Friday February 8, 2013 Johnson & Wales University Harborside Recreation Center
Preparations for the 2013 Rhode Island Compost Conference and Trade Show organized by the Environment Council of Rhode Island Compost Initiative are moving along nicely. 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.
The speakers program is going to be very interesting with Gretel Clark, who developed the Hamilton Massachusetts compost collection program, keynoting.
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 http://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
RI Compost Conference and Trade Show Friday February 8, 2013 Johnson & Wales University Harborside Recreation Center.
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