Shows
The Composter PodcastUSCC Compost Conference 2025 (w/ '24 Conference Highlights)Hey Compost Lovers, I just booked my flights to Phoenix for USCC Compost Conference 2025. Join me, January 27th to 30th for compost enthusiasts from all over the globe unite to celebrate all things soil, sustainability, and innovation. What's in store? Workshops galore. Dive into fresh ideas, techniques, and discussions that'll make your Compost games stronger. The trade show. I'll be hanging at booth 501 checking out Viably's latest Komptech innovations and so much more. The demo day on the last day, get ready to watch those big machines do their thing. Full flex mode guaranteed. And my favorite part? Connections...2025-01-1623 min
Growers DailyWhat it Takes to Start a Compost Operation + Dealing With Pests in Compost (With Jayne Merner) Welcome to Episode 32 of Growers Daily! We cover: How to start a composting operation, how to stay hydrated, how to deal with pests in composting. Follow Jayne Insta: https://www.instagram.com/earthcarefarm_ri/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@earthcarefarm1247 Watch our videos with Earth Care How Great compost gets made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg0CXHT6kQk&t=4s Peek Inside this compost operation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XabdzBXJq0&t=583s Support our work (👊) at www.noti...2024-11-1331 minThe Composter PodcastTwo Compost Pioneers, Karl Hammer of Vermont Compost & Mike Merner of Earth Care FarmToday'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...2024-10-2155 min
Growers DailyTwo Composting Pioneers, Karl Hammer of Vermont Compost & Mike Merner of Earth Care FarmToday'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...2024-10-2155 minThe Composter PodcastHow Composters Can Be Proactive About PFAS w/ Andrew Brousseau of Black Earth CompostI 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...2024-10-1442 minThe Composter PodcastWorking ON the Compost Business, Not Just IN it with Pierce Louis of Dirt HuggerAs 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. 2024-10-0734 minThe Composter PodcastFrom Farming to Potting Soils to Composting with Adam Schwartz of DirtCraft OrganicsAdam 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...2024-09-3030 minThe Composter PodcastClosing the Loop in Food Recovery through Composting with James Hoffer of The Food BankFor 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...2024-09-2337 minThe Composter PodcastCatch Compost Fever with Marvin Hayes of The Baltimore Compost CollectiveMarvin 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...2024-09-1628 minThe Composter PodcastOn-Farm Johnson-Su Composting for Thousands of Acres with Tyler ZimmermanLast 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...2024-09-0938 minThe Composter PodcastA Small-Scale Neighborhood Compost Company w/ Andreas Ruiz of Regenera OrganicoI 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...2024-09-0131 minThe Composter PodcastCommunity-Scale Composting in NYC with Domingo Morales of Compost Power NYCDomingo 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...2024-08-2654 minThe Composter PodcastThe Deep, Caring Process of Human Composting with Katrina Spade of RecomposeWow, 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...2024-08-1937 minThe Composter PodcastComposting in the Tough Climate of Alaska with Lisa Daugherty of Juneau CompostsWhen 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 with pride every time I see a post about new employees or...2023-10-2336 minThe Composter PodcastThe 131 School of & Community-Scale Composting with James McSweeneyJames 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 enough of the knowledgable composting community. We are learning so much from one another. Contact Jayne at info...2023-10-161h 01The Composter PodcastComposting Lessons from Austria with Ursula, Gerald, & KarenWhen 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 get to hear how upper Austria has some of the cleanest streams of biowaste...2023-10-0947 minThe Composter PodcastDecentralized Composting in Austria with Verena of 3-er Hof Farm & Florian of the ISWAOn 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 study tour, about how compost collection works. It’s a system of collecting and processing that works well in a semi-r...2023-10-0244 minThe Composter PodcastA Deep & Fertile Conversation with Karl Hammer of Vermont CompostMost 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 full of expert level nuggets Find out more about Earth Care Farm and follow...2023-09-251h 17The Composter PodcastThirty Years of Composting Innovation in Austria with Dr. Martin WellacherToday, 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 organics to be separated back in '92, where many states are just starting...2023-09-1844 minThe Composter PodcastThe Great Aussie Composting Road Show with Robert Rynk & Matthew Cotton of The Composting HandbookRobert 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 23rd - 27th, in San Marcos, TX Folks who make this show...2023-09-1144 minThe Composter PodcastWater Management on the Compost Farm with Steven Wisbaum of Champlain Valley Compost CoSteven 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 better compost using less labor and fuel. I use Steven’s ComposTex covers to cover our finished compost piles and they’ve made...2023-09-041h 05The Composter PodcastThe Composting for Community Initiative with Brenda Platt of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance 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 one of the institutes five key initiatives: the Composting for Community Initiative is advancing local composting to create jobs, enhance soils, protect th...2023-08-2840 minThe Composter PodcastBuilding Community through Community Composting with Michael Martinez of LA CompostMichael 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 did. Editorial note, we had some technical difficulties and are o...2023-08-2130 min
Growers DailyThe Composter, Season Two, Begins TomorrowHey 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 organic matter in all of Europe. I’m hoping to bring back some tips for all of...2023-08-2001 minThe Composter PodcastThe Composter, Season Two, Begins TomorrowHey 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 organic matter in all of Europe. I’m hoping to bring back some tips for all of...2023-08-2001 minThe Composter PodcastGetting to Know the Composters of Compost Conference '23Hey 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 trade show floor was on point, but meeting my fellow compost...2023-02-0825 minThe Composter PodcastCompost Conference '23 with Todd & Brandon of Komptech AmericasHey 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 sized operations. It's not often compost nerds get to gather and geek out in the same...2023-02-0824 minThe Composter PodcastSee you at The US Compost Council Conference '23!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 of the podcast. See you...2023-01-1701 minThe Composter PodcastMike Merner and Justin Boss of Earth Care FarmFor 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 here. It takes great skill and consistency to make really...2022-10-1952 minThe Composter PodcastPierce Louis of Dirt HuggerDirt 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 compost. They were recently bought by Atlas Organics, and I was e...2022-10-1244 minThe Composter PodcastRon AlexanderComposter 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 35+ years experience in composting, has worked with over 200 composting and organics recycling facilities throughout the world, has received numerous awards such as the...2022-10-0541 minThe Composter PodcastBen Dickerson of SOILutionsSOILutions 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 is brought to you by...2022-09-2857 minThe Composter PodcastDr. Robert Rynk, Author of The Composting HandbookDr. 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 about challenges composters are facing with feedstock contamination (i.e. persistant herbicides and PFAS). There's now a sequel to...2022-09-2146 minThe Composter PodcastMonique Digiorgio of Table to Farm CompostTable 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 being a compost start-up. You can find...2022-09-1444 minThe Composter PodcastPeter Wadewitz of Peats SoilPeats 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 Care Farm on Instagram Also mentioned in the show... Study, Biodegradation of Prions in Compost The International C...2022-09-0743 minThe Composter PodcastNora Goldstein of BioCycleNo 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 Instagram Also mentioned in the show... The US Composting C...2022-08-3150 minThe Composter PodcastFelicia Newman of Coast of MaineFelicia 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 show... The Maine School o...2022-08-2454 minGrowers DailyTHE COMPOSTER PODCAST w/ Jayne Merner Senecal & Carla Castegnero of AgRecycleWelcome to The Composter! In our first episode, Jayne Merner Senecal 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 Merner Senecal and Earth Care Farm on Instagram The Composter is brought to you by... BioCycle i...2022-08-1952 minThe Composter PodcastCarla Castegnero of AgRecycleWelcome 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 Merner Senecal and Earth Care Farm on Instagram The Composter is brought to you by... BioCycle is the l...2022-08-1751 minThe Composter PodcastIntroducing, The Composter with Jayne Merner SenecalWelcome to The Composter, a podcast for farmers and composters. I'm your host and fellow composter, Jayne Merner Senecal. Join me in practical conversation between industry professionals and farmers with a passion for producing high-quality compost. We are going to dig deep into the science, technology, and art of compost production so that we as composters can help enliven the world's soils.2022-08-1500 min
Time For LunchCompost!This week on Time For Lunch, Hannah and Harry are getting down and dirty in the smell, but essential world of composting. We hear from Jayne Merner Senecal of Earthcare Farm who is an expert on turning kitchen scraps into gardening gold. The show’s new intern, shares her experience from middle school acting as the cafeteria compost monitor. Plus, we’ve got jokes, music, and a whole heap of fun facts. If you’d like to hear your voice on the show, ask a grownup to help you record yourself using the voice memo app on an iPho...2021-07-1215 min
Growers LiveQ&A w/ Jayne Merner Senecal of Earth Care FarmJosh Q&As with Jayne Merner Senecal of Earth Care Farm, a professional high-quality compost operation AND farm, about the composting business, considerations when starting one, fostering microbiology in the composting process, some compost philosophy, persistent herbicides, and a ton of listener composting Qs. New episodes of Growers Live are brought to you by Farmers Friend. Order two or more caterpillar tunnels and get free shipping (as of podcast episode release). Also, brought to you by YOU, our patrons and supporters. Follow No-Till Growers and Josh Sattin on Instagram and visit notillgrowers.com. As always, patreons get...2021-05-271h 07Growers DailyJayne Merner Senecal - Earth Care FarmJayne Merner Senecal joins the show to talk about compost production in Rhode Island, inputs, using the garden to show off the compost quality, rhubarb, and much more! www.earthcarefarm.com https://www.instagram.com/earthcarefarm_ri/ Sponsors: www.growers.co www.farmersweb.com www.tilthsoil.com Supporters: www.Veggiecropper.com JM Fortier and Scott Snodgrass. Support our work: www.patreon.com/notillgrowers www.notillgrowers.com Living Soil handbook: https://www.notillgrowers.com/livingsoilhandbook/d9z5gkf1bbnhu0w5xxb3trngiqhwgo 2021-01-181h 07
Feast Yr EarsEpisode 156: Earthcare FarmJayne Merner Senecal took over Earth Care Farm in Charlestown Rhode Island from her parents 3 years ago. Earth Care is an organic commercial compost operation that was started in 1977. Dedicated to providing people with compost that increases the available nutrients for whatever they are growing it's an incredible operation. Tune in to hear what it takes to make great compost.
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2019-09-1628 min