Dear Compost Enthusiasts,

We are The 131° School of Composting <http://the131school.com/>, a new online platform for advancing composting across the nation and globe. Our mission is to build a regenerative, inclusive and equitable food system through the act of composting.

On 1/31, we officially opened pre-registration for the March-April session of The 131° School’s Compost Operator Certificate <https://www.the131school.com/courses/The-131-Schools-Compost-Operator-Certificate>, an online training program focused on best practices for food scrap composting. Led by James McSweeney, author of Community-Scale Composting Systems, this course is designed for any-size operation above the home-scale (commercial, on-farm, municipal, on-site). It is based on the Vermont Compost Operator Certification Training curriculum, which James developed and has taught since 2011.

To date, James has certified nearly 300 composters in the state of Vermont. We created The 131° School’s Compost Operator Certificate <https://www.the131school.com/courses/The-131-Schools-Compost-Operator-Certificate> in hopes of sharing this practical knowledge with composters outside of VT.

The course costs $275 for individuals, and we’re offering group rates at four or more participants. 

We expect the first session, which goes from March-April, to fill up quickly, but we will be offering multiple sessions throughout the year. If you are interested in a later session, you can get on a waiting list for early enrollment notification here <https://forms.gle/rvcRPZDMwCEpUTnD9>. Each session lasts for two months and contains five Units of pre-recorded lectures and quizzes for students to complete on their own. Additionally, we’ll meet up as a group twice a month via a livestream to review key topics, answer questions, and join virtual field trips to compost facilities around the country. 

We are very excited to have Karl Hammer as our first Guest Operator. His operation, Vermont Compost Company, is a producer of high-quality, compost based soils, growing media, and amendments for professional organic growers all over the country. Karl is as experienced a composter as you can find, and no-one walks away from a conversation with him without learning something new.

For more information on The 131° School’s Compost Operator Certificate or to register, please visit the course homepage <https://www.the131school.com/courses/The-131-Schools-Compost-Operator-Certificate>. Also, please feel free to contact us with any questions at [log in to unmask] Thanks for your consideration!

-The 131° Team