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 / notillgrowersShow sponsors:Green Mountain Technologies: visit Compostingtechnology.com and mention The Composter podcast for a free consultationAgriLab Technologies: www.agrilabtech.com/podcastMerch:https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html
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Season 4 Composter Teaser
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.comhttps://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...
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Two Compost Pioneers, Karl Hammer of Vermont Compost & Mike Merner of Earth Care Farm
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!
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How Composters Can Be Proactive About PFAS w/ Andrew Brousseau of Black Earth Compost
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!
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.