The Composter Podcast

Jayne Merner

Welcome to The Composter, a podcast for farmers and composters. I'm your host and fellow composter, Jayne Merner. 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.

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49 episodes
Updated April 8

Episodes49

Newest first

Sep 9, 2024 · 38 min
On-Farm Johnson-Su Composting for Thousands of Acres with Tyler Zimmerman
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
Sep 1, 2024 · 31 min
A Small-Scale Neighborhood Compost Company w/ Andreas Ruiz of Regenera Organico
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
Aug 26, 2024 · 54 min
Community-Scale Composting in NYC with Domingo Morales of Compost Power NYC
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
Aug 19, 2024 · 37 min
The Deep, Caring Process of Human Composting with Katrina Spade of Recompose
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
Oct 23, 2023 · 36 min
Composting in the Tough Climate of Alaska with Lisa Daugherty of Juneau Composts
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 with pride every time I see a post about new employees or record collection amounts. Contact Jayne at info@earthcarefarm.com Follow Earth Care Farm on Instagram and YouTube Folks who make this show possible... Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Viably. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you. The Culinary Breeding Network's Variety Showcase for plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, comsumers, and more, on October 16th in NY. GET TICKETS HERE! High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here. The Marbleseed 5th Organic Farming Conference (formerly known as MOSES) is February 22-24, 2024.
Oct 16, 2023 · 1 hr 1 min
The 131 School of & Community-Scale Composting with James McSweeney
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 enough of the knowledgable composting community. We are learning so much from one another. Contact Jayne at info@earthcarefarm.com Follow Earth Care Farm on Instagram and YouTube Folks who make this show possible... Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Viably. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you. The Culinary Breeding Network's Variety Showcase for plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, comsumers, and more, on October 16th in NY. GET TICKETS HERE! High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here. The Marbleseed 5th Organic Farming Conference (formerly known as MOSES) is February 22-24, 2024.
Oct 9, 2023 · 47 min
Composting Lessons from Austria with Ursula, Gerald, & Karen
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 get to hear how upper Austria has some of the cleanest streams of biowaste heading to farm composters, with Gerald and Karen, composting on a family farm. Mentioned in the show... Photos (via Google Drive) Folks who make this show possible... Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Viably. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you. The Culinary Breeding Network's Variety Showcase for plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, comsumers, and more, on October 16th in NY. GET TICKETS HERE! High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here. The Marbleseed 5th Organic Farming Conference (formerly known as MOSES) is February 22-24, 2024.
Oct 2, 2023 · 44 min
Decentralized Composting in Austria with Verena of 3-er Hof Farm & Florian of the ISWA
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 study tour, about how compost collection works. It’s a system of collecting and processing that works well in a semi-rural area. Find out more about Earth Care Farm and follow Jayne's work... Guest/topic recommendations -> info@earthcarefarm.com Follow Earth Care Farm on Instagram Subscribe to Earth Care Farm on YouTube Mentioned in the show... 2023_ISWA_ST-Biowaste_Booklet.pdf Folks who make this show possible... Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Viably. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you. The Culinary Breeding Network's Variety Showcase for plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, comsumers, and more, on October 16th in NY. GET TICKETS HERE! High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here. The Marbleseed 5th Organic Farming Conference (formerly known as MOSES) is February 22-24, 2024.
Sep 25, 2023 · 1 hr 17 min
A Deep & Fertile Conversation with Karl Hammer of Vermont Compost
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 full of expert level nuggets Find out more about Earth Care Farm and follow Jayne's work... Guest/topic recommendations -> info@earthcarefarm.com Follow Earth Care Farm on Instagram Subscribe to Earth Care Farm on YouTube Mentioned in the show... Farmers of Forty Centuries by F. H. King The Physics of Agriculture by F. H. King The 131 School of Composting The Bionutrient Food Association Folks who make this show possible... Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Viably. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you. The Culinary Breeding Network's Variety Showcase for plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, comsumers, and more, on October 16th in NY. GET TICKETS HERE! High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here. Xsense provides home safety and environmental monitoring products for your peace of mind.
Sep 18, 2023 · 44 min
Thirty Years of Composting Innovation in Austria with Dr. Martin Wellacher
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 organics to be separated back in '92, where many states are just starting right now. At the time, he worked with universities doing research and with Komptech developing technology and research for the compost industry. He now has his own engineering and consulting firm. Not everywhere has a layout like Austria, where the highly populated urban areas are very close to the farms, but there are a lot of places that are like that, like where I am in New England. There is a lot that we can learn from Austria's last 30 years that we can glean and apply to our own homes and towns and states. Folks who make this show possible... Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Komptech. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you. The Culinary Breeding Network's Variety Showcase for plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, comsumers, and more, on October 16th in NY. GET TICKETS HERE! High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here. Xsense provides home safety and environmental monitoring products for your peace of mind.
Sep 11, 2023 · 44 min
The Great Aussie Composting Road Show with Robert Rynk & Matthew Cotton of The Composting Handbook
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 23rd - 27th, in San Marcos, TX Folks who make this show possible... Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Komptech. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you. The Culinary Breeding Network's Variety Showcase for plant breeders, seed growers, farmers, chefs, comsumers, and more, on October 16th in NY. GET TICKETS HERE! High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here. Xsense provides home safety and environmental monitoring products for your peace of mind.
Sep 4, 2023 · 1 hr 5 min
Water Management on the Compost Farm with Steven Wisbaum of Champlain Valley Compost Co
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 better compost using less labor and fuel. I use Steven’s ComposTex covers to cover our finished compost piles and they’ve made a big difference with the quality of our product. Folks who make this show possible... Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Komptech. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you. Vermont Compost Company for premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil! High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here. Xsense provides home safety and environmental monitoring products for your peace of mind.
Aug 28, 2023 · 40 min
The 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 the climate, and reduce waste through advocacy, training, research, demonstration sites, and coalition building. Mentioned in the show... The wealth of resources provided by the ISLR on composting Folks who make this show possible... Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Komptech. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you. Vermont Compost Company for premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil! High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here. Xsense provides home safety and environmental monitoring products for your peace of mind.
Aug 21, 2023 · 30 min
Building Community through Community Composting with Michael Martinez of LA Compost
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 did. Editorial note, we had some technical difficulties and are only able to publish the last half of our wonderful talk. Please take a moment to learn more about the amazing work Michael and LA Compost are doing! Folks who make this show possible... Optimize commercial compost production while maintaining high-quality with Komptech. Use our link here to learn more, get a consultation, and let them know we sent you. Vermont Compost Company for premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil! High Country News is an independent, non-profit, publication covering the land, wildlife, and communities of the Western US for over 50+ years. Check them out using our link here. Xsense provides home safety and environmental monitoring products for your peace of mind.
Aug 20, 2023 · 1 min
The Composter, Season Two, Begins Tomorrow
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 organic matter in all of Europe. I’m hoping to bring back some tips for all of us to adapt. It’s going to be a rich, fertile season two. If you love compost as much as me, join me!
Feb 8, 2023 · 24 min
Compost Conference '23 with Todd & Brandon of Komptech Americas
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 sized operations. It's not often compost nerds get to gather and geek out in the same space and time. Truly invigorating! I'm here at my first live interview, chatting with Todd Dunderdale and Brandon Lapsys of Komptech Americas. They have been coming to this conference for many years, Todd being at the very first one twenty years ago. These two have a great pulse on the industry and I wanted to hear about the changes they were seeing, especially when it comes to new equipment. Many thanks to Komptech for sponsoring The Composter Podcast! For 25+ years, Komptech has worked with scientists, agriculturalists, and consumers to develop a four-step process that produces healthy, contaminant-free compost while optimizing efficiency. Learn more about shred, turn, screen, seperate here and get a complimentary consultation to see if it's right for your commercial operation.
Feb 8, 2023 · 25 min
Getting to Know the Composters of Compost Conference '23
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 trade show floor was on point, but meeting my fellow compost lovers was by far the best part. I wanted to bring you a little of that compost conference experience to our listeners, so here is a little offering from some of the people I met and what they are up to. Follow the folks featured in the show... Charlie of Compost Bowling Green Jamie of Compost Queen PBC Bob Rynk of The Composting Handbook Nicholas aka Da Compost King Ryan & Adrienne of Happy Trash Lisa of Juneau Composts John & Stacey of New Earth Farm Composting
Jan 17, 2023 · 1 min
See 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 there!
Oct 19, 2022 · 52 min
Mike Merner and Justin Boss of Earth Care Farm
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 here. It takes great skill and consistency to make really high quality compost—and you, operators, are the key to that. You can find Jayne Merner Senecal and Earth Care Farm on Instagram The Composter is brought to you by... BioCycle is the leading resource on composting, organics recycling, biogas, end-product markets, policy and regulation, and community outreach and education. Sign up for the bi-monthly free newsletter here. For 25+ years, Komptech has worked with scientists, agriculturalists, and consumers to develop a four-step process that produces healthy, contaminant-free compost while optimizing efficiency. Learn more about shred, turn, screen, seperate here and get a complimentary consultation to see if it's right for your commercial operation.
Oct 12, 2022 · 44 min
Pierce Louis of Dirt Hugger
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 compost. They were recently bought by Atlas Organics, and I was especially interested in this transition into working with a bigger umbrella company. Pierce has tons of great insights, and he was generous in sharing them with us. You can find Jayne Merner Senecal and Earth Care Farm on Instagram Also mentioned in the show... US Composting Council The US Composting Council advances compost manufacturing, compost utilization, and organics recycling to benefit our members, society, and the environment. Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth The Composter is brought to you by... BioCycle is the leading resource on composting, organics recycling, biogas, end-product markets, policy and regulation, and community outreach and education. Sign up for the bi-monthly free newsletter here. For 25+ years, Komptech has worked with scientists, agriculturalists, and consumers to develop a four-step process that produces healthy, contaminant-free compost while optimizing efficiency. Learn more about shred, turn, screen, seperate here and get a complimentary consultation to see if it's right for your commercial operation.