Mark Walvoord | Oklahoma Compost and Sustainability Association https://okcomposts.org Promoting composting in Oklahoma and beyond Tue, 26 Sep 2023 19:27:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://okcomposts.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/cropped-OCC_Logo_Simple_transparent-32x32.png Mark Walvoord | Oklahoma Compost and Sustainability Association https://okcomposts.org 32 32 2023 Compost Conference https://okcomposts.org/occ2023/ Fri, 08 Sep 2023 21:19:14 +0000 https://www.okcompostconference.org/?p=2303 We hope you’ll join us for the upcoming Oklahoma Compost Conference on October 26, 2024 at the Eastern Oklahoma Technology Center in Choctaw. For our 9th annual conference themed “Advocating for Solutions: Activating the Power of Compost,” attendees will not only learn about advocating for compost at home, in their communities, and in their cities, but will have opportunities for hands-on sessions and networking.

Linda Norris Waldt, US Composting Council

Our keynote speaker, Linda Norris Waldt, is the Advocacy and Chapters Director of the US Composting Council. She has been in the recycling industry for 29 years, and is part of the Frederick Compost Workgroup, a citizens advocacy group for composting and food waste in Frederick County, MD.

Other sessions include a look at regional fiber systems, a soil erosion demonstration, a backyard composting workshop, a look at food waste recovery at the institutional level, and a closing panel. Networking opportunities occur during sessions, at sponsor tables, and over the provided coffee, pastries, and lunch. As you might expect, this is a low-waste event, where attendees are encouraged to bring their own cup, mug, and/or silverware.

Visit our conference website to see the full conference schedule, our sponsors, and register information.

Conference Website
Register Now!
]]> Vermicompost Workshop, September 2022 https://okcomposts.org/vermicompost-09-2022/ Wed, 31 Aug 2022 21:43:05 +0000 https://www.okcompostconference.org/?p=2064 Thanks to a generous grant from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, we offered another FREE vermicomposting workshop this fall. Vermicomposting is the use of earthworms to accelerate the composting process. Registration was available on the form below, and we welcomed attendees on Saturday, September 24, 2022 from 10-11am at the Love’s Travel Stops Stage at Scissortail Park during the Farmers Market.


At the END of the workshop, 11 attendees were randomly selected to take home the worm bins that we all built during the demonstration. All others left with the knowledge, skills, and tip sheet to build their own and help the environment! Check out our Vermicompost 101 handout on our resources page.

]]> Compost Festival 2022 https://okcomposts.org/compost-festival-2022/ Wed, 02 Mar 2022 16:58:31 +0000 https://www.okcompostconference.org/?p=1946 We hope you will join us to celebrate compost at this year’s Oklahoma Compost Festival on Saturday, May 7, as the culminating event of International Compost Awareness Week (May 1-7). This year’s festival, the 2nd annual, will be located at OKC’s Scissortail Park and will include:

  • 10:00am-12:00pm, Networking with vendors, municipalities, and non-profits with ties to compost in Oklahoma
  • 10:00-10:45am, “Basics of Composting at Home” workshop
  • 11:00-11:45am, “Incorporating Compost within the Landscape” workshop
  • All Day, access to Scissortail Park and the Scissortail Park Farmer’s Market!

Event Sponsors:

OSU Extension

]]> Medical Marijuana & Compost Seminars https://okcomposts.org/medical-marijuana-compost-seminars/ https://okcomposts.org/medical-marijuana-compost-seminars/#comments Fri, 21 Jan 2022 21:54:07 +0000 https://www.okcompostconference.org/?p=1891 The Oklahoma Compost and Sustainability Association (OCASA) held an online seminar series: Medical Marijuana and Compost, on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 from 10:00am-12:00pm CST. After a short introduction, each speaker covered their topics in 30 minutes followed by short breaks, then we had time for questions at the end. A big thanks to our speakers for their time and expertise, allowing us to offer this series for free.

Nick Mesigh, Enso Solutions: composters of cannabis waste, https://ensosolutionsllc.com

Jason Huffaker, Eleva Soils: custom soil/compost blends for cannabis growers, https://elevasoils.com

Jason spoke about how the use of different soil blends containing compost, or the use of compost itself, impacts marijuana growth and production.

Jerin Presley, Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority: OMMA oversees the medical marijuana (MMJ) program for the State of Oklahoma, https://oklahoma.gov/omma.html

Jerin is the Manager of Interagency Collaboration and talked about the rules and options for disposing of MMJ waste relevant for growers, processors, haulers and dispensaries. He also touched on the rules for facilities who want to dispose of MMJ waste, specifically focusing on composting this material.

]]> https://okcomposts.org/medical-marijuana-compost-seminars/feed/ 1 A Successful OCC 2021 https://okcomposts.org/a-successful-occ-2021/ Mon, 01 Nov 2021 22:38:52 +0000 https://www.okcompostconference.org/?p=1894 Our 7th annual Oklahoma Compost Conference (OCC) on October 15, 2021 at the Oklahoma County OSU Extension Center was another successful event! This one was made even more special by the fact that we were able to meet in-person during a lull in the COVID-19 pandemic, and because it was our first conference after forming our non-profit, the Oklahoma Compost and Sustainability Association.

photo of OK Composts brown t-shirt near candles

Approximately 115 registrants enjoyed browsing information from 16 sponsors/vendors and attending some of the 8 sessions. Topics ranged from Compost in Agriculture to a Soil Erosion Demonstration to a panel about Compost & Sustainability in Oklahoma Businesses (and more). A smoking t-shirt design even made a debut.

  • Amanda at our registration table
  • Our busy registration table
  • Variety is the spice of life
  • Part of the conference crowd
  • Kwame shared some tips on using compost in agriculture
  • At the CommonWealth Urban Farms workshop
  • Allen post-workshop with his gift bag
  • Blane, soil erosion expert, displays his gift bag
  • The crowd listens to Eric talk about municipal partnership for sustainability
  • Mark hosting our panel of Oklahoma business owners
  • Part of the OCASA board
  • This skeleton has style in our OCC 2021 t-shirt
]]> 2021 Oklahoma Compost Conference https://okcomposts.org/2021-oklahoma-compost-conference/ Sat, 14 Aug 2021 22:24:38 +0000 https://www.okcompostconference.org/?p=1781
2021 Oklahoma Compost Conference: Don't be Afraid to Compost

Our 7th annual Oklahoma Compost Conference is sure to calm your fears about composting, since sessions span from backyard to agricultural to municipal composting. This will also be our first conference hosted by our newly-formed Oklahoma Compost and Sustainability Association (OCASA), and will be back face-to-face after last year’s virtual sessions. We will be providing a virtual option this year, as well, at a discounted rate!

Mark your calendar for Friday, October 15 from 8:00am-4:30pm at the Oklahoma County OSU Extension Center in Oklahoma City.

Besides getting great info about composting at sessions, you’ll have scarily-good conversations, meet some otherwordly vendors, feed on odorous food (local, zero-waste), and enjoy the boo-tiful gardens.

Registration opens Monday, August 16 and includes earlybird and vendor rates through October 1 along with student discounts.

]]> 2017 The Sedimental Value of Compost https://okcomposts.org/2017-the-sedimental-value-of-compost/ Thu, 04 May 2017 21:12:38 +0000 http://www.okcompostconference.org/?p=505 The third annual Oklahoma Compost Conference will be held at the Cleveland Country Fairgrounds in Norman Oklahoma.

We have some very special guest speakers that will offer educational insight to how compost is beneficial and how compost is being used around the Oklahoma area.

No matter if you are a novice or a pro this conference is made just for you!

Registration information can be found here.

Come one and all for this fun, one day event!

]]>