Connecticut Compost Conference

2026 CT Compost Conference – Registration is OPEN!

Join us on March 19, 2026, at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, for a full-day conference dedicated to compost, soil health, and climate resilience.

Hosted by the Connecticut Compost Alliance (CCA), the CT Compost Conference brings together composters, farmers, educators, municipal leaders, policymakers, and sustainability advocates. Speakers from Connecticut and across the country will share innovative ideas and practical approaches to composting, soil health, and resilient systems.

We are pleased to welcome Didi Pershouse, as this year’s keynote speaker. Author of The Ecology of Care and Understanding Soil Health and Watershed Function. An internationally recognized educator and organizer, her work on soil health and watershed function is used in over 100 countries. She is co-founder of Rehydrate California and hosts The Wisdom Underground on Substack.  Her keynote, “Growing Community and Climate Resilience through the Soil Sponge and Living Climate,” will explore how healthy soils strengthen ecosystems, communities, and climate resilience.

Lunch & Support

The conference is FREE for all to attend. Lunch is available for those who opt in, with a suggested $20 donation per person, which will be matched dollar-for-dollar at patronicity.com/compost2026. Attendees can also opt to bring their own lunch or venture out to the many dining options in Middletown, CT.  This conference is made possible, in part, by a matching grant from Sustainable CT (sustainablect.org).

More Details Coming Soon

Session tracks and additional speaker details will be available in February 2026 on the CT Compost Alliance website:
ctcompostalliance.org/ctcompostconference

REGISTER HERE

Schedule of the Day

8:30 am Registration & Breakfast Refreshments

9:00 am Plenary Session

  • Welcome Address

  • Keynote Speaker – Didi Pershouse, “Growing Community and Climate Resilience through the Soil Sponge and Living Climate,”

10:15 am Morning Sessions: 1, 2, 3

11:30 am Morning Sessions: 4, 5, 6

12:30 pm Lunch

1:15 pm Visit Exhibitors and Optional Tour of Wesleyan University Compost Collection

2:00 pm Afternoon Sessions: 7, 8, 9

3:15 pm Afternoon refreshments and gathering to discuss

·       Permitting to Increase Food Scrap Composting at Farms, Community Sites and Municipalities

·       Legislative and Regulatory Update on Composting in Connecticut

4:30 pm Conference Concludes

Linda Norris-Waldt is Deputy Director and Advocacy and Chapters Director of the US Composting Council.

Linda has advocated for compost as a healthy soil and carbon sequestering solution for organic waste for ten years. She has been in the recycling industry for 30 years, having spent 10 years as the recycling director for Frederick County, MD. She is a University of Maryland graduate, a member of the MD-DC Composting Council Board of Directors and Maryland Compost Advocacy Coalition; and is part of the Frederick Compost Workgroup, a citizens advocacy group for composting and food waste in Frederick County. She lives in Middletown MD.

  • “Accelerating Amidst Choppy Waters: Composting and Climate”

    Linda Norris-Waldt is Deputy Director and Advocacy and Chapters Director of the US Composting Council.

  • “How You Help”

    Dr. Sally Brown, University of Washington in Seattle

  • agrilab Technologies

    Biomass Controls

    Brand Builders

    Casella

    Connecticut Green Bank

    Cow Pots

    CT Resource Conservation & Development

    Connecticut Sea Grant

    Curbside Compost

    Green Mountain Technologies

    Haven’s Harvest

    League of Women Voters of Southeastern CT

    Park City Compost

    Quantum

    Recycle CT/CT DEEP

    SCS Engineers

    SCRRA

    Sustainable CT

    UConn Master Composter Program

    USDA NRCS

Dr. Sally Brown, Research Professor, University of Washington

Dr. Brown is an award-winning research professor and science writer whose work focuses on soil health, climate change mitigation, organics recycling and wastewater treatment. At the root of her work, she believes that soil amendments, in the form of residuals from different industries (composts, for example), offer the potential to help us to live in a more sustainable manner.

Thank You To Our 2024 Conference Sponsors!

Thank You Sustainable CT for matching every dollar donated at Patronicity with $1.50 dollars.

Sustainable CT a Supporting Partner of the 2024 CT Compost Conference through its Community Match Fund for every dollar raised on Patronicity matched a $1.50. This support with the donors on Patronicity enabled this conference to be FREE for all to attend.

CT Compost Alliance Partners

CT Compost Alliance Partners