ILSR’s On-Farm Composting & Compost Use Webinar Series features experts from across the industry and covers the ins and outs of on-farm composting and compost use. The fifth webinar of the series, Profiting with Compost & the Importance of Compost Quality, featured presenters Dr. Greg Evanylo, professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech and Jayne Merner Senecal, farmer and composter at Earth Care Farm in Rhode Island. They presented on compost testing as a tool for creating high-quality compost that can profit a farming business.
In this webinar, Greg discussed: proper compost sample collection and handling; the important chemical, physical, and biological parameters to test; the importance of testing in determining a compost’s use; different quantitative and qualitative compost standards; and how to limit Phosphorus in compost.
Jayne discussed how Earth Care Farm began composting, how it profits from its composting operation, how Earth Care Farm integrates compost quality monitoring and testing into their operation, and the different compost-base products Earth Care Farm markets and sells.
This webinar series was offered in partnership with the Million Acre Challenge.
The live webinar took place on: November 16, 2021
Watch the Recording
Speakers:
Jayne Merner Senecal
Jayne Merner Senecal owns and operates Earth Care Farm, which was started by her father, Michael Merner, in 1977. With the help of 3 generations of Merners and a small dedicated staff the farm raises produce, cattle and is most well known for its large scale, high quality Merner’s Gold Compost. As the first and largest composter in Rhode Island, the farm transforms many hundreds of tons of materials per year into rich compost for gardens across New England. Jayne was awarded the 2019 Providence Business News’ 40 under 40 and is a National Udall Scholar “For leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to the environment”. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a BS in Environmental Economics and Management. She enjoys sharing her deep love of nature with the community. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her husband, son and their 2 pet goats.
Dr. Greg Evanylo
Dr. Greg Evanylo is a Professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech. Greg’s research has addressed the effects of byproduct carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and heavy metals on plant, soil, water, and air quality. His extension programming has provided knowledge on the risks and benefits associated with land application of municipal, industrial, and agricultural residuals and instruction on composting and compost use. He is a member of the Soil Science Society of America, the Mid-Atlantic Biosolids Association, the United States Composting Council, and the Virginia Composting Council.
