Environment Council of Rhode Island

...building an ecologically healthy future in a sustainable economy

2017 RI Compost Conference & Trade Show

Thursday March 9, 2017 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Student Union – Rhode Island College, Providence RI 02908

 • A joint presention by the Environment Council of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island College Office of Sustainability.

 • Registration is now closed, but we will accept walk-ins Thursday morning at the RIC Student Union Ballroom.


This year’s conference included 2 plenary speakers and 8 workshops covering topics that reflect the development of the compost industry in Rhode Island.

Morning Plenary   9:00 am

Design and Operation of a Decentralized Regional Composting System
 - William Conrad and Greg McCarron, SCS Engineers

Workshop Session I   10:00 am

1. Composting & Food Waste as Part of the RI Food Strategy
Sue Anderbois, Director of Food Strategy, State of Rhode Island

2. Community Composting: Three Years of Research and Discovery
Michael Bradlee, Earth Appliance, Providence, RI

3. The Do’s and Don'ts of Compost Worm Tea
Monique Bosch and Margaret O’Donnell, Rhode Island Worm Farmers Cooperative

4. School Composting Programs
A Panel Discussion, Led by Antonia Bryson, RI Food Policy Council

Workshop Session II   11:00 am

1. A Discussion on Getting to Curbside Collection of Compostables in Rhode Island
Jennifer Weiting, Compost activist

2. How Whole Foods Markets Manages Food Scrap
Karen Franczyk, Green Mission Coordinator for the North Atlantic Region, Whole Foods Market

3. Composting Humanure
Conor Lally,
Nutrient Networks and Ben Goldberg

4. Celebrating 40 Years of Making Compost: The Journey of Earth Care Farm
Jayne Merner Senecal, Earth Care Farm, Charlestown, RI

Lunch & Trade Show   NOON – 1:30 pm

Afternoon Plenary   1:30 pm

Growing Compost Infrastructure
 - Lorenzo Macaluso, Director of Client Relations, Center for EcoTechnology


Current exhibitors include:
Earth Appliance, Energize RI, ecoRI News, Mega Disposal, Rhode Island Farm Service Agency, Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, SCS Engineers, The Center for EcoTechnology, Compost Plant, The Rhode Island Worm Farmers Cooperative, The Worm Ladies of Charlestown

Admission, which included lunch, was $40.00/person at the door.