Keynote Speaker: Brenda Platt

Brenda Platt directs the Composting for Community Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, where she has worked 35+ years. Her current focus is advancing a distributed composting infrastructure that encompasses composting at homes, community gardens, farms, and other venues. She has authored numerous reports including Stop Trashing the Climate and Growing Local Fertility: A Guide to Community Composting, and has worked on local, state, and federal policy to support composting. Brenda is a trained composter and trains others. She is nationally known for her work documenting the jobs through reuse, recycling, and composting. In 2017, the US Composting Council awarded her its H. Clark Gregory Award for outstanding service to the composting industry through grassroots efforts. In 2022, the U.S. EPA recognized ILSR for its community composting work. Brenda has a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from The George Washington University.

Session Presenters:

Tom Akin is the Conservation Agronomist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Colchester, VT. From 2003 to 2021, Tom worked for USDA NRCS in Amherst, MA. Prior to working for NRCS, Tom worked at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in Boston as the Assistant Superintendent and Internship Coordinator. Tom has also worked as the Integrated Pest Management Coordinator at Weston Nurseries, and as an Agricultural Extension Educator with UMass Extension. In the 1980s Tom served with the Peace Corps in the Central African Republic for 6 years as an English Teacher, Beekeeping Extension Educator, and Assistant Director for Agriculture. Tom received a BS in English Literature from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN and an MS in Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA.

Athena Lee Bradley is an independent organics management consultant, providing instruction for organics and food scrap management, composting, and manure management trainings, as well as technical assistance to businesses, public agencies, schools, communities, and residents. She has written several organics management guidance documents and numerous other instructional materials. Athena attended the Maine Compost School and other compost operator trainings; she has a B.S. in Environmental Studies and M.A. in Environmental Policy.

Cat Buxton is a busy cross-pollinator and change facilitator from Sharon, VT. Her business is Grow More, Waste Less. She is an effective and enthusiastic educator, collaborative community organizer, and advocate for food system change and a Just Transition. She talks incessantly about soil, compost, bugs, and plants. Her latest endeavor is the Super Compost Project. She is all about connecting the social mycelium to empower individuals to affect the necessary changes to restore health to people and planet.

Andrew Carpenter is a certified soil scientist, crop advisor, and nutrient management planning specialist. He has extensive experience in research, planning, and handling technical issues around the reuse of organic residuals. Andrew received an M.S. in Plant, Soil, and Environmental Science at the University of Maine. In 2003 he founded Northern Tilth, LLC an environmental consulting firm focused on organic waste management and building soil health.

Steve Cash has worked at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets since 2016 as a Farm Inspector in the Water Quality Division and as a Field Agent in the PHARM Division, where he did regulatory field work related to feed, seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. Steve is currently a supervisor in the Water Quality division, overseeing the Agency’s new Non-Sewage Waste program. Prior to working at the Agency, Steve worked in agriculture and forestry for nearly a decade.

Natasha Duarte is the Director of the Composting Association of Vermont (CAV). She represents CAV in policy initiatives, develops and leads outreach and education initiatives, and promotes the production and use of compost as vital to soil health through practices that contribute to water quality, plant vigor, and environmental resilience. Natasha has extensive experience working with rural and small communities to plan and implement solid waste management projects, developing training tools and resources, and delivering training and technical assistance. She is Chair of the Farm to Plate Food Cycle Coalition, an instructor for both online and hands-on training for UVM’s Master Composter Program. Natasha is currently leading a USDA-funded project, On-Farm Community-Scale Food Scrap and Agricultural Organic Waste Management in Vermont and New Hampshire. Natasha has an MS in Soil Science from North Carolina State University and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Vermont.

Jack Eaton is the Technical Sales Support Representative for Filtrexx Northeast Systems, the northeast manufacturer of Filtrexx Filtersoxx, based in Goffstown, NH. Jack has been a CPESC since March of 2007 and has worked in erosion and sediment control for over 15 years. His work has focused on providing green technology solutions for more cost-effective Stormwater management during construction, as well as post-construction applications in Sustainable Site Development and Green Infrastructure Systems.

Alyssa Eiklor is a member of the Materials Management Section of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Solid Waste Program. In addition to conducting outreach on composting, recycling, and waste reduction, she compiles the annual Diversion & Disposal report, which is a summary of everything that Vermonters send to the landfill and an estimate of things that Vermonters divert from the landfill, like recyclables and compost.

Liz Freierman is the primary farmer at Highwater Farm, a small, queer-owned and operated family farm growing a diversified veggie and berry crop on approximately a half-acre on a combination of owned and leased land in the floodplain of Bartlett, New Hampshire. Her first job at the age of 14 was at a local nursery and farm, where she did everything from transplanting to sorting tomatoes. She carried this passion with her as she grew older, establishing small gardens everywhere she went and continuing to seek out learning opportunities. Prior to making the switch to full-time farmer/baby wrangler, Liz worked as a timber framer for 4 years. Now on the farm, she most enjoys starting seeds and pruning tomatoes.

Ben Gauthier is an Environmental Analyst for the Vermont DEC, Solid Waste Management Program’s Certification Section, specializing in organic solid waste management facility permitting. He is currently involved with food residual management policy and research projects and overseeing the annual Vermont Compost Operator Training.

Dan Goossen started at Intervale Compost in 2003 and has been managing the compost operation at the CSWD Organics Diversion Facility since 2008. Dan spends a lot of time with people and working with numbers, but is most happy at work on those occasions when he gets to climb a mountain of compost, or spend a day screening a finished pile. When not at work, Dan enjoys beekeeping, growing food, and spending time with his family.

Josef Görres is an associate professor of ecological soil management at the University of Vermont. His current research interests include earthworm invasions, composting, soil erosion and mitigation of nutrient pollution with myco-phytoremediation. Josef earned his PhD at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, and has an MS degree in Natural Resources Science from the University of Rhode Island.

Sarah Hobson is an MS student in the Environmental Microbiome Engineering Research Group and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UVM. Her current research focuses on the quantification of microplastics in composts across Vermont. She is an environmental engineer in training (EIT) and life-long composter with an international background. Sarah is engaged in local food recovery and mutual aid-based community efforts.

Emilie Inoue has been with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets for 17 years and has primarily spent her career surveying for invasive pests (insects and pathogens). As the agency’s plant health team lead, Emilie works with the state entomologist, state survey coordinator, other state agencies and UVM-extension to implement statewide surveys and to provide outreach and education to the general public about these pest threats.

Brian Jerose has been President of Agrilab Technologies Inc. since 2012. AGT sells compost aeration and heat recovery (CAHR) units and other farm and composting equipment. Brian and his team also provide planning, design, development, implementation and on-going operating support to farm, municipal, commercial and non-profit clients in VT and several other states and countries. He has worked on a range of composting, watershed protection, and sustainable development projects. Brian lives in Fairfield, VT.

Josh Kelly is the Solid Waste Program Manager at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. The Program oversees the regulation and implementation of solid waste management including waste reduction, separation, collection, hauling, facility management, disposal, reuse, recycling, composting, and producer responsibility services. This also includes compliance, education, and enforcement work for solid waste and salvage yards, along with the development and implementation of the State’s materials management plan. Josh has over 20 years’ experience as an environmental professional, having worked for the Institute for Sustainable Communities, the Highfields Center for Composting, and the Trust for Public Land. Josh has a BS in Environmental Studies and Biology from St. Lawrence University.

Dan Kilrain operates Work Song Farm with his wife Abby. Work Song Farm, a small-scale, diverse vegetable farm with four acres in production in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, aims to grow healthy, delicious food for their local community. They strive for sustainability in every way, and believe in local community. Excess produce is donated to local food pantries and soup kitchens. In 2021, they donated over 2,000 lbs. through the NH Gleans Program!

Josefina Luna is the daughter of a peasant family; her childhood was spent on the farms of American companies picking cotton, corn, and strawberries with her family and other workers. She was educated by her mother until she had access to a school when she was eleven. Her godmother, a teacher, sent her books about Greek culture and pencils to paint, and the photographs of the paintings stayed with her. She grew up in the middle of a dictatorship, where talking or asking questions was forbidden. In 1963, elections were held in her country for the first time in 30 years, and the communists won. The military stripped her family of their land, where she had planted the most beautiful trees. From that moment, she dedicated her life to the struggle, politics, unions, cooperative and peasant organizations, and education.

Rubén Parrilla is the Soil Technical Coordinator for NOFA/Mass and trained in microscopic soil microbial identification through the Soil Food Web School. He is a Certified Lab Tech and studied Environmental Design at the University of Puerto Rico. In addition he recently completed a Natural Farming intensive taught by Chris Trump with over 50 hours of theory and practice. Rubén has 15 years’ experience working at different capacities in the environmental laboratory industry. He has been performing soil carbon proxy testing, soil health assessments, soil chemical analysis, and soil microbiological evaluations for NOFA/Mass for over the past year and has extensive experience farming and working with farmers, including beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers. Rubén performs soil health related outreach and education events for NOFA/Mass by leading monthly farmer learning calls, providing hands-on workshops and instruction at soil health education events, and networking with farmers and individuals in the agricultural industry. He is a fluent and native Spanish speaker and fully English/Spanish bilingual.

Jennifer Perry has written and implemented millions of dollars in grants through NYSERDA for the ANCA Clean Energy Program for ten years. She transitioned to Community Composting in 2020 and is currently supporting ANCA to incorporate CfG into the organization. She has raised over $300K in funding for CfG to provide technical assistance to businesses, schools, organizations, manufacturers, academics, residents, farmers, etc. She has been growing and selling vegetables for 30 years and is a Certified Compost Operator. Additionally, she is co-owner of a food scrap collection business and composting facility. She is on several advisory committees representing the needs of community composters.

Kate Porterfield is a PhD student in the Nutrient Cycling and Ecological Design Lab & Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UVM. Her research focuses on the use of ecological engineering to address environmental issues at the water-food-energy nexus. Kate has worked with an interdisciplinary team of professors and private industry members to evaluate the potential to recover and reuse phosphorus from anaerobically digested dairy manure. More recently, she has pioneered measurement of microplastics in digestate and food wastes in Vermont while leading a literature review on microplastic contamination and organic recycling.

John Schmeltzer is Deputy Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC). He has been in this role since September 2022. Previously, he worked as a project manager within the Waste Management & Prevention Division of the VT DEC for 26 years. In this role, he oversaw the investigation and cleanup of contaminated sites, including several Superfund Sites and the area-wide Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Bennington Vermont. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Renewable Natural Resources from the University of Arizona and a Master of Science Degree in Water Resources Management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Stephanie Smith works at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets, where she participates in the development and implementation of policies and programs supportive of the agricultural industry. Stephanie's focus is varied and includes hemp production and processing and cannabis quality control, plant health, and, most recently, food residuals management on farms. Prior to coming to the Agency, she worked for municipal government in a variety of capacities, including in the Municipal Assistance Center at the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Boston University and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia.

Robert Spencer has been Executive Director of the Windham Solid Waste District since 2011. WSWMD serves 19 member towns in southeastern VT and operates a transfer station, composting, recycling, household hazardous waste, and education programs, on a Brattleboro property that includes a closed landfill covered by a solar array. Bob is also an environmental planning consultant that works with composting facilities and other clients in MA and around the country. He has operated several composting facilities and is also a contributing editor for BioCycle. Bob lives in Vernon, VT.

Ulum Pixan Athohil Suk'il (Bird Spirit), aka Dania Alejandra Flores-Heagney, is an indigenous mixed Woman (Maya, Xinca, Garifuna, Russian Jew, and ladino), Mother and Grandmother. She was born in Guatemala and moved to the U.S. in 1999. She organized in her country around aboriginal, women's, language issues, and the environment. She continues her work here in the U.S. as Co-Director of Global Village and member-owner at both Global Village @ Tuck Away Farm Cooperative and Access Co-op. She is a critical thinker, advocate, and activist. She is co-founder of Indigenous Peoples Network (RI/MA), a collaboration with local indigenous peoples and people all over the northeast, recognizing ancestral struggles and forming unity by sharing resources, technologies, and ancestral knowledge. Ulum is also an International Liaison of the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe of the Pokanoket Nation, a Board member of NESAWG (North East Sustainable Agriculture Working Group), Stone Soup artist and activist collective, and founding member of NEFOC (North East Farmers of Color).

Zach Szczukowski is an Agricultural Resource Management Specialist in the Agricultural Residuals Management Program. Prior to his current role, Zach began working for the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets in 2021, where he assisted in a multitude of capacities, including playing a special role in rulemaking processes as well as conducting surveys and inspections with the Plant Industry Section.

Ben Tipton operates Firefly Farm at Burke Hollow LLC with his wife Michelle, and their sons, Makail and Evan. Tucked in the hills of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, this small family-owned enterprise grows mixed vegetables, nuts, fruit, herbs, and flowers on 1 ½ acres and tends to a small flock of laying hens that have access to around 5 acres through rotational grazing. They also have a sugaring operation and produce garden burgers, vegan basil pesto, and garlic scape hummus. They are committed to providing access to locally grown food free of pesticides, utilizing farming practices that enhance biodiversity while combating climate change, and working with nature to promote wellness for our Earth and all its beings. Their farming activities are complemented by offering farm stays, and they have a guest house and camping sites on their property.

Eamon Twohig joined the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation in 2012 and holds the unofficial record of serving in the greatest number of Divisions over the shortest time. In 2017, he enlisted with the Waste Management & Prevention Division as the manager of the Residuals Waste & Emerging Contaminants Program. Chief among the duties of this Program is ensuring that the beneficial reuse of residual materials, such as biosolids, is performed in a matter that protects the environment and human health. A major focus of the Program is to assist the State with investigations and regulatory response to per and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination in our environment. Prior to working for the State of Vermont, he conducted research at the University of Vermont (UVM) focused on reducing pollutant and excess nutrient loading to surface and ground waters via innovative, low-cost technologies, such as constructed wetlands and phosphorus-sorbing filters. Eamon has a Master’s degree in Plant & Soil Science from the University of Vermont and a Bachelor’s degree from Vassar College. He lives in Burlington, VT with his family and enjoys the mountains, lakes and streams (of delicious beer) synonymous with the Green Mountain State.

Josh Tyler is the Director of Operations at Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD)

All events are free, but require registration

Registration is open!

Registering for these free events will get you a single Zoom link for all the online sessions.

If you select the in-person options, you will receive details by email. Note: In-person participation has capacity limits, indicated in the registration form.

All virtual and hybrid sessions will be recorded and posted on the CAV website after the event.