Vermont Organics Recycling Summit
20th Annual Vermont Organics Recycling Summit: Compost! Feed the Soil that Feeds Us*
As communities face challenges ranging from climate disruptions to food access, compost offers a tangible way to rebuild local connections between food, soil, and people. This year’s theme celebrates compost as a cornerstone of healthy ecosystems and thriving communities. By returning organic matter and life to the soil, compost closes the loop between food and what we discard, enriching soils, improving water retention, and bolstering nutrient sovereignty and resilience. Whether on farms, in gardens, or at municipal and community scales, compost helps sustain the soil that sustains us all.
*This year’s theme is borrowed from International Compost Awareness Week
Program details coming soon!
Are you inspired by the power of compost to nourish soil, strengthen local food systems, and support community resilience?
Join us at the 20th Vermont Organics Recycling Summit!
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Montpelier Performing Arts Hub in Montpelier
Workshops and tours will be held around the state on Thursday, March 26, and Saturday, March 28.
Meet our 2026 Keynote Speaker: Jayne Merner
Jayne Merner has a lifelong passion for enlivening the world's soils. She grew up among the fertile windrows of compost at her family’s Earth Care Farm in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Founded in 1977 by her father, Michael Merner, Earth Care Farm is now operated by Jayne with the help of three generations of Merners and a small, dedicated staff.
The farm raises produce using regenerative practices and is best known for its large-scale, high-quality Merner’s Gold Compost. In addition to her work on the farm, Jayne hosts The Composter podcast and has traveled around the world teaching composting, helping to establish composting facilities, and sharing her deep love of the natural world.
Transforming Organics. Empowering People. Strengthening Systems.
Each year, VORS gathers composters, haulers, educators and students, businesses, community leaders, and policymakers.
Together, they explore how to transform food scraps and other organic materials into valuable products that support our environment, economy, and communities.
Through dynamic sessions and hands-on networking, VORS sparks innovation, strengthens connections, and drives action toward a more resilient, resourceful future.
Motivated by the Universal Recycling law—which bans food scraps and other organics from the landfill—Vermonters are making a difference as they reduce food waste, partner with food shelves and businesses, and use compost to build healthier soils and more resilient communities.
In partnership with the ANR Solid Waste Program, the Composting Association of Vermont has hosted all but one of the past Summits.
Looking for recorded webinars and resources from past Summits?
Search by topic.
Interested in sponsoring VORS 2026?
Consider becoming a CAV sponsor to maximize your visibility among out community!
Interested in only sponsoring or exhibiting at the Summit? We have four categories:
$1,500 includes additional acknowledgement, exhibitor table, 4 comped registrations
$1,000 includes exhibitor table, 2 comped registrations
$500 includes exhibitor table, 1 comped registration, 1 discounted registration
$250 includes exhibitor table, 1 discounted registration
Logos and website links for Sponsors are included in promotion, on event and organization websites, and through our social media. We estimate VORS annual electronic promotion reaches 10,000+ individuals.