UConn Master Composter Program
Join us for the 2026 Master Composter Program
The UConn Master Composter Program is a train-the-trainer program for Connecticut residents who want to learn the science and practice of composting and share that knowledge with their communities.
Offered through UConn’s George Leigh Minor Plant and Soil Health Center, the program helps participants understand backyard and small-scale composting, compost chemistry and testing, compost recipes, municipal and community composting, earthworms, vermicomposting, and public education approaches.
2026 program status
The 2026 UConn Master Composter Certification Program will be a hybrid program with two in-person Saturday sessions and two online evening sessions. In-person sessions will be held at the Middlesex County Extension Center in Haddam.
- Class 1: Saturday, October 24, 2026, 10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., in person, Haddam
- Class 2: Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 6:30-9:00 p.m., online
- Class 3: Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 6:30-9:00 p.m., online
- Class 4: Saturday, November 14, 2026, 10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., in person, Haddam
- Optional field trip: Date and location to be determined
Program fee: $100 per student. Class size is limited to 25 participants.
Registration information will be posted here when available.
What participants learn
- Why composting matters for waste reduction, soil health, and community education
- Basic principles of composting and practical backyard composting systems
- Compost chemistry, contaminants, and testing
- Designing compost recipes and using compost calculators
- Municipal and community composting examples
- Beneficial and harmful earthworms and their impact on ecosystems
- Vermicomposting, worm bins, and microbial life in soil and compost
- How to share composting information with the public through outreach
Why compost?
A meaningful share of household waste can be recycled close to home through composting. Composting helps reduce material sent to incinerators or landfills, returns organic matter to soil, and supports more sustainable yard, garden, school, and community practices.
Program Contact
For program questions, contact Avishesh Neupane, Director of the George Leigh Minor Plant and Soil Health Center.