Join us at the 2026 RI Compost Conference and Tradeshow
Hosted by Rhode Island College and the RI Food Policy Council
Wednesday, March 11, 2026 from 9am – 3:30pm at Rhode Island College
The annual Rhode Island Compost Conference & Trade Show brings together wasted food generators, composters, food recovery organizations, regulators, legislators, and the general public to network, to trade ideas and learn more about compost and the wasted food ecosystem.
Help us advance wasted food solutions in Rhode Island!
Open to All
The conference will share best practices in the composting of wasted food. Attendees will come away with knowledge of many different composting methods, as well as a good sense of what tactics typically do and don’t work. Attendees may be composters, haulers, municipality personnel, school students, faculty, administrators, restaurant owners, or really anyone who’s eager to learn alternative methods of wasted food disposal.
Conference Accessibility
The RI Compost Conference and Trade Show is a space for everybody, no matter your financial situation. To apply for a scholarship, please mail isaac@rifoodcouncil.org
We are excited to be offering childcare at this year’s conference. If you are in need of childcare during the conference, please be sure to indicate that in your registration.
Schedule of Events
This year’s event will feature nationally recognized keynote speakers, four tracks of morning and afternoon panels representing solutions for municipal and community food waste, surplus and wasted food in schools and helping businesses, over 15 local and regional exhibitors, and an Ice Cream Social to close the day!
Event Agenda
| Time | Event 1 | Event 2 | Event 3 | Event 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Keynote Speech Brenda Platt – Institute for Local Self Reliance | |||
| Keynote Conversation: James McSweeney – Compost Technical Services, Jayne Merner – Earthcare Farm | ||||
| 10:30 AM | Composting Programs in K-12 SchoolsRI School Recycling Project, Eva Touhey & Patricia Crawley – North Kingstown School Dept,, Katie Kirakosian – Chariho School District, Lauren Click – Lets Go Compost | Restaurant InitiativesKaylyn Keane – Keanes Wood Fired Catering, Samantha Salvatore – CET | It Starts at Home, Backyard and Community CompostingStewart Martin – Providence Gardenworks, Gardener Maurice Brown, Denise Jaiman – Garden Time | What’s in Your Compost/SoilElsa Higby, Jayne Merner – Earthcare Farm, Ruben Parilla – NOFA MA |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch | |||
| 1:00 PM | World Cafe | |||
| 2:00 PM | Zero Waste University InitiativesTim Brown – Johnson and Wales University, Grant Haas – Boston University | Being a Leader in Reducing Wasted Food in Your CommunityMarian Flaxman, Vanessa Venturini – URI Cooperative Extension | Municipal Programs in RI and BeyondDebra Darby – Tetra Tech, Jon Laurie – BlackEarth Compost | Alternatives to Single Use – CompostablesJonathan McGee – SeaweedSol, Rebecca Harvey – Woodsend Lab |
| 3:00 PM | Ice Cream Social | |||
Thanks to our Headline Sponsor
“We work to mobilize sports, maritime, and coastal communities with an innovative approach to inspire solutions for the ocean and promote collaborative, systemic change through three primary areas of engagement: sponsorships, guarantees, and ambassadors.”