Dr Robert Rynk is the principal editor and author of the recently published manual, The Composting Handbook (and also its 1992-predecessor, the On-Farm Composting Handbook). The Composting Handbook is a 900-page compilation of “how-to” knowledge from over 50 contributors and countless papers and articles, including many Australian sources. Bob attributes the book’s completion to his recent retirement from his full-time teaching position at the State University of New York, Cobleskill College of Agriculture and Technology. Bob taught courses on composting, organic waste management, bioenergy and agricultural engineering. In another of his previous lives, Bob was Senior Technical Editor for BioCycle magazine and Executive Editor of the peer-reviewed journal, Compost Science and Utilization. Bob’s current title is Professor Emeritus, which essentially means that he can take it easy and travel to exotic destinations such as Australia and give talks about composting. Bob has conducted several seminars, workshops and lectures in several settings in Australia over the years. He considers Australia a marvelous country, despite the snakes and spiders (which do not scare him … much) and the fledgling composting industry.

Matthew Cotton has worked in the composting industry since 1986. He has served as a consultant, educator, researcher, and advocate for new and expanded organics recycling and composting programs in California and beyond.

Mr. Cotton has completed hundreds of significant organics projects, including permitting and assisting in the development of some of the major composting facilities in California. Mr. Cotton served on the Board of Directors of the US Composting Council for almost two decades, including three terms as president. He currently serves on the Board of Californians Against Waste. He has published research on compost odours, compost use, climate impacts, compostable plastics, and compost facility infrastructure. Mr. Cotton is a lead instructor for the week-long Compost Operator Training Program operated by the Composting Council’s Research and Education Foundation.

Dr Kevin Wilkinson is an agricultural scientist with more than 25 years research and consulting experience in composting and compost utilisation. He was a senior research scientist with the state government of Victoria for many years and since 2017, Kevin has been running his own consulting business called Frontier Ag & Environment. Over the span of his career, Kevin has touched on many aspects associated with composting and organic waste management in agriculture such as biosecurity, food safety, soil organic matter management and agronomy. While he was working for the Victorian government, Kevin led a major research project on the biosecurity of mass poultry mortality composting, with the report being published in 2014. Since starting his consulting business, Kevin has become involved in several projects on mortality composting. One of those projects is funded by the New South Wales state government and involves a comparison of different treatments for composting large animals in an emergency following disease outbreaks like African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease. Another project was funded by Australian Pork Limited, comparing composting with other approaches to carcass disposal in an emergency disease outbreak. During the Roadshow, Kevin will discuss how composting can be used in a biosecure manner for both routine mortality management and in exotic disease outbreaks.

Janine Price has 27+ years’ experience in the fields of environmental management and regulation, with an emphasis on agricultural industries. She gained her extensive experience while working with the pork industry, and also regulatory and agricultural authorities.  Janine currently works as Principal Consultant for Scolexia Pty Ltd on projects involving environmental management and regulation including planning (environmental, nutrient and effluent management plans), permit and works approval applications, best management practice materials, intensive livestock facility reviews, as well as risk assessments and action planning. Janine also manages and coordinates liaison with stakeholders such as the EPA, Local Government authorities, and also Catchment Management and Water Authorities. A key focus of her work includes agricultural, nutrient, odour, and effluent/waste management including biogas systems.

Janine has been involved in best practice design and planning applications for on-farm composting systems including mortality composting. She has also worked with commercial composting companies to assist in gaining approvals for input feedstocks and beneficial end product use and has also been involved in a collaborative Review of Regulations and Standards for Recycled Organics in Australia for the Australian government.

Janine is part of the Composting Roadshow team, because it is critically important for farmers to understand what approvals might be required for various on-farm composting scenarios and the use or sale of generated products (on and off farm), noting that requirements can vary widely.  Janine’s presentation will help farmers understand and successfully navigate the regulatory frameworks that govern on-farm composting in intensive animal industries.

Equipped with degrees in Agriculture and Environmental Science, Johannes Biala has worked in organics recycling, composting and the use of recycled organics products for over 30 years both in Australia and overseas. He has extensive experience as consultant and researcher in all key areas of the organics recycling supply chain. Throughout his career, Johannes successfully straddled the waste management, organics processing and agricultural worlds, being able to work and deliver outcomes in all of them. Over the years, Johannes has actively driven and promoted the development and expansion of the organics recycling industry, with a particular passion for the beneficial use of recycled organic products in agriculture and horticulture. In 2017 he established the Centre for Recycling of Organic Waste and Nutrients (CROWN) at the University of Queensland’s School of Agriculture and became its inaugural director. CROWN’s activities cover the sourcing, processing and use of all organic waste and nutrient streams, focusing on the beneficial use of raw and composted organic resources for land management and plant production purposes. Over the last couple of years, he has been working closely with cattle feedlots, egg producers and urban composters, helping them to improve their operations and field test their products, including the characterisation and assessment of pelletised and granulated compost products.