When I was at the US Compost Conference last winter, I met Lisa of Juneau Composts and my 'cool gal' radar went off. Her vibe shouted competent. Lisa is the real deal, collecting food scraps and making compost with very little support in the tough climate of Alaska. It was fascinating to talk to Lisa about the struggles of composting in this harsh environment and her ingenuity. I've been following Juneau Composts for a few years, back when it was a one-woman, scrappy enterprise and I swell...

James McSweeney, of The 131 School of Composting and author of Community-Scale Composting, and I jammed so well about what The 131 School is about—particularly the compost operators certificate program—his book, and his vision of composting in the future. James then turns the tables on me and asked me questions about Austria’s model of composting. At some point, we forgot we were being recorded, the conversation just flows until we remember we had prior engagements. Classic. I can’t get...

When Austria banned organics from the waste stream in '92, Ursula was--in part--tasked with how to divert organic waste from going to the landfill. In '96, she conducted an analysis of the waste stream. Yes, she personally dawned gloves and sorted through many samples of trash. 24% of her community's waste was organics (or what she calls "Biowaste"). Once she showed that data, and could project the savings that could be had, she had to figure out how to implement a plan to compost it. You'll...

On our International Solid Waste Association study tour on decentralized bio waste recycling—or just the compost scene—in Austria, we visited 3-er Hof Farm, Farm 3, and spoke with second generation composter Verena. Her families farm is an inspiring mix of compost production, crop production, and social connection with people of all abilities and ages. Instead of an interview, I recorded the lecture given at Farm 3. You’ll hear from Verena about Farm 3 and then from Florian, who organized the...

Most of you all know and love Karl Hammer from Vermont Compost (IG VermontCompost) already. If you’re looking for a concise “how-to” guide on how Karl makes his awesome compost, and even better known potting soil, this is not that interview. Karl is known for his verbose and winding stories that mostly answer the question given, but always entertain. There is a richness in speaking with someone like Karl with a lifetime of experience. So, prepare yourself for a deep and fertile conversation...

Today, I'm in Austria, joined by Dr. Martin Wellacher. Martin is uber committed to the environment, as most of us in this industry are eco-conscious, but he is next-level. He doesn't even own a car. So, he needed to plan to meet, traveling by bus and by bike just to get to us. After a tour of the Komptech facilities and a tasty locally-sourced lunch, we had a rich conversation about his 30 years in the compost industry, starting out just when legislation was passed requiring household...

Robert Rynk and Matthew Cotton, who you may recognize as the authors of The Composting Handbook, just came back from a tour giving composting workshops to Australian farmers. They had an intensive nine workshops over twelve days, about 1,600 miles travelled! Although a tiring trip, for sure, they seem to be even more optimistic about the future of composting. Let's listen in to what they have to say in retrospect. Mentioned in the show... The USCC Compost Operator Training Course October...

Steven Wisbaum, of Champlain Valley Compost Co & CV Compost, has been growing organic food and making compost for over 30 years. Today, we talk about water management on the compost farm. He provides custom composting services to farms and makes his own premium manure-based compost. In addition writing a variety of compost related articles and guides, Steven has also become the largest distributor of ComposTex compost covers. Through these, he has helped composters around the world make a...

Brenda Platt is the director and life-force behind the Composting for Community Initiative of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. ILSR has a vision of thriving, diverse, equitable communities. To reach this vision, they build local power to fight corporate control. They are a national research and advocacy organization that partners with allies across the country to build an American economy driven by local priorities accountable to people and the planet. Today, we’re going to talk about...

Michael Martinez is the founder and executive director of LA Compost. He has chosen compost as a way to show his care for humanity and build a healthy community. His work has been incredibly impactful. LA Compost now has a diverse network of 41 community composting locations across LA county. I heard Michael speak at the US Compost Conference last Winter. He often brings people to happy tears as he speaks from the heart about his love of compost. Hope you enjoy this interview as much as I...

Hey Composters and compost lovers, it’s Jayne Merner of Earth Care Farm! Episode one of season two of The Composter will air Monday, August 21st, and continue with a new episode every Monday for ten weeks. We have an awesome lineup, chatting with composters behind many compost facilities like LA Compost, Vermont Compost, Champlain Valley Compost, and more. And, I’ll be headed to Austria to tour compost facilities in late-August. Expect some news from me from the country that composts the most...

Hey compost lovers, it's Jayne. I'm in Ontario, California, at the USCC Compost Conference '23. It's the largest gathering of composters in the world! Last night, Komptech Americas organized a meet-and-greet for listeners of this podcast. I didn't know what to expect, but it turned out to be the highlight of the week. We gathered on fancy white couches under an enormous Komptech windrow turner and I got to hear your stories. Stories of composters from all over the world and all different...

Hey y'all, Farmer Jayne here. All those beautiful voices you hear were just some of the composters with me at the USCC Compost Conference with me last week in sunny California. I've had a week for that experience to percolate and have settled back into my farm compost site, Earth Care Farm, in Rhode Island where is -2F today. I always love being home, but whoa, that conference was so energizing! I learned a ton by visiting lots of different sized operations, the workshops were fantastic, the...

It's been a couple of months since the first season of The Composter wrapped up, but don't worry, season two is in the works. In fact, I'm hoping to see many of you at The US Compost Council Conference '23 next week, January 24th through the 27th, in Ontario, California. If you'll be there, let's meet up and talk compost. Listen for more details. Check out the US Compost Council Conference registration if you haven't already. I'll be at the Komptech trade show booth, sponsors of season one...

For the season finale of The Composter Podcast, we talk all things Earth Care Farm, which is my family's compost operation. You'll get to hear from my dad, Mike Merner, also known as 'papi,' the founder and heart of Earth Care Farm. Quality compost is his life's work. He's an inspiration for many, including me. For all the loader operators out there listening as you turn the piles, I've included a bonus discussion with our compost production manager, Justin Boss, about the machinery used...

Dirt Hugger was founded in 2010 by Pierce Louis and Tyler Miller in The Dalles, Oregon, close to Hood River in the Columbia River Gorge.  Pierce and his business partner, Tyler, started Dirt Hugger after leaving their careers in drone technology. Their background in tech and business has served them well in the compost industry. Their facility in Washington takes in 50,000 tons of organics a year, and they use a unique aerated pile system. Dirt Hugger is well known for its high quality...

Composter and compost users have rightly been concerned with the high levels of phosphorus that can be found in composts, especially those with manure-based feed stocks. Phosphorus leaching is a serious water pollution issue. I had read an article in BioCycle written by Ron Alexander, of R. Alexander Associates, about how phosphorus in organic matter releases more slowly than inorganic, water-soluable phosphorus found in inorganic fertilizers and thought we should dig deeper into it. He has...

SOILutions has been making compost in New Mexico since '96 in a region that receives only 10" of annual rainfall, most of it all at once during the Summer monsoon season. Ben Dickerson and his team have lots of strategies and tips for composting in dry conditions without many natural resources closeby. You can find Jayne Merner Senecal and Earth Care Farm on Instagram Also mentioned in the show... Composting on Earth Care Farm, a poem Logan Labs for compost and soil testing The Composter...

Dr. Robert Rynk was aprofessor at NYU where he taught courses on composting, waste management, renewable energy, and agricultural engineering, senior editor of BioCycle Magazine, and executive editor of the peer-reviewed journal Composting Science and Utilization. He is also one the compost industry giants! Bob wrote the book On Farm Composting over 30 years ago. It was the book we at Earth Care Farm used to set up our compost site many decades ago. We talk about so many things, especially...

Table to Farm is a curbside collection company in Durango, CO, that has partnered with a local farm where they now produce compost. Table to Farm is six years in and has gone through a lot of hurdles to get to where they are now, collecting from 600+ residences and producing compost. They are now in the process of becoming a class III Colorado composter. Today, we're going to hear from someone just out of the start-up phase, what it's like to compost in a dry climate, and the challenges of...

Peats Soils, our first international guest, is a second generation south Australian company focused on receiving, processing, and marketing recyclable organic resources in bulk and bag form. The vision of Peats Soil is to be a world leader in innovative and sustainable organics recycling. They have a 45+ year history in the creation of valuable landscaping, gardening, and horticultural products. Let's hear from South Australia's compost scene... You can find Jayne Merner Senecal and Earth...

No one has a better pulse on the organics recylcing industry than Nora. She is the editor--and heart--of BioCylce, the organics recycling authority, and it's where I turn for news on composting. Nora's father, Jerry Goldstein, started BioCycle back in 1960 when it was then called Compost Science. Nora has taken her deep love of composting and turned it into a useful resource for all composters to learn more from and help each other.  You can find Jayne Merner Senecal and Earth Care Farm on...

Felicia Newman is the director of operations at Coast of Maine Compost, which makes a high-quality compost in many blends that are bagged and sold across the US. She has a background as a chemical engineer and a deep love of farming. In addition to wearing many hats at Coast of Maine, she also runs a half-acre no-till market garden called Three Dog Farm, where she has an endless supply of good compost.  You can find Jayne Merner Senecal and Earth Care Farm on Instagram Also mentioned in the...

Welcome to The Composter! In our first episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Carla Castegnero, co-founder and president of AgRecycle, Penn's largest composting operation headquartered in Pittsburg. AgRecycle was one of the pioneers in the composting industry founded in 1991. Carla has a wealth of knowledge on making high-quality compost with a wide variety of feedstocks. She's a seasoned composter and was the recipient of Rodale's Organic Pioneer Award in 2013.  You can find Jayne...