Compost Webinars
An archive of some webinars from our past series:
June 3 2020
CQA-Tested Green Bin Compost CQA-Tested Green Bin Compost Research:
RESULTS of the 5-Year Agricultural Research Trial in Manitoba
About the Speaker and Topic:
Dr. Lord Abbey is an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, with his research being carried out across many regions within Canada and overseas. Included amongst his research focus are: soil nutrient management systems, the value of compost and compost utilization, health-based sustainable food systems and food security as well as vegetable and fruit production.
With the support of Manitoba Conservation and Climate, the City of Brandon and The Compost Council of Canada, a 5-year research program has been carried out and completed in Brandon, Manitoba to: (1) determine the effects of Compost Quality Alliance (CQA)-tested green bin municipal solid waste compost on soil quality, plant growth and quality, and economic outcome of food crops; and (2) promote the agronomic use and marketing of the compost for food production.
Join in and hear the results of this remarkable research.
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Presentation
May 27, 2020
Composting at 4,000 Feet
About the Speaker and Topic:
In 1999, Sun Peaks Utilities made the move to an advanced wastewater treatment plant, replacing their lagoon system, to handle the needs of the increased population at Sun Peaks. For a number of years after starting the plant, the Utility shipped the sludge to Kamloops for disposal. As Sun Peaks’ population and sludge volumes increased, the shipping costs did as well. The Utility researched alternate disposal methods vis-à-vis their operating conditions including effectively treating biosolids at 4000 feet during very cold snowy winters and very hot dry summers. They concluded that composting was the option that best met their requirements, with an in-vessel composting system being built and incorporated into their wastewater management program.
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Presentation
May 20, 2020
Designing A Biogas System At The Toronto Zoo
About the Presenter:
Tom Ferencevic, President and owner of Fitec Environmental Technologies, is an applied anaerobic digestion specialist with firsthand experience in AD processes and facility operations as well as bio-products and organic fertilizer development and sales.
Fitec is a specialty equipment and service provider, focusing on the North American anaerobic digestion and organics processing markets, with an overall mission to fight climate change by closing the loop in organic waste ecosystems.
Fitec provides industry-leading biological and operational support to biogas facility owners and operators with 5 plants currently under service representing approx. 3MW of electricity production and > 100K tonnes of organic waste processing annually.
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Presentation
May 13, 2020
Insect Frass – Current Research In Fertilization And Soil Amendment From An Active Ontario Cricket Farm
Presenter:
Entomo Farms is a cricket farm, located in southern Ontario. Included amongst their goals is to create a global awareness of the relevance and socio-political impact of each person’s protein ecological footprint and to make an important contribution to the feeding of the estimated world population of 9 billion people by 2050.
Our presenter, Ryan Goldin, graduated from York University in Toronto, Ontario with a combined degree in Environmental Studies and Education. He was a founder of Reptile Feeders, a business focused on the raising of many types of insects and rodents for distribution across Canada. In 2014, the company leaders decided to apply their insect-rearing knowledge towards a substantial impact on the human food chain, with Entomo Farms being born.
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Presentation
May 6, 2020
Maximizing Food Waste Collections – Experiences Of Pilots And Studies In Ireland
Presenter:
Percy Foster has over 19 years of experience in the organic waste sector in Ireland, Europe and United Arab Emirates. As CEO for Cré – Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Association of Ireland from 2006 to the present, Percy has coordinated and managed the activities of the association, representing the composting and anaerobic digestion industry at Government and European levels. On a European level, Percy is chair of the European Compost Network’s Animal By-Products Group and is a former Board member of the European Compost Network.
Established in 2001, Cré is the Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Association of Ireland. Cré (which is the Irish word for ‘soil’), is a non-profit association of public and private organizations, dedicated to growing the biological treatment sector. Cré supports the production of high-quality outputs, assists the delivery of Government waste diversion and bioenergy targets and promotes the sustainable job creation.
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Presentation
April 22, 2020
The Influence of Compost Product Diversity on the Soil’s Bacterial and Fungal Community in Potato Production
Presenter:
Dr. Claudia Goyer has obtained her PhD at the University of Sherbrooke, Québec. She was awarded the Alexander von Humbold fellowship for a postdoctoral position at the Max-Planck Institute on Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany. Joining Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Fredericton Research and Development Centre in 1999, Dr. Goyer’s research program focuses on understanding the importance of the diversity of soil microbial communities on plant disease and soil ecosystem functioning including nitrogen cycling and crop productivity.
Topic:
Join us for a “down-to-earth” EARTH DAY presentation on April 22nd with Dr. Claudia Goyer of Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada as she discusses her research on the influence of compost product diversity on soil’s biodiversity in potato production.
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Presentation
April 15, 2020
Highfield Farm, Compost, and Calgary’s Urban Agriculture Pilot Project
Topic:
The Highfield Farm project has a 16 acre parcel of underused land in Calgary, awarded by the City of Calgary to The Compost Council of Canada and our Highfield Farm Team for the City’s Urban Agriculture Pilot Program. The Highfield Farm team aims to create a profitable and ecologically regenerative market garden serving Calgary with nutrient dense vegetables, applying practical soil science to revitalize the site through compost and vegetable production.
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Presentation
April 8, 2020
FOOD SCRAPS RECYCLING in ITALY
Presenter:
Our presenter, Dan Martens, serves as Vice-President of Novamont North America. In addition to his business responsibilities, Dan is a member of the National Board of Directors for the Compost Council of Canada, a core member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation New Plastics Economy, served on the advisory board for the SCRI USDA funded 5-year study of compostable film in soil and is the 2019 PIA Award winner for Innovations in Bioplastics.
Novamont, a global leader in research and production of MATER-BI, a family of compostable biopolymers, is headquartered in Novara Italy, recently celebrating its 30th Anniversary of business operations.
Novamont has been actively involved with this curbside collection strategy, providing certified compostable bin liners for the collection.
Topic:
Join us for a tour of the waste management and curbside collection strategy for a region representing 49 municipalities in Italy!
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Presentation
April 1, 2020
BIOSOLIDS CAN BE COMPOSTED
Presenter:
Conrad Allain, P.Eng., serves as Director of Technical Services for the Greater Moncton Wastewater Commission. With over 40 years of experience, Conrad has spearheaded the biosolids composting program for the GWMC since its inception, building from his extensive experience in the construction, design and operation of the GWMC’s overall wastewater treatment system. In addition to his many responsibilities and interests, The Compost Council of Canada is very fortunate to have Conrad serve as a long-time member of our National Board of Directors.
Topic:
TransAqua, the Greater Moncton Wastewater Commission (GMWC), (www.transaqua.ca) was established in 1983 to support the wastewater collection and treatment needs of the Dieppe, Moncton and Riverview tri-community in New Brunswick. GMWC has constructed and now operates a wastewater infrastructure involving a 34 km network of collector sewers, major pumping station along with eight smaller ones and an advanced primary treatment system with work recently being done to provide an enhanced secondary treatment approach. Over 15 years ago, GMWC proceeded with the implementation of a long-term sustainable Biosolids Management Program incorporating composting. The composting process used by the GMWC combines bottom aeration and a cover system. Committed to operating in an environmentally sustainable manner while being fiscally responsible, GWMC’s Biosolids Compost Product – marketed as Gardener’s Gold Compost Type A (Compost Soil Conditioner and Compost Mulch) – is supported by the COMPOST QUALITY ALLIANCE, meeting or exceeding the CAN/BNQ 0413-200/2016 Standard for compost. www.transaqua.ca
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Presentation
May 10, 2019
CLIMATE-SMART GARDENING, Step 1:
Pay Attention to the Soil
The 2019 gardening season has (finally!) arrived. To celebrate spring, and Compost Awareness Week, we are offering a free introductory webinar, where we will give some practical tips on revitalizing your soil. Our theme is straightforward and powerful: the soil is alive, so let’s treat it that way. We know that, given a chance, the tiny creatures of the soil food web will build healthy, fertile soils, rich in organic matter. But here is the bonus: the soil-building process also pulls carbon out of the atmosphere – a major answer to climate change, right under our feet! Join us and learn some down-to-earth, practical methods for climate-smart gardening.
May 9, 2018
Raising Standards for Restoring Healthy Soil to Urban Landscapes:
Creating healthier and more absorbent landscapes through soil management best practices
Presenter:
For the past fifteen years Dean has worked for the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. He is currently a Project Manager with the Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program (STEP). His work focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of innovative soil and water management technologies in an Ontario context and developing knowledge transfer tools to overcome barriers to widespread implementation. His most recent work focuses on developing guidance on the design and implementation of Low Impact Development stormwater infrastructure and soil management best practices to preserve and restore healthy soils on urban construction sites. Dean is a member of the Canadian Water Resources Association and International Erosion Control Association.
Description:
Healthy soil is the foundation of all green infrastructure, and a vital component of all landscaped portions of the urban environment. The way in which landscaped areas are constructed and managed affects how absorbent they are to stormwater, in addition to the level of effort that will be required to establish and maintain healthy vegetation, and the lifespan of the plantings. If best practices to preserve or restore healthy functioning soils are not applied during their construction or rehabilitation, changes to soil structure, soil biology and organic matter content, and the effects of compaction can cause them to function more like impervious surfaces.
April 11, 2018
Study Results on Odour Reduction and Buffering Changes in Temperature Using an In-Ground Waste and Organics Storage System
Presenter:
The Earth Rangers Centre for Sustainable Technology (ERC) was retained to complete an independent study of the Molok in-ground waste and organics storage system for its ability to buffer changes in outdoor temperature and thus reduce odours.
Description:
The following two criteria were tracked over more than one year and the results will be discussed in detail:
- Odour monitoring (measured by a calibrated odour meter) directly outside a Molok in-ground organics storage system as well as outside of a temperature- controlled waste room
- Temperatures throughout collected material in an in-ground organics storage system as well as in a temperature-controlled waste room
March 7, 2018
The Canadian Agricultural Partnership
Presenter:
Angela Bexten, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Description:
The Government of Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have recently announced the introduction of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector. Federally-funded activities and programs to support sector growth focus on three key areas:
- Growing trade and expanding markets – $297 million
- Innovative and sustainable growth in the sector – $690 million
- Supporting diversity and a dynamic, evolving sector – $166.5 million
Federal program details and application forms are available on the program web pages linked above. Funding will begin April 1, 2018.
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Presentation
Feb 14, 2018
Composting within the Cannabis Industry
Presenter:
Travis Ahearn, Brome Compost
Description:
With the recent legalization of marijuana, BROME Compost has increasingly been called upon to support licensed medical marijuana producers in the design and implementation of composting systems to destroy and denature cannabis plant residues. The number of licenced producers (LPs) is on the increase, but each one has different needs and challenges in terms of what they wish to compost, space constraints, and ultimate goals. Hear the real-life experience of BROME Compost as they deal both with the composting process as well as the additional equipment, accessories and management strategies required to meet the needs of the LPs.