Grow, Eat, Compost, Repeat: A Deep Dive Into Circular Farming With Compost

Join leaders from compost manufacturing and agriculture as they share real-world examples of how compost supports local circular economies. Drawing from case studies in Washington State, we'll discuss practical considerations for developing successful compost/agricultural partnerships, implementing farm-based compost systems, and using compost to address on-farm environmental challenges such as stormwater runoff. Attendees will gain insight into how farms, compost manufacturers, and advocates can work together to create resilient local systems that keep organic materials in productive use while delivering environmental and economic benefits.

This webinar will feature Sierra Arredondo and Chris Cunningham from Cedar Grove Composting/Sound Sustainable Farms and Nehemias Chalma from Natural Selection Farms.

Sierra Arredondo will cover

• Brief overview of Cedar Grove's in-vessel composting process, feedstocks, and contamination barriers
• Cedar Grove's end use markets and what led them to start a farm

Chris Cunningham will cover

• How compost is being used and what benefits are being realized at Sound Sustainable Farms in Redmond, WA
  • Focus will be given to how compost-based filtration is being used to manage vehicle-impacted stormwater runoff from roadways using catch-basin inserts, specifically managing 6PPD-q (a highly toxic pollutant used in tires)

Nehemias Chalma will cover

• Natural Selection Farms' motivators to compost on-site
• A brief overview of their composting process: feedstocks, staffing/equipment needs, and other site-specific considerations
• On-farm compost use and benefits
• Distribution of compost to other local farms

Pricing: $19 for USCC members, $29 for non-members

This webinar will be recorded and made available to all registrants in a follow-up email.

This webinar is eligible for one Continuing Education Credit for Certified Compost Operations Managers™ and Certified Composting Professionals™. More information on attendance verification will be available in the follow-up email.

For questions regarding this webinar, contact Kelsea Jacobsen: education@compostfoundation.org

Meet the Speakers

Sierra Arredondo is the Outreach Coordinator for Cedar Grove Composting specializing in commercial collection, account management, educational outreach events, hosting tours, and contamination reporting. Sierra graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree specializing in International Business at Indiana University in 2019. With over 10 years of experience in the food service industry, Sierra has served as a community educator for the Banchero Family Companies since early 2023.

Chris Cunningham manages construction and stormwater services for Cedar Grove Composting, a compost manufacturer with processing facilities in Maple Valley and Everett, Washington and soil sales yards around the Puget Sound. He works directly with architects, engineers, city, state, and county agencies to develop compost-based filtration systems designed to reduce the impacts of vehicle impacted stormwater. In addition to compost-based experience, Chris has managed Sound Sustainable Farms in Redmond, WA since its inception in 2017. Chris has decades of experience in the soil and compost industry, and prior to that, owned a landscape and construction company working in the Puget Sound region.

Nehemias Chalma’s father manages hundreds of acres, mostly tree fruit and vineyards, so Nehemias’ career in agriculture began at an early age-riding shotgun is his father’s truck. Nehemias joined Lighthouse Farms, Natural Selection Farms' sister company, when he was old enough to work. A natural leader, Nehemias’ drive and curiosity moved him into management quickly, and it wasn’t long before he began directing operations at the Natural Selection Farms Compost Facility. Under his guidance, throughput doubled as NSF regimented its pursuit of quality. Because of Nehemias’ agricultural background, he understands the innate risks that his clients face every day—markets, pest and disease pressure, and weather. He accommodates and plans for their fluctuating schedules and varying requirements for soil nutrition, and he continually improves NSF’s compost process to provide his clients with the product that will bring the most strength to their soils.