able to witness firsthand such an incredible culture and longstanding civilization that was building cities, growing food, and inventing things long before most of Western civilization.

"However, what was most interesting was the 'waste nothing' lifestyle I saw in the countryside. It seemed that everything was used and reused (including 'night soil') until there was nothing left to throw out. What a difference compared to our throw-away culture! It just made so much sense, and I promised myself to incorporate that into my lifestyle somehow."

Learning to Match Values with Action

"I founded and run a company called, Mississippi Topsoils, Inc., which creates soil products sold in bags and bulk under the brand name Soil Essentials®. Our primary product is a poultry and forest products compost derived from a waste stream created by Gold'n Plump Poultry. This nutrient-rich product is the base ingredient for all of our products.

"Since leaving CSB and SJU, I have been involved in the composting industry, first selling composting systems and then running Mississippi Topsoils, Inc. I believe the main thing that brought me to this point was a desire to do something that fit my beliefs and values, and making a value-added product out of a waste in a sustainable way, does just that."

Learning about Business

"I have learned a lot about running a business. I remember poking fun at my classmates who were business majors and had comparatively easy schedules--no six-hour chemistry labs. Now however, I wish I would have taken more business classes, because most of what I have learned, I have had to let experience be the teacher. Sometimes, that isn't the most economical approach. All in all, I believe it is the small businesses in our country that are a great source of innovation in our society, and I am glad to be a part of it."

Learning More

Learn more about the study of the environment at CSB and SJU in a recent article: "Ever Green!"

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