How did you get your start in the industry? 听
I got into the science and business of composting in 2008 after I discovered an old documentary film about a French farmer named Jean Pain, who had invented a way to capture heat from large piles of compost. He did some amazing things, but I couldn鈥檛 find many other examples of this since then. So, I started a non-profit research organization called The Compost Power Network in collaboration with Highfields Center for Composting and several universities. I led many dozens of compost heat recovery experiments and worked with composting pioneers such as Karl Hammer of Vermont Compost, Bruce Fulford of New Alchemy Institute, and Brian Jerose of Agrilab Technologies. In 2011 I was approached by a W.W. Norton, a major book publisher, and was asked to write a book about this, which I did. The Compost Powered Water Heater book was published in 2013. During this 2008 to 2013 period I had regular full-time jobs in marketing leadership roles with Green Mountain Coffee, groSolar, and 1% for the Planet. Composting was my weekend/evening obsession. But in 2014 I decided to step away from normal corporate roles and focused 100 percent of my effort on composting innovation, working to help Agrilab Technologies re-design their compost heat recovery technology, along with reorganizing the business and finding investors to grow the company. Since then, I鈥檝e been primarily a freelance business development and marketing consultant in the composting industry, working with farms and commercial composting operations and compost technologies companies.
What is your current role today? 听
I am still an independent business development and marketing consultant, but my primary roles are with Green Mountain Technologies, and the Compost Capital Network, . I also remain an advisor and member of the Board of Directors at Agrilab Technologies. I also work in a supporting role with The Composter Podcast , the world’s leading podcast about composting. Since 2022 host Jayne Merner has been doing deep insightful interviews with some of the most innovative and successful commercial composters and on-farm composters on Earth. As a second generation farmer and commercial composter herself, Jayne knows how to bring the best out of her guests, with lively educational conversations with leaders in this space.
What important lesson have you learned over the years?
Just like every pile of food waste or raunchy manure can be turned into a high value compost product, every challenge in business and life can be converted into an opportunity for mutual value. I firmly believe that business innovation can solve just about any problem, when the concept of mutually beneficial exchange is the framework. I will always love working in the composting industry, because we have infinite potential to create real value every day. I love working with farmers and people who understand that waste is just value unrealized.
Who/what was your biggest influence?
Studying the life and work of Jean Pain was my biggest inspiration, but working directly with people like Bruce Fulford, Karl Hammer, and Brian Jerose catapulted me into seeing that inspiration combined with hard work and patience leads to endless opportunity. However, prior to my work in the composting field, my biggest blessing in business was the opportunity I had to work directly with Bob Stiller, founder of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Vermont. Bob taught me that with imagination, inspiration and a focus on value creation, miracles are possible. When I was the Senior Marketing Manager at Green Mountain Coffee, I did not have what most people saw as relevant experience for that role. But Bob felt my inspiration and creativity and he brought me into the role and had faith in me. During my four years at the company the product lines I managed grew from $20 million to over $400 million in annual sales. We went from a tiny regional brand to the dominant national brand, winning battles with huge companies like Nestle, Starbucks and Kraft, with a tiny marketing budget but a huge inspiration budget.
What do you love most about being in the industry?
I love working with scrappy earthy composters and farmers who understand that what some people see as trash can become something of high value. I love knowing that my work is helping to create real sustainability in terms of agriculture, by feeding the soils that grow all our food. I love working with people who want to make environmental impact through economic innovation. The composting industry is still in its infancy, and I look forward to a lifelong journey of whatever impact I can contribute.