Faculty Schedule Field Trips Directions		On-line Registration Register Lodging Photos
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The University of Maine Cooperative Extension (UMCE), Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources (DAF&RR), and Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and Maine State Planning Office (SPO) offer a regularly scheduled award winning international Maine Compost School.  The objective of the Maine Compost School is to provide training to people interested and/or involved with medium and large-scale composting operations.  This course is offered as a certificate program  and will train personnel to be qualified compost site operators.

The Maine Compost School is located at Highmoor Farm, a University of Maine research farm facility located in Monmouth, Maine.  Participants receive classroom instruction, laboratory experience and hands-on project exercises in this setting.  The classroom and laboratory hands-on activities include:
 

To reinforce and illustrate the principles taught in the classes, different commercial, community and farm composting sites have been selected to be visited by the students.  At each site the operators freely share their information and answer the questions the students may have.

  All along the tour, students are able to interact with the faculty of the school.  The field trips include:

·         a medium scale invessel system compost facility(Pat Jackson/Tri-City Septic)

·         a medium-scale turned windrow compost facility (Sandy River Recycling Association)

·         an innovative compost and retail bagging operation (Living Acres)

·         a recognized international leader in all aspects of compost research and practice for over 25 years (Woods End Research Laboratories)

·         a large scale "Dutch Tunnel" in-vessel compost facility (New England Organics - Hawk Ridge Compost Facility)

·         a farm composting and bagging operation utilizing seafood, manure, and other organics (Kinney Compost)

·         a large scale "Agitated bin" in-vessel compost facility (Lewiston/Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority)

·         a medium-scale static aerated pile compost facility (Little River Compost)
 

Certification

An optional examination is administered to any participant that requests it.  Successful completion of the exam results in the awarding of a  "Certificate of Technical Ability."  The exam covers the classroom portion and the field trip visits and is given at the end of the session on Friday.  Please indicate your interest in this optional exam by checking the appropriate box on the registration form.

Enrollment Information

The registration fee for the Maine Compost School is $525.00 (US dollars) for each participant.  This fee includes all instructional material, refreshments at breaks, lunches Monday through friday, along with assorted compost publications and field trip transportation.  Participants arrange for their own lodging and transportation to school.

Please send in your registration early using the registration form.  Applications for registration are accepted until the 20 participants limit is reached.  You may also chose to use the online registration link on-line registration. Letters of acceptance will be sent out as confirmation of registration.

Refunds

The registration fee is fully refundable up to two weeks prior to the first day of the selected Maine Compost School. Registrants who do not attend and fail to cancel are subject to the complete fee. No participant substitutions may be made at any time, without permission from the school directors.

The Maine Compost School reserves the right to change instructors and to cancel or reschedule a program in the event of insufficient enrollment or unforeseen circumstances.

Special Clothing & PPE: The Maine Compost School does not require any personal protection equipment or special clothing. It does suggest  that you wear work boots and bring rain gear.  

Special Dietary Needs: The Maine Compost School makes every effort to meet the dietary needs of individuals.  Please let Us know if you you have any special dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, etc.) at time of registration.  

Contact Information:

Resource Materials
 

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