Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Exhibit Hall Hours | Toolbox Talks
Almost all COMPOST2024 events will be held at Ocean Center Convention Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. Please note that the Pre-conference Tour on Tuesday, February 6, and the Equipment Show (Demo Day) on Friday, February 9, are off-site events. The convention center is the departure location for all buses, including those for Tuesday’s tours and Friday’s Demo Day at the Tomoka Landfill in Volusia County. Additional details are regularly added to this page. The US Composting Council (USCC) retains the right to make changes until the day of the event.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Preconference Activities
| Title | Time |
| USCC Board of Directors Meeting | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| USCC Certification Commission Meeting | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM |
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6
| Title | Time | Room |
| Exhibitor move in | All Day | Exhibit Hall |
| Registration Open | 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM | Connector Concourse |
| Badge pick-up and walk-in services will be reserved for workshop and tour attendees only from 7:00 - 8:30 AM. | ||
| BPI Membership meeting - open to all | 3:30 - 4:30 PM | 103 C |
| Full and half-day workshops and tours | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | |
| Young Professionals Community Project | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Halifax Urban Ministries |
| Annual Membership Meeting of USCC and CREF Annual Meeting - open to all | 5:00 - 6:00 PM | Exhibit Hall |
| Welcome Reception | 6:00 - 8:30 PM | Exhibit Hall |
Full and Half-Day Workshops For workshop and tour details click HERE | |||
FULL DAY | |||
| Title | Instructors | Time | Room |
| Foundations of Composting | Matt Cotton and Bob Rynk | 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM | 102 A |
| Compost Sales & Marketing | Ryan Cerrato | 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM | 102 B |
| Adding Food Waste to your Compost Facility | Michael Bryan-Brown, Aurel Lubke and Rik Langendoen | 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM | 102 C |
HALF DAY | |||
| Compost Use in Crops and Landscape | Monica Hampton | 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM | 103 A |
| Compost Carbon Connection | Sally Brown, Andrew Carpenter, Scott Subler | 1:00 - 4:30 PM | 103 B |
| Regenerative Farming, Composting, Teas, Vermicomposting, and DNA Sequencing | Laura Kavanaugh and Simeon Kleinsasser | 1:00 - 4:30 PM | 103 A |
| Community Composting Systems: New Projects and Scaling Up Existing Projects | Brenda Platt, Linda Bilsens Brolis, and Khari Diop | 1:00 - 4:30 PM | 101 A/B |
Tours | |||
| Compost Facility Tour | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | ||
| Daytona 500 International Speedway Tour | 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM | ||
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7
| Title | Time | Room |
| ICAW Breakfast | 7:00 - 8:00 AM | 101 A |
| Registration Open | 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM | Connector Concourse |
| Exhibit Hall Opens | 8:00 AM | Exhibit Hall |
CONCURRENT SESSION 1 | 8:15 - 9:45 AM | |
Concurrent Session 1A Operations Track | 8:15 - 9:45 AM | 102 A/B |
Optimizing Operations: Strategies to Reduce Contamination in Large Scale Composting Dustin Montey, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community | ||
The Commercial Side of Food Diversion Jason Browne, WeCare Denali LLC | ||
Overcoming Contamination Challenges Mary Matava, Agri Service Inc. | ||
Concurrent Session 1B Business Track | 8:15 - 9:45 AM | 103 B/C |
Planning and Development of a Public Compost Facility Greg McCarron, SCS Engineers, Suffern, NY | ||
Growing the Composting Industry in New York State Kristine Ellsworth, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY | ||
Using Strategic Collaboration to Streamline the Permitting Process Rik Langendoen, Green Mountain Technologies Inc. | ||
Concurrent Session 1C CREF Research Track | 8:15 - 9:45 AM | 202 A/B/C |
Sustainable Almond Cultivation in California: Assessing the Impact of Integrated Compost and Cover Crop Strategies on Soil Health and Tree Productivity Alexia Cooper, University of California Merced | ||
Impact of Soil Amended with Compost on Orchard Nutritional Dynamics and Horticultural Performance. Ayodeji Idowu, Clemson University | ||
Investigating Soil Organic Matter Composition in Response to Various Compost Types in a Dryland Winter Wheat Agroecosystem Idowu Atoloye, Utah State University | ||
Concurrent Session 1D Marketing and Use Track | 8:15 - 9:45 AM | 203 A/B/C |
Building the Value of Compost Through Branding, Education, and Sustainable Packaging in Buffalo, NY Bobbie Armstrong, NOCO Energy | ||
Key to Selling More Compost Than You Can Possibly Make Kathy Kellogg Johnson, Kellogg Garden Organics, Carson, CA | ||
Non-Compost Competing Products, and How to Sell Against Them Ron Alexander, R. Alexander Associates, Inc., Apex, NC | ||
Concurrent Session 1E Advocacy/Policy Track | 8:15 - 9:45 AM | 201 A/B |
Pennsylvania's New Urban Composting Permit Jennifer Mastalerz, Bennett Compost | ||
Lamoille Soil: The Perfect Trifecta of Regulation, Infrastructure, and Money Susan Alexander, Lamoille Regional Solid Waste Management District (LRSWMD) | ||
Compost Facility Air Permiting Tim O'Neill, Engineered Compost Systems, Seattle, WA | ||
Welcome & Opening KeynoteSponsored by  How the Structural and Functional Integrity of Healthy Soil Can Aid in Climate Resiliency Didi Pershouse, Land and Leadership Initiative | 10:00 AM - 11:30 PM | BALLROOM ABC |
| Lunch Sponsored by Exhibitors | 11:30 AM - 1:45 PM | Exhibit Hall |
| Book Signing: The Composting Handbook, Dr. Robert Rynk; Compost Utilization in Production of Horticultural Crops, Monica Ozores-Hampton, Ph.D | 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM | Entrance to the Exhibit Hall |
CONCURRENT SESSION 2 | 1:45 - 3:15 PM | |
Concurrent Session 2A Operations Track | 1:45 - 3:15 PM | 102 A/B |
Preventing Fires Before They Start Kurt Schoppe, Viably | ||
Fire Prevention at Compost & Mulch Facilities Chris Margraves, Garden-Ville | ||
How to Deal with a Fire Once It’s Started: Lessons Learned from Multiple Facility Fires over Eight Years Andrew Voodre, Dirt Hugger LLC | ||
Concurrent Session 2B Business Track | 1:45 - 3:15 PM | 103 B/C |
If You Want To Attract Top Talent You Have To Stand For Something Corey Hayes, Get Back Here Dog and John Morgan, Viably | ||
How to Make Sound Decisions on Fuel Purchasing for Your Equipment Dave Gavlick, St. Louis Composting | ||
How to Select Insurance for Your Composting Facility Patrick Geraty, St. Louis Composting, Valley Park, MO | ||
Concurrent Session 2C CREF Research Track | 1:45 - 3:15 PM | 202 A/B/C |
Research results of compostable packaging piles using remote monitoring devices and digital data David Velez, TAWA Compost and Sashti Balasundaram, WeRadiate | ||
Characterizing PFAS in Commercially Available Compost, Biosolids Fertilizers and Paper Food Packaging Maryam Saffari Aman, SUNY-ESF | ||
Optimizing Compost Process Conditions to Accelerate Bioplastic Degradation Tim O'Neill, Engineered Compost Systems, Seattle, WA | ||
Concurrent Session 2D Marketing and Use Track | 1:45 - 3:15 PM | 203 A/B/C |
Shifts in Compost Use over the Decades Ron Alexander, R. Alexander Associates, Inc., Apex, NC | ||
STA: The Brand – The Future’s So Bright, You Better Bring Shades! Allison Forstmann, ReCultivateNY, Inc. and Suzanne Longacre, Laurel Valley Soils | ||
Selling STA Compost by Industry Dave Harding , Agresource, Inc | ||
Concurrent Session 2E Advocacy/Policy Track | 1:45 - 3:15 PM | 201 A/B |
Compostable Packaging & Infrastructure Challenges: Where California labeling requirements and EPR policies meet Neil Edgar, California Compost Coalition | ||
Colorado EPR Leads the Way for Composting Funding Clinton Sander, A1 Organics | ||
How to Scale Composting Infrastructure and Access: Opportunities in Investment and Policy Caroline Barry, Closed Loop Partners | ||
Networking Break Sponsored by  | 3:15 - 415 PM | Exhibit Hall |
CONCURRENT SESSION 3 | 4:15 - 5:45 PM | |
Concurrent Session 3A Operations Track | 4:15 - 5:45 PM | 102 A/B |
Overcoming Challenges to Develop Compost Infrastructure Chuck Magee, Kern County Public Works Department | ||
Improving Process Efficiencies in Biosolids Composting Elliot Schneider, City of St. Peters | ||
An Evolving Organics Landscape for Maryland Counties Regina Cagle Irr, P.E., EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC, Hunt Valley, MD | ||
Concurrent Session 3B Business Track | 4:15 - 5:45 PM | 103 B/C |
Visions of Scale: A Panel Discussion of Three Compost Entrepreneurs Panelist Include: Christi Turner, Scraps Ltd. Justin Senkbeil, CompostNow Michael Robinson, Rust Belt Riders+Tilth Soil, Cleveland, OH | ||
Concurrent Session 3C CREF Research Track | 4:15 - 5:45 PM | 202 A/B/C |
Composting for Soil Health – Principles and Practices Jesse Wiser, Hiwassee Products | ||
Compost Use in Stormwater Bioretention Systems Andy Erickson, Ph.D., University of Minnesota | ||
Using DNA Sequencing to Improve Compost Products Laura Kavanaugh, Genome Insights LLC, Hillsborough, NC | ||
Concurrent Session 3D Marketing and Use Track | 4:15 - 5:45 PM | 203 A/B/C |
American Society of Landcare Architects - Climate Action Plan Emily O'Mahoney , 2GHO | ||
Compost and Climate Resilience Sally Brown, University of Washington, Seattle, WA | ||
Compost Standards and the Basics of Specification Charles Duprey, Naturcycle, Plainville, NY | ||
Concurrent Session 3E Advocacy/Policy Track | 4:15 - 5:45 PM | 201 A/B |
PFAS 101: Understanding PFAS in Compost and Biosolids Shalene Thomas, Battelle, Forest Lake, MN | ||
Protecting Compost Land Application Amid PFAS Concerns -- Current Regulatory and Legal Developments James Slaughter, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. | ||
Using Compost to Manage PFAS Contamination in Livestock on a Central Maine Farm Mark King, Maine Department of Environmental Protection | ||
| Exhibit Hall Closes | 5:00 PM |
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8
| TItle | Time | Room |
| Exhibit Hall Opens | 8:00 AM | |
CONCURRENT SESSION 4 | 8:30 - 10:00 AM | |
Concurrent Session 4A Operations Track | 8:30 - 10:00 AM | 102 A/B |
Top Safety Hazards in Composting and Mitigation Techniques Alston Sandzen, Generate Upcycle | ||
Tips to Tackle Safety at Composting Facilities Erin Skelly, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Shakopee, MN | ||
Safety is Not an Accident Mike Houseman, Waste Connections | ||
Concurrent Session 4B Business Track | 8:30 - 10:00 AM | 103 B/C |
Compliance: A Necessary Feedstock for Your Compost Operation Ame Lecocq, Recology | ||
Creating Your Facility Operating Plan Matt Cotton, Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC, Richmond, CA | ||
Site Management and Optimization in a Multi-Facility Environment Scott Gamble , Waste Management, Inc | ||
Concurrent Session 4C CREF Research Track | 8:30 - 10:00 AM | 202 A/B/C |
Black Soldier Fly Larve (Hermetia illucens) Frass & Sheddings as a Compost Ingredient Dhanush Kenchanna, Texas State University | ||
Use of Biochar and Composted Yardwaste on Citrus and Tomatoes in Florida Monica Hampton, Ph.D, TerraNutri, LLC, | ||
Use of Microbial Inoculant, Compost & Biochar for Revegetation of Degraded Soils Thomas Ducey, USDA-ARS | ||
Concurrent Session 4D Florida Track | 8:30 - 10:00 AM | 203 A/B/C |
Sustainable Landscaping Research Brooke Moffis, UF/IFAS Extension | ||
Compost - A Solution to Ever Increasing Water Restrictions in Masterplan Communities Darren Midlane, Life Soils Florida | ||
Florida Conventional Land Development Pierce Jones, Phd., University of Florida | ||
SunBridge Sustainable Landscapes Richard Levey, Phd. AICP, Tavistock Development Company | ||
Concurrent Session 4E Advocacy/Policy Track | 8:30 - 10:00 AM | 204 A |
Strategies For Championing Local Composting Sophia Jones, Institute for Local Self Reliance, Washington, DC | ||
Concurrent Session 4F State Chapter Track | 8:30 - 10:00 AM | 201 A/B/C |
How to Stay Out of Hot Water: Best Practices of Chapter Legal Compliance Nisha Thakker, Tennenbaum Law Group | ||
Networking Break Sponsored by  | 10:00 - 11:00 AM | Exhibit Hall |
CONCURRENT SESSION 5 | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | |
Concurrent Session 5A Operations Track | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | 102 A/B |
Compost feedstock in the Circular Economy-Cotton, Food Scrap, Animal mortality Jean Bonhotal, Cornell Waste Management Institute, Ithaca, NY | ||
Upcycling Sugarcane By-products with Compost Production to Enhance Regenerative Agricultural Practices Dr. Shiva Ahrens, Florida Crystals | ||
Large Scale Composting and Vermicomposting of Dairy Manure Tom Herlihy, Synagro, Geneseo, NY | ||
Concurrent Session 5B DEIA Track | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | 103 B/C |
USCC leading the composting industry DEIA journey Reneé V. Wallace, ReMark Composting Solutions | ||
Remaining Profitable While Ensuring Equitable Composting Access to In-Need Communities Lauren Click, Let's Go Compost! | ||
DEIA Open Discussion and Brainstorming: Ways the Compost Industry Can Improve Diversity Audience Participation | ||
Concurrent Session 5C Future of Compostable Products Track | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | 202 A/B/C |
CMA’s Field Testing Data: Resetting Assumptions Janet Thoman, Compost Manufacturing Alliance | ||
Compostable Field Testing Program’s Open-Source Data Project: Results and Next Steps Emily McGill, Compostable Field Testing Program / BSIbio | ||
Evaluation of Disintegration and Composting Progress Inside Mesh-Bags and Outside Rahul Shankar, Eastman Chemical Company | ||
Breaking Down Compostable Packaging: what's working, what's not, where do we go from here? Paula Luu, Closed Loop Partners | ||
Concurrent Session 5D Florida Track | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | 203 A/B/C |
The Florida Focus: Investing & Operating in the Sunshine State Jim Davis, Generate Upcycle, Spartanburg, SC | ||
The State of Organics Recycling in Florida & the Florida Organics Recycling Center for Excellence (FORCE) Lauren O' Connor, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Randy Rudd, Kessler Consulting Inc / FDEP | ||
Composting in Key West - A Successful Demonstration Program Todd Williams, Jacobs Engineering, Sunset Beach, NC | ||
“Won’t you be my neighbor?” One Company’s strategy to be part of the solution, bring the community along, and ensure the successful future of compost in Florida. Heather Lane Neville, W.e. Are Planning and Zachary Villaverde, Indianhead Biomass LLC | ||
Concurrent Session 5F State Chapter Track | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | 201 A/B/C |
Making Waves: Rookie Chapter of the Year Presentations and Voting Chapter Advisory Committee | ||
Influencing Your Regulators & Legislators: 3 Chapter Experiences (FLCC, NCCC, NJCC) | ||
| Lunch Available for Purchase | 12:30 - 2:00 PM | Exhibit Hall |
| Networking with Vendors | 12:30 - 2:00 PM | Exhibit Hall |
| Book Signing: The Composting Handbook, Dr. Robert Rynk; Compost Utilization in Production of Horticultural Crops, Monica Ozores-Hampton, Ph.D | 12:30 - 1:30 PM | CREF Booth #818 |
Chapter Networking Soiree - open to all Sponsored by  | 1:00 - 2:00 PM | Diving Board Foyer Outside ROOM 201 A/B/C |
CONCURRENT SESSION 6 | 2:00 - 3:30 PM | |
Concurrent Session 6A Operations Track | 2:00 - 3:30 PM | 102 A/B |
A Zero Waste University: Implementing a Compost Expansion Program at a Large University Dominique Hadad, Green Scope Consulting | ||
Organics Collection Takes Off- Designing and Implementing Organics Collection at Airports Melissa Filiaggi, Maryland Environmental Service | ||
Composting at Northeastern University: A Case Study of Successful Campus Composting through Collaboration Susan Higgins, Northeastern University | ||
Concurrent Session 6B Circular Economy Track | 2:00 - 3:30 PM | 103 B/C |
National Organic Program Changes: Composter Opportunity in Organic Agriculture Clifton Passow, Biodegradable Products Institute | ||
Shelf to Soil: Compost Solutions & Innovations for Grocery Stores Ryan Cooper, Rubicon | ||
Composting Textiles and Waste from Textile Based Products Steve Richardson, Unless Collective | ||
Concurrent Session 6C Compostable Products Track | 2:00 - 3:30 PM | 202 A/B/C |
The Missing Link Between Data and The Consumer Alex Truelove, Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) | ||
Round Table Discussion Stakeholders breakout into work groups | ||
Concurrent Session 6D STA Track | 2:00 - 3:30 PM | 203 A/B/C |
Seal of Testing Assurance Program Updates USCC Staff | ||
Update on the ‘Test Method for the Examination of Composting and Compost’ Tera Lewandowski, Scotts Miracle Gro | ||
Assessment of Transport Coolers for Shipping Compost for Laboratory Analysis Robert Miller, Colorado State University | ||
Concurrent Session 6F State Chapter Track | 2:00 - 3:30 PM | 201 A/B/C |
Compost Foundation and Chapters, Dialogue and Ideas Diane Hazard, Compost Research and Education Foundation | ||
| Closing Keynote | 3:45 - 5:45 PM | Ballroom ABC |
| Closing Celebration! | 3:45 - 5:45 PM | Ballroom ABC |
| Annual Awards Ceremony | 3:45 - 5:45 PM | |
Vermeer Reception Open to All - Coquina Ballroom at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort - NORTH TOWER 3rd FLOOR  | 6:00 - 9:00 PM | |
Young Professionals Reception Sponsored by  | 7:00 - 10:00 PM | Mai Tai Bar |
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9
Demo Day at the Tomoka Landfill 
| Welcome and breakfast Sponsored by  | 8:00 AM |
| Display equipment available to view and discuss with vendors | all day |
| Screeners | 9:00 - 10:15 AM |
| Grinders and Shredders | 10:15 - 11:25 AM |
| Windrow Turners Mixing and Application equipment | 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM |
| Lunch Sponsored by  | 12:30 - 2:00 PM |
| Vendors available to discuss equipment | 12:30 - 3:15 PM |
Sponsor for all the support equipment  | |
| Demo Day Bus Schedule | |
| 6 buses arrive | 6:45 AM |
| 4 buses depart | 7:15 AM |
| 2 buses depart | 7:45 AM |
| 4 buses depart | 8:30 AM |
| 1 bus departs back to Ocean Center | 1:00 PM |
| 2 buses depart back to Ocean Center Return ASAP for final departure | 1:45 PM |
| 2 buses depart back to Ocean Center *can return if needed | 2:00 PM |
| 2 buses depart back to Ocean Center | 2:45 PM |
| 2 buses depart back to Ocean Center | 3:30 PM |
Exhibit Hall Hours: |
|
USCC Toolbox Talks Schedule 2024
| SESSION | Title | Time |
Toolbox Talk I | Wednesday 8:15-9:45 AM | |
| Revolutionizing Food Waste Recycling with Biodigeston for Sustainability and Profitability Christy Hurlburt, Viably | ||
| Innovative Data Collection for Windrow Operations - Staying ahead of Regulation and Client Expectations Emilio Cervantes, Reotemp | ||
| Best operating techniques for horizontal grinders Derek Izworski, Astec | ||
Lightning Round | Wednesday 1:00-1:45 PM | |
| New technology from Astec Michael Spreadbury, Astec | ||
| AEYD, a composters system Taylor Warden, Proc9 | ||
| Tiger Depack Technology Improvements Corey Rossen, Ecoverse | ||
| New technology from ReoTemp Nathan O'Connor, Reotemp | ||
| New technology from Vermeer Jeff Bradley, Vermeer | ||
| New technology from Morbark Jeanne Maddox, Morbark | ||
| New technology from Edge Adrian Donnelly, EDGE Innovate | ||
| New technology from Compost Systems Austria Aurel Lubke, Compost Systems Austria | ||
| New technology from Viably Garrett Lapsys, Viably | ||
| New technology from Scott Equipment Kevin Pedretti, Scott Equipment | ||
Toolbox Talk II | Thursday 8:30-10:00 AM | |
| Electric vs Diesel Michael Bryan-Brown, Green Mountain Technologies | ||
| Maximizing Your Wood Grinding Efficiency Phil Urban, Morbark | ||
| The integration of Biochar into Compost Nick Vetsch, SCS Engineers | ||
Toolbox Talk III | Thursday 11:00-12:30 PM | |
| Elevating Efficiency with the Dual Temperature Sensor Sashti Balasundaram, WeRadiate | ||
| The Final Mile Ron Ciolfi, Finn Corp | ||
| Shredder vs. Grinder Tim Martin, Eggersmann | ||