UPDATED INFORMATION:
Most of the people originally scheduled to
come will make it if we do not have another blizzard, but there are 20 open
seats. Please email the
Environment Council of Rhode Island to reserve a seat. They will go
fast.
The 2013 RI Compost Conference and Trade show
was postponed due to Winter Storm Nemo and has now been rescheduled.
It will
take place on Friday March 22 at the Wildcat Center on Johnson & Wales University’s
Harborside campus in Providence beginning at 8:30 AM.
Cost is $25.00
including a lunch prepared by Johnson & Wales (think culinary school) The
conference is organized by the Environment Council of Rhode Island’s Compost
Initiative in partnership with many people in the Compost Industry.
The conference program is nearly unchanged
from the original lineup , thereby allowing us to use the original
program. The changes will be a better space, Delany Gym for the trade show
and Michael Bradlee replacing Matt Gennuso in one of the workshops. All
of the exhibitors are coming and we are looking to add a few more. If you
wish to exhibit please email the Environment Council
Several sponsors, including ecoRI, Full Circle Recycling, Shapiro Enterprises, and Waste Management have already signed on to support the event. In addition to the sponsors there are commitments for exhibits from Big Hanna, Earth Appliance, Vegware,RI Resource RecoveryCorporation, EarthCare Farm, Ecoassets, and the URI Master Composters Program.
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| Learn more about Charlestown's Worm Ladies here |
This year there will be a number of workshops on compost related
topics including home composting, what restaurants and institutions can do, the
science of compost, and how to move the industry forward in Rhode Island.
Speakers lined up include Ken Ayars of RIDEM, Mike Merner of Earthcare
Farm, Nancy Warner of the Worm Ladies of Charlestown, Paul Frade of PFTrading
company, Scott Miller talking about innovations in compost at Johnson &
Wales University, Dr Robert Rafka discussing the science of compost,
Reinhard Sidor of the URI Master Composters program, a speaker from Rhode
Island Resource Recovery Corporation, and Representative Art Handy on the state
of compost on Smith Hill. Some of the panels are not fully populated, and
if you have appropriate expertise and would like to speak for 15 minutes as
part of a 3 person panel, please get in touch with Greg Gerritt.
Sponsorship and exhibition hall opportunities are also still
available. Packets on sponsorship and exhibiting can be obtained by
emailing Greg Gerritt at environmentcouncil@earthlink.net or calling
401-331-0529.
Registration is available on line at www.environmentcouncilri.org/content/compost-conference-registration
The conference fee is $25.00 per person, but lunch alone at a
place with the culinary reputation of Johnson & Wales ought to be worth the
price. Come join us on February 8 in Providence.
Tentative Agenda
8:30 AM Registration
begins and trade show opens.
9 AM
Welcome Greetings From hosts, conveners, and
dignitaries
9:25 AM Charge for the day
9:35 AM
Keynote Gretel Clark
Hamilton MA compost program
10:15 AM announcements
10:20 AM head to workshops
First session of panels 10:30 to 11;25
Solutions for restaurants Matt Genusio Chez Pascal
Paul Frade PF Trading
Home composting Nancy Warner Worm Ladies of
Charlestown Reinhard Sidor URI Master Composter
Compost science Dr. Robert Rafka
The environment in RI for advances in composting Frank
Jacques Buxton Hollow Farm Greg Gerritt RI Compost
Initiative
Second session 11:35 to 12:30
Solutions for institutions Scott Miller JWU ,
Jim Murphy RIC David Temple Vegware
The state of compost on Smith Hill Rep. Art Handy
(invited)
In vessel aerobic composting John Clifford
Big Hanna
Compost, soil, and food in Rhode Island Mike Merner
Earthcare Farm Ken Ayars RIDEM
Lunch and Trade Show at 12:30 in the exhibition hall
2 PM panel what next Panelists from RIRRC, RIDEM,
Massrecycle.
3 PM next steps
3:15 PM Trade show
