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 suddenly realized that this stranger, Scott, played a role in developing what many composters consider their greatest nemesis: the fruit sticker. 40 billion stickers a year are made by the Sinclair Group, where Scott does Research and Development.

For decades, I’ve been having imaginary conversations with Scott (although I didn’t know that was his name. So many compost gripe sessions over the last 15 years have circled back to those tiny little stickers. Finding them in finished compost. Trying, and usually failing, to teach people to remove them. Knowing there’s no practical way to screen them out once they’re in the system.

So this episode really felt like a rare opportunity to sit down, ask the questions, and get to the root of it all.

The future is looking bright and Sinclair is at the forefront of the upcoming positive changes. There is legislation in New Zealand and Europe which will ban the plastic fruit stickers. And some companies, like the kiwi company, Zespri are already choosing compostable stickers for their fruit. We are on the cusp of true change.

This conversation left me thinking about how much better the world might be if we all had more chances to sit down for real, thoughtful conversations with the people behind the systems — especially the ones that create frustration and pain points in our daily lives. There’s so much that can shift when we move from assumptions to understanding.

Before we dive in, I also want to say thank you to this episode’s sponsors, Green Mountain Technology, Agrilab Technologies and Compost Capital Network, for supporting this show and the work of composters everywhere.

This is a conversation for every composter who’s ever pulled a sticker out of a lovingly finished pile of compost.

Check out Sinclair (👊) at https://www.sinclair-intl.com/

and here is a link to the YouTube clip Scott mentions: https://youtu.be/2zibNYAuHNc

Thank you to our Show sponsors:

Green Mountain Technology: visit Compostingtechnology.com and mention The Composter podcast for a free consultation

AgriLab Technologies: www.agrilabtech.com/podcast

Compost Capital Network: https://www.compostcapital.com/

Merch:

https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html

Contact:

Host Jayne Merner can be reached at [email protected] or through instagram @composterpodcast

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 much for composters to be part of these EPR policy discussions early and often. We dig into the realities of de-packaging, the challenges of scaling a composting business, and the mix of grants, loans, and other funding tools that can help move growth forward.

Justen Garrity founded Veteran Compost in 2010 after struggling to find work when he came back from Iraq. The tough job market turned out to be the perfect catalyst for starting up a Veteran run compost operation. Justen shares insights about the Veteran Compost operation in Maryland and Virginia. He’s also a shining example of compost policy activism.

Caroline Barry is Senior Program Manager at The Closed Loop Center for the Circular Economy, an innovation firm helping businesses solve their most pressing material challenges. She leads the Composting Consortium; an industry collaboration advancing U.S. composting infrastructure and recovery of food scraps & compostable packaging. In this chat Caroline brings a broad systems-level perspective on expanding food scrap composting infrastructure nationwide.

Check out Veteran Compost (👊) at https://www.veterancompost.com/

The Closed Loop Center's new website: https://closedloopcenter.com/

A link to the Composting Consortium's new EPR report: https://closedloopcenter.com/reports/designing-an-epr-framework-to-include-compostable-packaging-recovery

And here is a link to the webinar from Justen on Certified Compostable Products from NERC: https://www.nerc.org/certified-compostable-products--perspectives

Thank you to our Show sponsors:

Compost Systems of Austria: https://www.compost-systems.com/en

Agrilab Technologies: www.agrilabtech.com/podcast

And Closed Loop: https://closedloopcenter.com/

Merch:

https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html

Contact:

Host Jayne Merner can be reached at [email protected] or through instagram @composterpodcast

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 unfold. That’s exactly what happened in this conversation.

We talk about Jeff’s background and dig into a wide range of real-world case studies — from turned aerated systems to managing water and oxygen, controlling odors, pile heights, adding air when you don’t have power, composting grape pomace, why is compost black and so much more.

Jeff was awarded the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award by the US Composting Council in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the composting industry over the past 40 years. I feel incredibly lucky to get to learn from a lifetime of experience in this episode, I hope you do too.

Check out Green Mountain Technology (👊) http://www.compostingtechnology.com

Jeff’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-gage-962b8730/

More links links from Jeff:

https://certificationsuscc.org/

https://tilthalliance.org/our-work/environmental-stewardship/

https://www.zoo.org/zoodoo

https://www.compostwashington.org/

Read your research (mentioned by Jeff): https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/ucsu20

Thank you to our Show sponsors:

Agrilab Technologies at www.agrilabtech.com/podcast

Viably at https://thinkviably.com/

Green Mountain Technology: visit Compostingtechnology.com and mention The Composter podcast for a free consultation

Merch:

https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html

Contact:

Host Jayne Merner can be reached at [email protected] or through instagram @composterpodcast

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 designs stem from his background growing up around biodynamic farming, which if you're unfamiliar with Biodynamics its a type of organic farming that goes a bit deeper with one foundational element being that you treat the farm like a closed loop where the farm provides its own fertility. Combining that with an engineer’s mindset and a deep understanding of soil, makes for some very thoughtful compost system designs. In this episode we also talk about measuring odor units, my hot trick for getting compost stink off your boots, thoughts on the new 24 hour kitchen composters and oh yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Check out Compost Systems (👊) at www.compost-systems.com

And for anyone interested in cleaning farm smells off your boots, here is a link for the de-skunk dog shampoo Jayne mentions: https://www.wagnwash.com/categories/dog/supplies/grooming/de-skunk-odor-destroying-shampoo/1250?sku=736990000651

Thank you to our Show sponsors:

Compost Systems of Austria: https://www.compost-systems.com/en

And Agrilab Technologies at www.agrilabtech.com/podcast

Merch:

https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html

Contact:

Host Jayne Merner can be reached at [email protected] or through instagram @composterpodcast

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 skepitical about when it comes to both composting bio plastics and the way municipalities have been outcompeting experienced, private composters with big grants and public money. But that doesn't have to be the way. Join Ryan to learn from the experiences that Happy Trash Can Curbside Composting has had getting contracts with the city, using bioplastics in his compost system and figuring out how to grow in a changing industry.

Check out Happy Compost (👊) on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/happytrashcompost/?hl=en

Thank you to our Show sponsors:

Green Mountain Technology: visit Compostingtechnology.com and mention The Composter podcast for a free consultation

More about BPI: https://bpiworld.org/

Information about the BPI summit and dates for 2026: https://informaconnect.com/bioprocessinternational/

AgriLab Technologies: www.agrilabtech.com/podcast

Merch:

https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html

Contact:

Host Jayne Merner can be reached at [email protected] or through instagram @composterpodcast

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 courses, even their international airport. The amount of waste generated is huge, and plenty of that is organics. So when Jake and his team set out to reduce landfill, cut hauling costs, and improve guest experience, they had to get serious.

They’ve had a series of trials as they scaled up from vermicomposting to small in vessel systems to the newly installed Earth Flow composting system—an enclosed, automated setup from Green Mountain Technologies

Jake’s vision for Grupo Puntacana goes beyond just compost. He’s aiming for 70 to 80 percent landfill diversion across the resort and its surrounding operations—and more importantly, he’s helping reshape what sustainability in tourism can actually look like.

Check out BioCylce at Grupo Puntacana (👊) at https://www.biocycle.net/grupo-puntacana-resort-scales-up-organics-recycling/?utm_source=BioCycle+CONNECT&utm_campaign=e48755d671-CONNECT_250716&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-6c285218e8-513844463

Thank you to our Show sponsors:

Compost Systems of Austria: https://www.compost-systems.com/en

And Agrilab Technologies at www.agrilabtech.com/podcast

Merch:

https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html

Contact:

Host Jayne Merner can be reached at [email protected] or through instagram @composterpodcast

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’s been like to scale, and the importance of their unique cooperative business structure—which sets them apart in the composting world. And toward the end of the conversation, Nathan shares his beautiful vision of a compost-centric utopian future. It’s heartfelt, imaginative, and honestly, something we could all use a bit more of.

Check out Rust Belt Riders (👊) at

https://www.rustbeltriders.com/

Nathan mentioned Farmers of Forty Centuries; Or, Permanent Agriculture in China, Korea and Japan, a book by Franklin Hiram King that anyone interested in Compost should check out!

Thank you to our Show sponsors:

Green Mountain Technologies: visit Compostingtechnology.com and mention The Composter podcast for a free consultation

Agrilab Technologies at www.agrilabtech.com/podcast

And Viably: https://thinkviably.com/

Merch:

https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html

Contact:

Composter Host, Jayne Merner can be reached at [email protected] or through https://www.instagram.com/composterpodcast/

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 efficincy. The second half is about Dan’s experience being the first compost operator in the country to publicly deal with persistent herbicide contamination. Back in 2012, before anyone really knew about these chemicals, Green Mountain Compost made national news when they discovered 10,000 cubic yards of compost had been affected.

It all started with one customer calling about a garden that wasn’t growing right... then came 500 more. You can imagine the heartbreak—putting your heart into making great compost, only to find out that an unknown herbicide in manure can ruin your whole batch.

Dan’s openness in sharing what happened has helped the whole industry move forward. It’s a powerful story. Dan also shares awesome tips and enhancements on their site: there’s a lot to learn here.

Check out Green Mountain Compost at https://cswd.net/waste-recycling-help/organics/green-mountain-compost/

Thank you to our Show sponsors:

AgriLab Technologies: www.agrilabtech.com/podcast

Compost Systems of Austria: https://www.compost-systems.com/en

Merch:

https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html

Contact:

Host Jayne Merner can be reached at [email protected] or through instagram @composterpodcast

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 grown, and what he’s up to now. And of course, we’ll dig into how he’s using compost on his farm these days. If you haven’t already, definitely check out The Growers Daily Podcast, hosted by Jesse—I love catching it on YouTube for great growing tips.

Support Jesse's work (👊) at https://www.notillgrowers.com/support or / notillgrowers

Show sponsors:

Green Mountain Technologies: visit Compostingtechnology.com and mention The Composter podcast for a free consultation

AgriLab Technologies: www.agrilabtech.com/podcast

Merch:

https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html

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 solutions, and more people than ever getting involved. This podcast is here to help you stay informed, inspired, and connected to the wider composting community.

There’s also some exciting personal updates. Many of you know that I run my family’s 48 year old farm, Earth Care Farm and we are expanding our compost operation, across the state line into Sterling, Connecticu. We are nearing the finish line — I’m on the last of seven permits (yes, seven!). It’s been a journey, but the finish line is in sight.

And one more fun thing — we’ve launched brand new Composter Podcast merchandise over on our Earth Care Farm website. If you want to show your compost pride, go check it out!

So listen up for another season packed with diverse voices, hard-won wisdom, and new ideas. Composting is more than a method — it’s a movement. And the momentum? It’s real. I can feel it.

Let’s dig in.

www.earthcarefarm.com

https://www.instagram.com/composterpodcast/

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. Meeting you. Whether you're a composter, researcher, or equipment guru, this is where our global soil-loving squad comes together. Let's share. Last year was incredible. Check out the following stories from past attendees...