The Composter Podcast

Today's episode is with two of our compost pioneers, Karl Hammer from Vermont Compost and Mike Merner from Earth Care Farm. They share advice, stories from the early days, wishes for the future, and so much more. Both of these wonderful humans have always been generous talking about their experiences and helping the compost industry grow. It seems fitting as we head into the season of gratitude to tap into these two dedicated composters. As an aside, I'm super blessed to also have Mike Merner as my dad. Thanks, dad. I'm very proud to follow in your big old footsteps. Welcome to The Composter, a podcast for compost lovers...

Follow Jayne & Earth Care Farm on Instagram

Support the folks who support The Composter

You can learn more about Viably, formerly Komptech, and their portfolio of compost solutions at thinkviably.com. While there, request a complimentary consultative meeting to discover how Viably can help your compost operation deliver what is possible.

Compost use and selection decisions involve many factors and are not one-size-fits-all. The U .S. Composting Council's Seal of testing assurance, STA program helps you make the best decisions for your application. Learn about the three Cs of the STA program, clarity, consistency, and confidence and enroll at compostingcounsel.org

Farmhand enables you to offload your administrative tasks, send and manage communications, and sell more to your customers. Learn more and book a free test drive at farmhand.partners/notill

High Mowing Organic Seeds has the professional quality seeds and supportive grower reps to get you from seed to harvest. Visit highmowingseeds.com to request a catalog and use code NOTILL25 for 10% off your order of $100 or more!

I recently took a road trip to eastern Massachusetts. Most people visiting this classic New England area in October are either leaf peeping or visiting the witchy town of Salem, but you listeners know me better than that. I am much more excited about the brown leaves about to get into my compost pile and meeting composters like Andrew Brousseau, operations manager at Black Earth Compost. On my way in, winding through the historic streets of Gloucester, my anticipation grew as I saw so many little green food scrap collection buckets in front of the homes. I followed those buckets all the way to Black Earth's new two-acre ASP compost facility where the contents of those little green buckets end up. This is Black Earth's fourth facility in Massachusetts. It's located on top of the town's old landfill. After the tour of the tight site that has been thoughtfully designed with the help of Green Mountain Technology, we went to Andrew's home where we sat down in his children's kindergarten chairs and spoke a little bit about his operations and a lot about the hot topic of PFAS. In fact, as I walked into his home, an NPR news story was on about PFAS and Andrew was trying to call in. We delve into how Black Earth is handling customer questions, how and why we should test for PFAS and more.

Mentioned in the show...

TIME// Now We Need to Worry About Harmful Forever Chemicals in Our Toilet Paper, Too?

Check out the Black Earth Compost website & follow them on Instagram

Follow Jayne & Earth Care Farm on Instagram

Support the folks who support The Composter

You can learn more about Viably, formerly Komptech, and their portfolio of compost solutions at thinkviably.com. While there, request a complimentary consultative meeting to discover how Viably can help your compost operation deliver what is possible.

Compost use and selection decisions involve many factors and are not one-size-fits-all. The U .S. Composting Council's Seal of testing assurance, STA program helps you make the best decisions for your application. Learn about the three Cs of the STA program, clarity, consistency, and confidence and enroll at compostingcounsel.org

Farmhand enables you to offload your administrative tasks, send and manage communications, and sell more to your customers. Learn more and book a free test drive at farmhand.partners/notill

High Mowing Organic Seeds has the professional quality seeds and supportive grower reps to get you from seed to harvest. Visit highmowingseeds.com to request a catalog and use code NOTILL25 for 10% off your order of $100 or more!

As farmers and composters, it's easy to get in the pattern of only thinking about our day-to-day fires that need to be addressed. Weeds, odors, staffing, where to move that next batch? We forget the bigger picture. Pierce Lewis from Dirt Hugger reminds us to keep perspective and take time to plan. It saves so much effort in the long run. In this episode, Pierce talks about the newest innovations at Dirt Hugger, the journey from being privately owned to selling to a big corporation and then buying back and how he and his business partner Tyler strategize.

Mentioned in the show...

Dirt Hugger's first appearance on The Composter

BOOK// Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business

BOOK// The Lean Farm by Ben Hartman

Follow Dirt Hugger on Instagram & check out their website

Follow Jayne & Earth Care Farm on Instagram

Support the folks who support The Composter

You can learn more about Viably, formerly Komptech, and their portfolio of compost solutions at thinkviably.com. While there, request a complimentary consultative meeting to discover how Viably can help your compost operation deliver what is possible.

Compost use and selection decisions involve many factors and are not one-size-fits-all. The U .S. Composting Council's Seal of testing assurance, STA program helps you make the best decisions for your application. Learn about the three Cs of the STA program, clarity, consistency, and confidence and enroll at compostingcounsel.org

Farmhand enables you to offload your administrative tasks, send and manage communications, and sell more to your customers. Learn more and book a free test drive at farmhand.partners/notill

High Mowing Organic Seeds has the professional quality seeds and supportive grower reps to get you from seed to harvest. Visit highmowingseeds.com to request a catalog and use code NOTILL25 for 10% off your order of $100 or more!

Adam Schwartz from DirtCraft Organics has a background in farming. He saw the gap in the potting soil market in his area of North Carolina. He's filled this niche by blending and bagging potting soils and shipping in the southeast. Today, we get to hear about the equipment he's using, the challenges he's come across, and the exciting news about starting up his new compost operation.

Check out dirtcraftorganics.com to order some great potting soil and follow along with his composting progress on Instagram!

Follow Jayne & Earth Care Farm on Instagram

Support the folks who support The Composter

You can learn more about Viably, formerly Komptech, and their portfolio of compost solutions at thinkviably.com. While there, request a complimentary consultative meeting to discover how Viably can help your compost operation deliver what is possible.

Compost use and selection decisions involve many factors and are not one-size-fits-all. The U .S. Composting Council's Seal of testing assurance, STA program helps you make the best decisions for your application. Learn about the three Cs of the STA program, clarity, consistency, and confidence and enroll at compostingcounsel.org

Farmhand enables you to offload your administrative tasks, send and manage communications, and sell more to your customers. Learn more and book a free test drive at farmhand.partners/notill

High Mowing Organic Seeds has the professional quality seeds and supportive grower reps to get you from seed to harvest. Visit highmowingseeds.com to request a catalog and use code NOTILL25 for 10% off your order of $100 or more!

For over 40 years, The Food Bank has served as the primary source of food for the Hunger Relief Network in the Miami Valley of Ohio. The Food Bank, the only one of its kind in the area, relieves hunger in the community through a network of partner agencies by acquiring and distributing food. The Food Bank provides the structure for more than 100 member food pantries, community kitchens and shelters that serve as the charitable hunger relief network. This might seem like a funny match for The Composter, but The Food Bank has a robust community garden run by James Hoffer, and he began their composting operation in 2019. I really love the addition of the compost cycle in with food recovery and production. It just makes sense. James talks to us about their in-vessel continuous flow composting unit that they purchased through Green Mountain Technologies, the compost scene, and so much more.

Follow Jayne & Earth Care Farm on Instagram

Support the folks who support The Composter

You can learn more about Viably, formerly Komptech, and their portfolio of compost solutions at thinkviably.com. While there, request a complimentary consultative meeting to discover how Viably can help your compost operation deliver what is possible.

The OSC Pack Pact is a collective action campaign that works to reduce single-use packaging in the natural products industry. Receive a discount code to shop select products from leading natural products brands that you love. Click the link in the show notes to join the Pack Pact!

Compost use and selection decisions involve many factors and are not one-size-fits-all. The U .S. Composting Council's Seal of testing assurance, STA program helps you make the best decisions for your application. Learn about the three Cs of the STA program, clarity, consistency, and confidence and enroll at compostingcounsel.org

Green Mountain Technology's mission is to help organizations around the world realize the economic and environmental gains that can be achieved by a well-designed composting system. Learn more at compostingtechnology.com

Marvin Hayes from the Baltimore Compost Collective is one of the most passionate compost advocates out there, spreading his compost fever. It became apparent that his love and respect for the compost process is only matched by his celebration for empowering the young people of Baltimore through compost.

Mentioned in the show...

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Follow Jayne & Earth Care Farm on Instagram

Support the folks who support The Composter

You can learn more about Viably, formerly Komptech, and their portfolio of compost solutions at thinkviably.com. While there, request a complimentary consultative meeting to discover how Viably can help your compost operation deliver what is possible.

The OSC Pack Pact is a collective action campaign that works to reduce single-use packaging in the natural products industry. Receive a discount code to shop select products from leading natural products brands that you love. Click the link in the show notes to join the Pack Pact!

Compost use and selection decisions involve many factors and are not one-size-fits-all. The U .S. Composting Council's Seal of testing assurance, STA program helps you make the best decisions for your application. Learn about the three Cs of the STA program, clarity, consistency, and confidence and enroll at compostingcounsel.org

Green Mountain Technology's mission is to help organizations around the world realize the economic and environmental gains that can be achieved by a well-designed composting system. Learn more at compostingtechnology.com

Last winter, I went to Covington, Kentucky for the Acres USA EcoAG Conference. It was my kind of nerd fest. I listened to researchers sharing their newest findings, learned from farmers, and my ultimate favorite, connecting with people about compost. It's where I first learned about James White's research from Rutgers on the rhizophagy cycle. It blew my mind hearing and seeing how plant roots are actually consuming microbes. I heard practical farming techniques from John Kemph and spent time with lots of farmers. Today, we are going to chat with one of these farmers, who I actually met in the elevator at the conference. Tyler Zimmerman is a third-generation farmer with 2 ,800 acres in North Dakota. Tyler transitioned the farm to no-till regenerative practices. He's a wealth of information about soil health and so very practical. We dive into his techniques for making vibrantly living compost and the tall task of spreading that on such big acreage.

Follow Tyler's process and progress on Instagram

Follow Jayne & Earht Care Farm on Instagram

Support the folks who support The Composter

You can learn more about Viably, formerly Komptech, and their portfolio of compost solutions at thinkviably.com. While there, request a complimentary consultative meeting to discover how Viably can help your compost operation deliver what is possible.

The OSC Pack Pact is a collective action campaign that works to reduce single-use packaging in the natural products industry. Receive a discount code to shop select products from leading natural products brands that you love. Click the link in the show notes to join the Pack Pact!

Compost use and selection decisions involve many factors and are not one-size-fits-all. The U .S. Composting Council's Seal of testing assurance, STA program helps you make the best decisions for your application. Learn about the three Cs of the STA program, clarity, consistency, and confidence and enroll at compostingcounsel.org

I absolutely love how small the world is and how compost can connect us all! This March, I visited San Francisco and found myself at a party where I knew only one person. I got into a great conversation with an architect named Chabe, who grew up in Chile. After a rich chat about South America, architecture, school, and immigration, we talked about her family. It turned out her brother, Andreas, runs Regenera Organico, a compost operation in Chile. So cool, of course, everything comes back to compost for me. I couldn't wait to talk to Andreas. Regenera Organico is located in the middle of a densely populated neighborhood, with rugged mountains just outside surrounding the city. Those mountains make it difficult to truck waste away and perfect to have compost operations to handle the organics. Let's dive into this great conversation with owner Andreas Ruiz, and operation manager Vincent Barrier of Regenera Organico.

Follow Regenera Organico on Instagram

The cool video of their operation mentioned in the show!

Follow Jayne & Earht Care Farm on Instagram

Support the folks who support The Composter

You can learn more about Viably, formerly Komptech, and their portfolio of compost solutions at thinkviably.com. While there, request a complimentary consultative meeting to discover how Viably can help your compost operation deliver what is possible.

The OSC Pack Pact is a collective action campaign that works to reduce single-use packaging in the natural products industry. Receive a discount code to shop select products from leading natural products brands that you love. Click the link in the show notes to join the Pack Pact!

Compost use and selection decisions involve many factors and are not one-size-fits-all. The U .S. Composting Council's Seal of testing assurance, STA program helps you make the best decisions for your application. Learn about the three Cs of the STA program, clarity, consistency, and confidence and enroll at compostingcounsel.org

Domingo Morales of Compost Power NYC was raised in New York City with little connection to nature until he was 22 years old and had a position at the Red Hook Farms through the Green City Force. That experience introduced him to farming, allowing him to see his connection to nature, and he developed compost fever. Domingo will tell you about his path into starting Compost Power NYC, which now has nine locations throughout New York City. Domingo's eye for management has led his sites to be model facilities. Domingo has a lot of experience with rats and has learned that a well-run compost operation does not have a problem with them. If you are concerned about rodents and compost, this is a great episode for you. Domingo's enthusiasm and care for his community is super contagious!

Mentioned in the show...

Follow Compost Power NYC on Instagram

The David Prize of NYC

Host Jayne's Earth Care Farm

Support the folks who support The Composter

You can learn more about Viably, formerly Komptech, and their portfolio of compost solutions at thinkviably.com. While there, request a complimentary consultative meeting to discover how Viably can help your compost operation deliver what is possible.

The OSC Pack Pact is a collective action campaign that works to reduce single-use packaging in the natural products industry. Receive a discount code to shop select products from leading natural products brands that you love. Click the link in the show notes to join the Pack Pact!

Compost use and selection decisions involve many factors and are not one-size-fits-all. The U .S. Composting Council's Seal of testing assurance, STA program helps you make the best decisions for your application. Learn about the three Cs of the STA program, clarity, consistency, and confidence and enroll at compostingcounsel.org

Wow, compost lovers, we made it to season three! Thank you. That's three years of compost love being shared and celebrated. This season is going to be awesome. It will be as wide and varied as the microbes in our piles. We'll be talking with composters of all scales, new technologies, legislation, science, and some about the second compost operation, my farm, Earth Care Farm, is opening up in the neighboring state of Connecticut. There are so many ways to make compost, diverse materials, and varied scales of operation. We need it all. Let's talk about all of it. Can you feel the momentum gaining? I can. 

Speaking of diverse ingredients, what an honor to kick off the first episode of season three with Katrina Spade of Recompose. Recompose specializes in human composting. Yes, we are starting this season with human composting. Such a fascinating niche in our industry. Katrina talks about the incredibly thoughtful design process Recompose uses to help connect the general public to the reverence of composting. This is a deep, caring process, fully honoring the life of the one who passed and the loved ones left behind. Human composting isn't legal in all states yet, so you'll hear how Katrina helped get that legalized in Washington in 2019. It's now legal in seven states, but so far only happening in Washington and Colorado. In my state of Rhode Island, it hasn't passed yet, but seems like it will soon. Join me in this rich conversation with Katrina Spade.

Support the folks who support The Composter

You can learn more about Viably, formerly Komptech, and their portfolio of compost solutions at thinkviably.com. While there, request a complimentary consultative meeting to discover how Viably can help your compost operation deliver what is possible.

The OSC Pack Pact is a collective action campaign that works to reduce single-use packaging in the natural products industry. Receive a discount code to shop select products from leading natural products brands that you love. Click the link in the show notes to join the Pack Pact!

Compost use and selection decisions involve many factors and are not one-size-fits-all. The U .S. Composting Council's Seal of testing assurance, STA program helps you make the best decisions for your application. Learn about the three Cs of the STA program, clarity, consistency, and confidence and enroll at compostingcounsel.org