The Composter Podcast

Just like a good compost this podcast episode needs time to fully mature. Things are evolving fast so I am going to take a little longer to make this final episode of season 4. Stay tuned!

Join me for Episode 11 of The Composter for a conversation on Financing the Future of Compost with Jorge Montezuma from the Compost Capital Network and Wanu Organics and Paula Luu, managing director of Biocycle. We cover practical steps to make your facility investment-ready and what lenders are really looking for. Let’s grow this industry together. Jorge Montezuma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlm...

In Episode 10 of The Composter , I sit down with Cary Oshins — educator, consultant, longtime industry leader, and someone who has helped shape what composting looks like as a profession in the United States. For decades, composting has often been seen as something you just “figure out on the pile.” But as this industry grows it’s becoming clear that composting isn’t just a job. It’s a profession....

In Episode 9 of The Composter , I sit down with Scott Howarth from the Sinclair Group, one of the largest manufactures of produce labels. We talk about how fruit stickers came to be, how labeling is evolving, what the future could hold for compostable produce labeling. Last September, I found myself in a friendly conversation with the stranger sitting next to me. We were chatting away when I sudde...

In this episode 8 of The Composter, I sit down with Justen Garrity from Veteran Compost and Caroline Barry from Closed Loop Partners for a wide-ranging conversation about where the composting industry is right now and where it’s headed next. A big thread running through this conversation is Extended Producer Responsibility or EPR (no, I hadn’t heard of this before either!) and why it matters so mu...

Today’s guest is Jeff Gage, Director of Consulting at Green Mountain Technologies and a Certified Composting Professional. One of the major themes of Season 4 is listening closely to deeply experienced composters, and Jeff fits that mold perfectly. I’m finally learning that when it comes to these revered, long-time practitioners, the best thing to do is ditch my question script and let the stories...

Did we hook you with the photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger and compost!? I hope so because you really want to hear about the less muscley but brilliant guy next to him who designed Arnold’s compost pilot project. In this episode we hear from Austrian engineer and entrepreneur Aurel Luebke from Compost Systems of Austria . In this episode you will get a sense of how Aurel's thoughtful compost system d...

Welcome to Season 4 episode 5 of the Composter. In this episode you get to meet Ryan Green from Happy Trash Can Curbside Composting in Bozeman, Montana. His experience working with the City of Bozeman, navigating public-private partnerships, and processing certified compostable products gives all of us a clearer view of what’s possible when collaboration actually works. There's plenty to be skepit...

I first heard about Grupo Puntacana’s new composting initiative while reading a BioCycle article, and I’ve been eager to dig in ever since. Their journey, led by Jake Kheel , offers a fascinating model of sustainability, scale, and innovation in the Dominican Republic. Grupo Puntacana isn’t just a resort—it’s a whole resort ecosystem: thousands of residences, multiple hotels, restaurants, golf cou...

Today, I’m thrilled to share my conversation with Nathan. He’s the Director of Soil and a long-time force behind Rust Belt Riders, a cooperative composting operation that’s grown from bicycles and buckets to launching a mid-scale compost facility . Their story is truly inspiring—not just because of the growth, but because of how intentionally they’ve done it. We talk about the early days, what it’...

Today’s episode comes from a walk-and-talk at Green Mountain Compost in Vermont with Dan Goossen. Dan was super generous with his time—he gave us a full tour of the site and shared insights from over 20 years in the composting world. There’s a lot to take away from this conversation, The first half of the interview is about site process and new techniques Green Mountain has adopted for quality and...

Today’s episode is a special one. We’re talking with the very knowledgeable and very lovable Farmer Jesse Frost from No-Till Growers and his The Growers Daily Podcast . Some of you may know that The Composter actually started as part of the No-Till Growers family, and I was originally hired by them to host the show. Jesse’s going to talk us through how the Composter Podcast came to be, how it’s gr...

Wow, we’ve made it to Season 4 of the Composter Podcast — and I couldn’t be more excited to share this journey with you. Our first episode drops Wednesday, November 5, and we’ll be coming to you every other week through March, with a total of 12 inspiring episodes. Thank you for all the love you’ve given this show over the past three seasons. Composting is evolving fast — new challenges, new solut...

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...

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 t...

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 wa...

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 a...

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 dirt...

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 shelter...

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 o...

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...

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, ru...

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...

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...

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...